Strong Markets Hold The Line
Sellers return to the housing auction market in significant numbers.
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The national auction market continued to record strong results at the weekend despite the usual increase in mid-spring listings which, this year, has been amplified by the end of lockdowns in major capital cities.
The national clearance rate was higher at the weekend – up to 84.7% from 83.9% and well above the 77.3% reported over the same weekend last year.
National auction numbers were higher again at the weekend, rising from the previous Saturday’s 1970 to 2048 – ahead of the 1083 auctioned over the same weekend last year.
Although the market continues to record boomtime results, Sydney’s weekend auction market was sharply lower at the weekend recording a clearance rate of 77.0% — below the previous weekend’s 83.6% and lower than the 78.8% recorded over the same weekend last year.
It marks the first time the NSW capital’s clearance has fallen below 80% for the first time in 12 weeks.
Higher auction numbers have impacted clearance rates with 721 homes listed for auction at the weekend – up from 677 the previous weekend and 637 for the same weekend in 2020.
Sydney recorded a median price of $1,685,000 for houses sold at auction at the weekend – marginally higher than the $1,675,000 reported over the previous Saturday and 22.5% higher than the $1,375,000 recorded over the same weekend last year.
With the city coming out of lockdown, Melbourne’s fortunes shifted with the city recording a clearance rate of 80.4% on Saturday – higher than the previous weekend’s 77% and the first time its result has eclipsed Sydney’s since early July.
A total of 994 homes were listed for auction at the weekend – similar to the 993 reported over the previous weekend and well above the 304 for the corresponding weekend in 2020.
Melbourne recorded a median price of $1,048,000 for houses sold at auction at the weekend which was higher than the $969,500 recorded over the previous weekend and 13.5% higher than the $923,000 recorded over the same weekend last year.
Data powered by Dr Andrew Wilson of My Housing Market.
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Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is selling his Northern California estate, which was listed Monday for $24.5 million.
Located in Atherton, an extremely affluent town northwest of Palo Alto and about 30 miles south of San Francisco, the 3.36-acre property is made up of three parcels that Schmidt acquired over the years, according to public records and Compass, who has the listing.
Schmidt, 69, and his wife, businesswoman Wendy Schmidt, purchased the main home in 1990 for $2 million, according to public records accessed via PropertyShark. They remodelled the 1969 home in 2007, and at that time, bought a neighbouring parcel of land, allowing an expansion of the main house and the addition of a guest house, according to Compass, who holds the listing. A third parcel was later acquired, on which the Schmidts added an English garden house and landscaped grounds overlooking the Eastern Hills.
“Finding three contiguous parcels in Atherton is rare. Even rarer are those with views of the Eastern hills,” said listing agent Katharine Carroll of the reSolve Group at Compass. “The location of this residence is ultra private, at the back of a cul-de-sac with the main house built into a hillside that provides privacy and very good security.”
Across the estate, there are five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and six half bathrooms.
The 5,265-square-foot main house also offers a number of private outdoor spaces on its upper level, including a large terrace off the primary suite, another large terrace off a secondary bedroom, plus a third smaller terrace and two balconies.
Behind the main house is a patio with a pool and spa. For even more outdoor space, there’s an entertaining pavilion, an open lawn and an outdoor fireplace area near the guest quarters.
The grounds themselves are also a standout feature, with an array of mature plants and specimen trees. The upper portion of the property’s landscaping is designed around an Amdega-designed conservatory, which was imported from the U.K. Around the greenhouse, there is a garden of raised beds and fruit trees, Carroll said.
“From the moment you step onto the grounds, it feels as if you’ve been transported to a private botanical sanctuary,” she said.
Schmidt served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011, and then became the company’s executive chairman until 2015. He could not be reached for comment.
This article first appeared on Mansion Global
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