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AI Agents Are a Threat to Travel Businesses. Airbnb Could Still Be a Winner.

AI agents like Muse can already find you the cheapest hotel room in Paris. But they can’t locate a cheaper version of that Catskills cabin you’ve been eyeing, because it might only be available on Airbnb ABNB -1.43%decrease.

Investors should pay attention to that distinction. When Meta Platforms META 3.38%increase launched its Muse agent last month, travel stocks including Booking Holdings BKNG -1.19%decrease, Expedia and Airbnb all fell sharply.

Airbnb, though, has a real chance to emerge as a winner from the upheaval. The catch: Its stock already reflects above-industry growth. To justify its valuation, Airbnb will need to turn repeat customers into loyal ones.

Online travel companies make much of their money by simplifying search and collecting fees on bookings. AI agents threaten that model.

But not all travel marketplaces are equally exposed. Booking and Expedia largely sell hotel rooms that travelers can also book directly or through competing sites. If an agent can find the same room elsewhere, it has little reason to favor either Booking or Expedia.

Booking and Expedia also sell sponsored listings that steer travelers toward particular properties. Wells Fargo estimates those will account for about 8% of Expedia’s revenue and a much higher percentage of profit next year.

Airbnb has more ways to adapt. More than half its listings are available only on its platform, and more than 90% of its traffic comes directly to its app or website.

The customer relationship doesn’t end after booking, either. Bernstein analyst Richard Clarke notes that 90% of Airbnb guests go on to message their hosts about arrival times, keys or local taxes, giving Airbnb a connection to both sides of the transaction.

How the companies have responded to the possible agentic future is telling.

Expedia quickly signed on as a Muse partner. Airbnb hasn’t, and Chief Executive Brian Chesky says AI chatbots have so far been a boon, sending customers to Airbnb’s website.

Chatbots might work for buying paper towels, he quipped at a Skift conference last month, but people enjoy planning trips. He argued that browsing dozens of homes isn’t something a text-based chatbot is well suited for.

Still, the AI jitters arrived just as Airbnb was persuading investors it deserved its pricey multiple. For years after its 2020 initial public offering, the stock—which trades around 25 to 30 times forward earnings—went nowhere. Investors saw a mature operator trading at a growth premium.

This year, Airbnb growth seems to be accelerating. The stock jumped in August after the company raised its full-year revenue-growth guidance with its second-quarter results. Wells Fargo analyst Ken Gawrelski credits a run of product improvements under a revamped leadership team.

Among the changes: letting guests reserve now and pay later, adding hotels, and a redesigned home page and app. Investors were also betting on what comes next, including thousands more hotels, car rentals and, eventually, advertising.

The irony is that some of those growth drivers push Airbnb closer to the kind of business Booking and Expedia run—the kind of business AI agents could threaten. Even if AI agents capture a large share of travel planning and booking, Airbnb would capture the demand. But it and others would slowly lose control over how customers find and choose properties.

That would undermine the advertising opportunity investors are counting on. The bigger point for Airbnb and other marketplaces is that losing control of customer acquisition could mean surrendering some of their pricing power and margins.

To bulletproof itself, Airbnb might look to another e-commerce giant that has so far kept AI agents at arm’s length: Amazon.

Like Amazon, Airbnb has a loyal customer base and hard-to-match supply. But it has nothing like Prime membership to make customers think twice before taking their business elsewhere.

That is where loyalty comes in. Business travelers stick with Hilton or Marriott because enough nights earn them perks. Leisure travelers rarely accumulate stays with one chain. Airbnb has millions of listings and plenty of repeat customers, but no broad rewards program. It has begun experimenting with credits on hotel stays, but it should make loyalty a priority, not just a promotion.

Airbnb also plans to launch its own AI agent next year. But travelers using an agent might still want it to search Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking and hotel websites alike, rather than limit itself to one company’s inventory.

Eventually, Airbnb might have to strike deals with agent makers, using its unique homes as leverage to negotiate favorable terms, says Gawrelski. Such deals, along with rewards for loyal guests, could over the long term eat into the company’s roughly 13% take rate, he adds. But if they bring in enough additional bookings, the trade-off could be worthwhile.

