Australian Housing Prices Forecast To Rise 20 Per Cent

One of Australia’s big four banks is forecasting 20 per cent gains in the housing market over the next two years.

The incredible figure comes out of Westpac’s first Housing Pulse report for 2021 and indicates Australian dwelling prices could be on the brink of a boom.

The banking institution’s chief economist Bill Evans stated in the report, released on Monday, that he was expecting dwelling prices to lift 10 per cent nationally in the next 12 months, with that pace continuing into 2022, citing strong economic growth as the cause.

“The upturn is being supported by record low-interest rates; the confident expectation among borrowers that these rates will remain low for years to come; ample credit supply; and an improving economic backdrop,” Evans said.

In the final quarter of 2020, dwelling approvals surged 22 per cent while lending for dwellings lifted by 16 per cent in the December quarter.

Smaller capital cities and regional towns were likely to capitalise on the forecast increases, however concerns linger around the Sydney and Melbourne high rise markets.

Further, Evans has foreshadowed good news for the labour markets with unemployment rates forecast to decline steadily to 6 per cent by end of 2021, and 5.3 per cent by the end of 2022.

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

Australian Housing Prices Forecast To Rise 20 Per Cent

One of Australia’s leading economists predicts the early makings of a property boom.