Help to Buy, Super Sites & Last Week's Sales Results

1 December 2025

Help to Buy Scheme Starts This Friday

The Help to Buy Scheme will be open for applications from this Friday 5 December.

How it works

Help to Buy is a shared equity scheme where the Australian Government contributes up to 40% of the purchase price for new homes or 30% for existing homes.

Participants will own the home, but share some of its value with the government. This means the government proportionally shares any gains or losses when the home is sold or when the participant buys out the government's equity stake.

Participants need a minimum 2% deposit and must obtain a home loan from a Participating Lender—currently limited to Commonwealth Bank and Bank Australia.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must:

• have an annual taxable income at or below $100,000 for individuals or $160,000 for single parents or joint applicants
• not currently own any property in Australia or overseas (there are exceptions for single parents)
• not receive help from other schemes, including shared equity schemes, or loans or guarantees provided by States or Territories to support the purchase.

Additional eligibility criteria apply, and there are only 10,000 places available each year.

Neighbours Cash In on Sydney's "Super Site" Boom

A new trend is reshaping Sydney’s prestige suburbs: neighbours banding together to sell their homes as one large “super site”. These amalgamated parcels are attracting eye-watering price tags that individual owners could never achieve on their own.

In the latest deal to be inked, twelve neighbours in Sydney’s wealthy enclave of Rose Bay have collectively sold nearly 6,000m² for $173 million.

The site, comprising ten houses and two semis between Wilberforce Avenue and Dover Road, was snapped up by Waterbrook Retirement Living, who reportedly outbid Mirvac and plans to build a premium retirement and aged-care facility.

It's the second mega-deal on the same street in recent months. In early October, a 3,000m² site consisting of five houses and two blocks of units along Dover Road and Wilberforce Avenue sold to Pathways Aged Care for approximately $150 million.

Earlier in the year, a group of twelve properties along Brierley Street and Rangers Avenue in Mosman, with a collective site area of 5,638m², were sold to Arissa Group for an undisclosed sum.

Why super sites are booming

Stage 2 of NSW’s Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, introduced in February, has dramatically expanded development capacity in well-located areas near stations and town centres.

The policy allows buildings up to six storeys and encourages a wider mix of housing types. Projects delivering 10–15% affordable housing gain generous 20–30% bonuses in height and floor space, while seniors housing also qualifies for additional floorspace and height in certain circumstances.

These incentives have supercharged demand for amalgamated sites in blue-chip suburbs. Larger blocks make land assembly far easier, with developers often needing only four to six properties—rather than ten or more—to create a viable parcel. Combined with the strong demand and premium prices that luxury apartments and seniors living projects command in these areas, super sites have become one of the most attractive plays in the market for both developers and homeowners looking to maximise their sale price.

Housing Costs Top Australians’ Financial Concerns for 2026

Canstar’s annual Consumer Pulse Report reveals that mortgage repayments and rent remains the nation’s biggest financial stress point heading into 2026, ahead of the cost of groceries, energy and insurance.

Around one-quarter of property owners said they are considering selling within the next two years. While downsizing and upgrading remain the main drivers, a concerning 19% of those considering selling cite an inability to afford higher loan repayments as the reason.

Defence Planning Sale of Prime Brisbane and Sydney Real Estate

The Federal Government is preparing to sell several Defence properties, with Brisbane's Victoria Barracks and Sydney Harbour's Spectacle Island among the leading candidates.

Victoria Barracks Brisbane is estimated to be worth around $200 million, but sections of the historic base have fallen into disrepair and carry significant maintenance costs. Spectacle Island has similarly become a financial burden, costing more than $4 million to maintain in recent years despite sitting largely unused.

Several other vacant or underutilised Defence properties may also be listed, with the government expected to release a public version of its asset audit in the coming months.

Brisbane

New Price Record for Brisbane

17 Julius Street, New Farm has sold off-market for $25 million, setting a new benchmark for Brisbane’s prestige market and becoming the city’s highest-priced private residence. Last purchased for $8.5 million in 2022, the result represents an extraordinary $16.5 million uplift in just three years.

Rob Gray, co-founder of high-end developer Graya, and his wife Meghan acquired the property in 2022 and made no changes to the existing home. The 688 sqm site features a three-storey, four-bedroom residence built in 1995 and captures uninterrupted views of the Brisbane River, Story Bridge and the city skyline.

Gray had intended to transform the site into four luxury apartments, but Brisbane City Council rejected the proposal in June, citing excessive bulk and proximity to the river. A subsequent appeal to the Planning and Environment Court was also dismissed.

The previous record for a home sale in Brisbane was held by 32 Sutherland Ave, Ascot, which fetched $23m in November last year.

Sales results for the Week

Brisbane recorded 531 sales in the past seven days, including 190 properties that sold for more than $1 million, according to the latest auction and sales results. The top sale was 17 Julius St, New Farm, which sold for $25 million, as reported above.

Listing of the Day

Gold Coast

Sales Results for the Week

The Gold Coast and Northern NSW recorded 326 sales over the past seven days, including 124 properties that achieved prices above $1 million, according to the latest auction and sales results. The highest sale was 23 Hume Parade, Paradise Point, which sold at auction for $6.2 million.

CHM Living Expands its Plans for Bilinga Site

CHM Living has significantly expanded its plans in Bilinga after acquiring the neighbouring property to its approved Pacific Parade site.

The original proposal for 70 Pacific Parade—approved in July this year—featured a boutique seven-storey building with just five apartments. Following the purchase of 1 Archer Street, CHM Living has now lodged a new application for a far larger scheme.

Designed by ByCulprit Architects, the revised proposal comprises an 11-storey residential building with 24 apartments across the combined 1,009m² site, which enjoys dual street frontages to Pacific Parade and Archer Street.

Listing of the Day

Sydney

Luxcon Plans Six-Storey Residential Development in Double Bay

Luxcon has lodged plans for a six-storey residential development at 2–8 Cooper Street, Double Bay.

Designed by PBD Architects, the proposal includes 17 apartments, a ground-floor communal open space and two basement levels with 38 resident parking spaces, with an estimated development cost of $23 million. The 1,337m² site spans three street frontages across Cooper Street, Henrietta Lane, and Brooklyn Lane.

Sales Results for the Week

Sydney recorded 1,918 sales over the past seven days, including 558 properties that achieved prices above $1 million, according to the latest auction and sales results. The highest sale was 2-4 Tarrant Avenue, Bellevue Hill, which sold at auction for $41 million.

Listing of the Day

Melbourne

Sales results for the Week

Melbourne recorded 1,832 sales in the past seven days, including 339 properties that sold for more than $1 million, according to the latest auction and sales results. The top sale was 51 Overnewton Road, Keilor, which sold for $7 million, and set a new record for the suburb.

Homes Victoria Caught Rent Bidding

Homes Victoria has confirmed it has been engaging in rental bidding across Melbourne.

During Friday's Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing, Homes Victoria CEO Simon Newport conceded the agency has been offering above-market rents to secure larger family homes in 19 suburbs.

Emails tabled at the hearing revealed the agency has been approaching the market with offers around 5% above market rate in areas including Sunshine, Albion, Ardeer, Braybrook, Maidstone, Maribyrnong, Brunswick, Brunswick West, North Melbourne, West Melbourne and Mambourin.

A ban on rent bidding in Victoria took effect on 25 November 2025. It is now illegal for agents to accept higher amounts of rent than what is advertised.

Listing of the Day

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