History offers a reason not to panic. The shift from desktop to mobile unsettled investors in Alphabet and Amazon, but both emerged as major beneficiaries. Companies with valuable assets can come out of a platform shift stronger, if they adapt quickly enough.

Airbnb has homes the bots can’t easily replace. Now it needs to give guests a reason to insist on booking them there.

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Bjorn Farrugia’s Second Serve: The Melbourne Prodigy Who Became LA’s Most Watched Realtor

A tennis scholarship took him to America two decades ago with no return ticket in mind. Today the Melbourne-born, Beverly Hills-based agent is one of the most decorated names in Los Angeles luxury real estate — and still calls himself an Australian first.

Continue reading “Bjorn Farrugia’s Second Serve: The Melbourne Prodigy Who Became LA’s Most Watched Realtor”

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Amazon in Talks to Buy AI Startup Decart for Around $7 Billion

Amazon.com AMZN 3.29%increase; is in talks to acquire artificial-intelligence startup Decart in a deal that could be valued at around $7 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

San Francisco-based Decart’s software makes it easier for developers to switch between different AI chips, a capability that is becoming increasingly important as companies race to secure more computing power.

A deal could come together soon, the people said, assuming talks don’t fall apart or another suitor doesn’t emerge.

Decart has raised more than $400 million in venture capital funding from investors including Sequoia Capital, Benchmark and Radical Ventures, according to PitchBook. It was valued at nearly $4 billion in May.

The company was founded in 2023 by three Israeli engineers, brothers Dean and Orian Leitersdorf and Moshe Shalev. Decart is also developing world models called Lucy and Oasis. World models can generate and simulate real-world 3-D environments.

Amazon has developed its own custom AI chip, Trainium3, in competition with Nvidia, which continues to dominate the market for graphics processing units, the specialized chips powering the AI boom. Amazon Web Services gave Decart early access to the chip in 2025 after meeting with the company and being impressed by its founders, The Wall Street Journal has reported.

Amazon’s other sizable acquisitions in recent years include a $6.5 billion deal for the MGM movie and television studio in 2022 and a roughly $11 billion deal for Starlink rival Globalstar announced earlier this year.

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The Collective Atchison puts the best of Crows Nest within easy reach

For new home purchasers seeking village life, exceptional transport and everyday amenity on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, The Collective Atchison makes a compelling case for putting location first.

Developed by TWT Property Group, The Collective Atchison is the first stage of The Collective, an ambitious new precinct bringing residences, workplaces, retail and creative spaces together at the meeting point of Crows Nest and St Leonards.

The 16-level building, currently near completion and expected to welcome its residents by the end of the year, comprises 93 one, two, three and four-bedroom residences. The one and two-bedroom apartments have proven particularly popular with a mix of first home buyers, DINKS (double-income-earners with no kids), and downsizers with budgets under $2.5 million.

While the architecture is now visible from its Atchison Street address, a public artwork installed by Mel O’Callaghan and the interiors by the team at DBI showcasing high-end finishes like natural stone benchtops and Miele or Gaggenau appliances, it is the location that proves The Atchison’s greatest luxury.

Crows Nest’s celebrated village is on the doorstep, placing cafés, restaurants, wine bars, fresh food, everyday shopping and an extensive choice of fitness and wellbeing facilities within an easy walk. It is a neighbourhood that works just as well for a spontaneous midweek dinner as it does for a quiet morning coffee or a weekend spent close to home.

That walkable lifestyle is more than a sales promise. Crows Nest has a Walk Score of 92 out of 100, earning it “Walker’s Paradise” status and ranking it among Sydney’s most walkable neighbourhoods.

Connectivity is equally impressive. The Collective Atchison is approximately 300 metres from Crows Nest Metro Station and around a four-minute walk from St Leonards railway station. Metro services place Barangaroo about five minutes away and Martin Place just seven minutes away, transforming the daily journey to the CBD. Heavy rail, buses and nearby arterial roads add further flexibility for travel across Sydney.

The broader precinct also offers access to one of Sydney’s most important health, research and education clusters. Royal North Shore Hospital anchors the Sydney North HealthCARE Innovation Precinct, alongside North Shore Private Hospital, The Kolling Institute and links to the University of Sydney. Local educational options include TAFE NSW St Leonards and a concentration of respected public and independent schools across the Lower North Shore.

This combination gives The Collective Atchison unusually broad appeal. Downsizers can exchange maintenance for convenience without surrendering an established neighbourhood. DINKS and professionals gain rapid access to major employment centres. First-home buyers can secure a foothold in a premium location, while investors benefit from the depth of tenant demand generated by nearby health, education and commercial hubs.

TWT Property Group Head of Sales and Marketing, Johnson Yap, says buyers are responding to precisely this convergence of lifestyle and connectivity.

“The Collective Atchison brings together the best of both worlds, a premium residential offering surrounded by the lifestyle, amenity and connectivity of Crows Nest and St Leonards,” Yap says.

“It’s a rare opportunity to secure a high-quality home in one of Sydney’s most established and connected lifestyle precincts.

“The Collective is a reflection of how buyers want to live today, with premium residences, exceptional amenity and the convenience of having everything within easy reach.”

With its village atmosphere, dual rail access and essential amenities close at hand, The Collective Atchison offers something increasingly valuable: a home that makes Sydney feel easier.

With the building approaching completion and off the plan apartment purchasers moving in soon after, the remaining apartments aren’t expected to last long. Click here to find out more.

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The $495,000 Burleigh Apartment Type Developers Stopped Building

For years, the studio apartment was the first rung on the inner-city property ladder.

It gave a single buyer somewhere attainable to own, offered investors a relatively low-cost entry into desirable neighbourhoods and allowed people to live close to work, transport and lifestyle without paying for rooms they did not need.

Then, quietly, studios began to disappear from new Australian apartment projects.

They have not vanished altogether. Student housing, build-to-rent schemes and some inner-city developments continue to include compact homes. But in the conventional build-to-sell market, the new studio has become increasingly rare — particularly in premium coastal locations.

The reason is not a lack of need. Australia has more single-person households, high rents and a worsening shortage of attainable homes in well-connected neighbourhoods. The problem is that studios have become difficult to make work within the economics of modern apartment development.

A small apartment requires many of the same expensive components as a larger one. It still needs a kitchen, bathroom, ventilation, fire protection, acoustic treatment, electrical services, plumbing connections and access to lifts, corridors and common areas.

Those fixed costs do not fall in proportion with the floor area.

At the same time, developers are carrying more expensive land, finance, labour, materials, consultants and longer approval periods. When the cost of creating each dwelling rises, the commercial incentive shifts towards larger apartments that can command a much higher total sale price.

That has helped produce the luxury bias now visible across many Australian apartment markets. New projects increasingly target downsizers and established owner-occupiers seeking two- and three-bedroom residences with generous living areas, multiple bathrooms and substantial amenity.

The homes may be excellent. But the entry-level end of the new-apartment market is gradually removed from the equation.

Studios can also present financing complications. Lending policies differ, but some banks apply additional restrictions to very small apartments or properties without a separate bedroom. Buyers may need a larger deposit, face a narrower choice of lenders or be required to satisfy minimum internal-area policies.

That can make studios harder to pre-sell. For developers relying on presales to secure construction finance, a dwelling type that is more difficult for buyers to fund can become a project risk.

Apartment-design requirements are another consideration. NSW’s Apartment Design Guide, for example, sets a minimum internal area of 35 square metres for a studio. These standards are designed to protect liveability, but they also limit the micro-apartment model seen in some international cities.

The result is a curious gap in the market: Australia needs smaller, lower-priced homes in good locations, but the development system increasingly rewards larger and more expensive ones.

But what has emerged in the last week is somewhat a welcome return of the studio apartment, in Burleigh Heads no less, one of the most sought-after locations for new property not just on the Gold Coast, but across Australia.

The $120 million project called Lura is offering a handful of studio apartments priced from $495,000. To paint the picture clearer, rarely would a new apartment development have apartments launch for under $1 million on the Gold Coast.

The studios form part of Lura’s wider collection of 96 residences, which also includes one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and dual-key configurations.

Located at 1871 Gold Coast Highway, the development sits within the emerging Mondrian precinct, approximately 150 metres from Burleigh Heads Beach and around 200 metres from the future G light-rail connection.

The location gives the studios a purpose beyond affordability alone, with James Street’s restaurants, cafés and boutiques all within walking distance. As are Burleigh’s beachfront parks, surf club and national park.

The studios may suit singles seeking a foothold in Burleigh, interstate owners wanting a manageable coastal base or investors attracted to an apartment approved for short-term letting. That approval can allow owners to use the residence personally at selected times and place it into holiday accommodation when away, subject to management arrangements, body-corporate rules and the practical costs of operating a short-stay property.

The interiors have been designed by MODE around natural materials and subdued coastal tones. The stated specification includes engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, brushed-nickel tapware and feature tiling through kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.

Residents will have access to amenity spread across two levels.

Level two is planned as a health and wellness centre with a gymnasium, sauna, outdoor shower and hot and cold plunge pools. The upper level will contain a rooftop swimming pool, sundeck, barbecue and dining area, with views extending north towards Surfers Paradise and south towards Burleigh Point.

Lura is being developed by TANCA, with BDCM appointed as builder, T-Cubed Consulting as project manager and NPA Projects handling sales and marketing. Construction is underway, with completion currently anticipated in late 2027.

The project’s more expensive residences provide the scale expected of a contemporary coastal tower. But its most interesting offering may be the smallest.

The studio was once an ordinary part of Australia’s apartment market. It was a first home, a city base, a weekender or a straightforward investment. As development economics pushed projects towards larger luxury residences, that modest entry point became increasingly difficult to find.

Lura fact box

Project: Lura

Address: 1871 Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads, Queensland

Studio price: From $495,000

Development: 96 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, including dual-key configurations

Developer: TANCA

Architecture and interiors: MODE

Builder: BDCM

Project manager: T-Cubed Consulting

Sales and marketing: NPA Projects

Short-term letting: Approved, according to the project campaign

Location: Approximately 150 metres from Burleigh Heads Beach and 200 metres from the planned G connection

Completion: Expected in late 2027; timing remains subject to construction

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Heavyweights Lift the ASX as Small Caps and Technology Fall Behind: Kanebridge’s Weekly ASX Wrap

Heavyweights Lift the ASX as Small Caps and Technology Fall Behind

The S&P/ASX 200 finished the week ended 9 October at 8,716.6, up 0.4 per cent, but the headline concealed a sharply divided market as listed property, energy and selected blue chips advanced while technology, iron ore miners and smaller companies fell.

Australia’s sharemarket finished the week higher, but the gain was less convincing than the index alone suggested.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed Friday, 9 October at 8,716.6, gaining 0.4 per cent over the five trading sessions. The broader All Ordinaries added 0.26 per cent to 8,877.7. By contrast, the Small Ordinaries fell 1.34 per cent to 3,281.9, showing that the market’s progress relied heavily on larger, more liquid companies rather than a broad increase in investor confidence.

The index’s path was uneven. It edged up on Monday, rose 0.57 per cent on Tuesday, slipped 0.09 per cent on Wednesday and lost 0.77 per cent on Thursday before recovering 0.64 per cent on Friday.

That final-session rise of 55.7 points allowed the benchmark to finish the week in positive territory and brought it approximately back to break-even for the calendar year.

The strongest sector was listed property, which gained 3.73 per cent. The move was visible in Goodman Group, one of the market’s largest property securities, which rose 4.82 per cent across the week based on adjusted closing prices.

A-REITs remain sensitive to movements in global bond yields, funding costs and asset valuations, so the sector’s strength indicated a meaningful rotation towards income-producing real assets. It did not eliminate the longer-term questions surrounding office demand, asset valuations, development pipelines or refinancing costs.

Energy gained 2 per cent as Brent crude finished the week around US$101.42 a barrel, up approximately 0.85 per cent. Woodside Energy rose 3.46 per cent over the week, although the sector was far from uniform.

Uranium shares came under pressure on Friday, with several names falling sharply. That demonstrated why a supportive move in the energy index should not be interpreted as a universal signal for every energy commodity or producer.

Technology was the weakest major sector, declining 1.97 per cent over the week despite a substantial rebound on Friday. Pro Medicus, WiseTech Global and Life360 all rallied in the final session after suffering sizeable drawdowns from their August levels. The late recovery softened the weekly damage without erasing the market’s broader caution towards higher-valuation growth shares.

Materials also struggled. BHP fell 0.44 per cent over the week, Rio Tinto lost 1.48 per cent and Fortescue declined 5.25 per cent. The size of those companies meant their weakness offset part of the support supplied by property, energy and healthcare.

The banks were another drag. Commonwealth Bank fell 1.43 per cent, Westpac declined 1.75 per cent, National Australia Bank lost 2.13 per cent and ANZ eased 0.51 per cent.

Macquarie Group moved in the other direction, gaining 1.12 per cent. With the major banks representing an unusually large share of the Australian index, even modest simultaneous falls can materially restrain the benchmark.

Healthcare provided some of the strongest large-cap performances. CSL rose 4.84 per cent and ResMed gained 2.49 per cent. General insurer QBE advanced 5.63 per cent, making it the strongest performer among the 20 large-cap companies tracked below.

Consumer-facing companies also contributed. Woolworths rose 3.23 per cent, Coles gained 1.22 per cent and Wesfarmers added 1.48 per cent. Aristocrat Leisure finished 2.91 per cent higher. Those gains helped balance the losses across the banks and diversified miners.

How the ASX’s top 20 moved

The following figures compare adjusted closing prices on Friday, 2 October with Friday, 9 October. Percentages have been rounded to two decimal places.

The top 20 is based on the largest-company framework used for this wrap. Rankings can change with share prices, index reviews and corporate actions.

Commonwealth Bank (CBA): Down 1.43 per cent, from $151.45 to $149.29.

BHP Group (BHP): Down 0.44 per cent, from $61.21 to $60.94.

Westpac Banking Corporation (WBC): Down 1.75 per cent, from $34.32 to $33.72.

National Australia Bank (NAB): Down 2.13 per cent, from $38.50 to $37.68.

ANZ Group (ANZ): Down 0.51 per cent, from $37.37 to $37.18.

Wesfarmers (WES): Up 1.48 per cent, from $76.22 to $77.35.

Macquarie Group (MQG): Up 1.12 per cent, from $245.63 to $248.37.

CSL (CSL): Up 4.84 per cent, from $175.35 to $183.84.

Woodside Energy (WDS): Up 3.46 per cent, from $31.24 to $32.32.

Rio Tinto (RIO): Down 1.48 per cent, from $164.81 to $162.37.

Goodman Group (GMG): Up 4.82 per cent, from $25.91 to $27.16.

Woolworths Group (WOW): Up 3.23 per cent, from $38.35 to $39.59.

Telstra Group (TLS): Down 1.24 per cent, from $4.83 to $4.77.

Fortescue (FMG): Down 5.25 per cent, from $16.19 to $15.34.

Coles Group (COL): Up 1.22 per cent, from $23.03 to $23.31.

Northern Star Resources (NST): Up 1.54 per cent, from $24.02 to $24.39.

QBE Insurance Group (QBE): Up 5.63 per cent, from $23.81 to $25.15.

Aristocrat Leisure (ALL): Up 2.91 per cent, from $59.76 to $61.50.

ResMed (RMD): Up 2.49 per cent, from $31.79 to $32.58.

James Hardie Industries (JHX): Up 0.06 per cent, from $36.07 to $36.09.

The Top 20 results show why the overall index could advance despite weakness in the banks and miners. Eleven of the 20 companies finished higher, but more importantly, several of the gains were substantial.

QBE, CSL and Goodman rose close to or above 5 per cent, while Woodside and Woolworths advanced more than 3 per cent. Those moves countered falls across all four major banks and the three largest diversified iron ore exposures.

Fortescue was the weakest company in the group, down 5.25 per cent. National Australia Bank recorded the largest decline among the major banks, while Rio Tinto was the weaker of the two larger diversified miners after Fortescue.

It is important not to invent a company-specific explanation where none was confirmed. Some weekly movements reflected sector rotations, commodity prices, interest-rate expectations and changes in investor positioning rather than a fresh announcement by the company.

Where no material ASX announcement clearly explained the move, the percentage should be treated as market performance rather than evidence of a particular event.

Weekly market dashboard

Trading week: 5–9 October 2026.

S&P/ASX 200: 8,716.6, up 0.40 per cent.

All Ordinaries: 8,877.7, up 0.26 per cent.

Small Ordinaries: 3,281.9, down 1.34 per cent.

Best sector: Listed property, up 3.73 per cent.

Weakest sector: Information technology, down 1.97 per cent.

Energy: Up 2.00 per cent.

Brent crude: Approximately US$101.42 a barrel, up 0.85 per cent.

AUD/USD at Friday’s close: Approximately US69.81 cents.

Strongest tracked large cap: QBE Insurance, up 5.63 per cent.

Weakest tracked large cap: Fortescue, down 5.25 per cent.

What investors will watch next

The immediate question is whether the rally can broaden. A market supported by a handful of large companies can continue rising, but it is more vulnerable if those leaders reverse.

Improvement in the Small Ordinaries and technology sector would provide stronger evidence that investors are becoming comfortable taking risk beyond defensive and income-producing assets.

Oil remains another major variable. Prices above US$100 a barrel can support producers such as Woodside, but they also increase transport, manufacturing and household costs. That creates a complicated backdrop for inflation and interest-rate expectations.

Global bond yields, US earnings and local company announcements will also shape the coming week. For Australian investors, the concentration of the domestic market means movements in the banks, BHP, Rio Tinto, CSL, Wesfarmers, Goodman and Woodside can overwhelm an otherwise mixed session.

The week’s 0.4 per cent gain was constructive, but it was not a declaration that risk had disappeared. The more accurate reading is that investors favoured selected large companies, listed property, energy and defensive consumer names while remaining cautious about smaller companies, technology and iron ore exposure.

That distinction matters. An investor whose portfolio resembled the headline index may have finished ahead. Someone weighted towards smaller companies, technology or bulk miners may have experienced a very different week.

This article provides general information only. It does not constitute personal financial advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Market prices and index composition can change rapidly.

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How Families Can Beat 7% Mortgage Rates and Lower Their Tax Bills

Happy is the family whose members—parents, grandparents and grown children—trust each other enough to cooperate on shared goals, especially financial ones. When that is truly the case, Uncle Sam’s tax rules can help as well.

This matters especially now that mortgage rates are above 7%, and many families are looking for ways to help younger members. If the elders have resources and are confident younger ones can cooperate, a family loan could make homeownership possible while providing the elders with a useful income stream.

Other strategies can actually lower taxes, such as when funding 529 plans or Roth IRAs, or when someone inherits a traditional IRA with required withdrawals larger than they will need.

Here are three strategies useful for functional families.

Intrafamily loans

It is perfectly legal for families to lend money to a relative for a down payment or even a private mortgage.

But it is important not to cut corners, says Ryan McKeown, a CPA with Modern Wealth Enhancement in Minnesota. If the loan is for a down payment, be honest with the mortgage provider and have a formal agreement. The lender owes tax on the interest payments received.

If the loan is for a private mortgage, both sides should have legal representation with a formal written agreement, including payment terms. The lender owes tax on the interest, and the borrower often can deduct it if he or she itemizes.

To avoid IRS trouble, the interest rate shouldn’t be lower than the agency’s Applicable Federal Rate at the time of the loan. Currently that is about 5% for loans longer than nine years; about 4.5% for loans three to nine years; and about 4% for loans three years or less. Currently, traditional mortgage rates are generally above 7%.

In addition, the lender could use the $19,000 annual gift-tax exemption (described below) to forgive some or all of the interest or principal annually. If both lenders and borrowers are married, that is up to $76,000 a year. There is no tax for the borrower on such forgiveness, because it is from a gift.

If you’re going this route, McKeown advises against having a fixed plan to forgive the debt. Instead, do it in one-off letters specifying the amount—and keep careful records. Otherwise the IRS might try to treat the loan as a taxable gift.

Asset gifts

Powerful tax-saving moves for families often use gift-tax provisions. Under current law, anyone can give anyone else up to $19,000 of assets annually, free of gift tax. That means a married couple with three grandchildren could give them a total of $114,000 in 2026.

The gifts can be cash or other assets, like stock. For noncash gifts, the cost basis—which is the starting point for measuring taxable gain after a sale—“carries over” to the recipient. So if someone buys $1,000 of stock and gives it away when it is worth $5,000, the recipient’s cost basis is $1,000. If the recipient later sells the shares for $8,000, the taxable gain is $7,000.

Here’s an example showing how gifts could save a family taxes. Grandma is a widow of modest means, while her child and spouse have prospered. The couple has two children, and they want to contribute $5,000 to a 529 college-savings plan for each—but they need to sell stock to do it. Their tax rate on the sale would be 18.8%, and they would need to sell about $11,000 of stock.

However, Grandma’s federal tax rate on the stock sale is 0%. If the couple gives $10,000 of shares to Grandma, she could sell them, pay no tax, and fund the grandchildren’s 529 plans. This saves about $1,000 of tax.

These moves are legal, and they could be used in other ways, such as to help a young person fund a Roth IRA.

But trust among family members is essential: Under the law, givers can’t put conditions on a gift. Grandma could use her stock proceeds to take a cruise, but she makes 529 contributions instead.

Mark Sellner, a retired tax attorney and CPA living in Sarasota, Fla., uses this strategy. His children sell stock he gives them and fund 529 plans for his grandchildren.

The family’s tax savings aren’t huge, but he likes other benefits. The sales by his children don’t boost his adjusted gross income, which in turn could raise his Medicare Irmaa premiums or his 3.8% surtax on net investment income.

Sellner doesn’t worry about his children using the funds for another purpose.

“There can’t be any strings attached to gifts. Of course, it is up to us to decide whether to make them in the future,” he says.

Two caveats: The “kiddie tax” applies to most children under age 24, and it is levied at the parents’ rate on investment income above $2,700 in 2026. Consider this before making gifts to a young person.

Investors who give away stock also forgo the step-up, an important provision that exempts assets held at death from capital-gains tax.

Sellner knows he’s losing a step-up, but says, “The children could use a little more now. Why should they wait 20 years to get it?”

Disclaimers

A disclaimer is a highly useful strategy in which one heir renounces an inheritance in favor of another heir. Assuming family members cooperate, this can save taxes.

Here’s one example. Dad died and had a large traditional IRA that he left to Mom. She has enough assets and income to cover her expenses, and she lives in a state with a stiff estate tax. The inherited IRA would put her estate over the threshold.

Also surviving are three young-adult children. If Mom disclaims all or part of Dad’s IRA within nine months of his death, that amount could go directly to the children. They will have 10 years to empty the account, and the family as a whole will likely save estate and income taxes.

Disclaimers have many key details, especially regarding beneficiary documents. Although heirs have great freedom in choosing what assets to disclaim, the rules about who gets disclaimed property are rigid. It is best if the original owner names tiers of heirs so that if one disclaims, the next recipient is clear.

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Why rising bond yields can hit property investments before house prices move

Most property investors spend considerably more time watching interest rates than bond markets.

That makes sense. The Reserve Bank cash rate has an obvious relationship with mortgage repayments, borrowing capacity and investor sentiment, while government bonds can seem far removed from what someone will pay for an apartment in Sydney or an office building in Melbourne.

But the bond market can provide one of the earliest indications that the price investors are willing to pay for property is changing.

That became evident last Thursday, when Australian shares suffered their worst trading session in months. The S&P/ASX 200 fell almost two per cent, with property among the rate-sensitive sectors caught in the sell-off as government bond yields moved sharply higher.

Australia’s 10-year government bond yield pushed to around 5.4 per cent, close to its highest level in 15 years, against a backdrop of rising global yields and renewed concern about inflation and the direction of interest rates.

For property investors, that matters because the government bond yield is effectively one of the reference prices for money.

An investor buying an Australian government bond is receiving a return while taking comparatively little credit risk. Property comes with tenants, vacancies, maintenance, leasing costs, illiquidity and the possibility that the underlying asset falls in value, so investors generally expect to be compensated for accepting those additional risks.

A property yielding five per cent therefore looks considerably more attractive when a 10-year government bond yields three per cent than when that same bond is yielding more than five per cent.

That does not mean property values automatically fall every time bond yields increase. Rental growth, scarcity, lease structures and the quality of an asset can all outweigh movements in rates, but it changes the return investors require and therefore what they may be prepared to pay.

SG Hiscock & Company made that point in an ASX Investor Update, arguing that real, or inflation-adjusted, bond yields can be particularly relevant to property because real estate is fundamentally a long-duration investment whose value is derived from future income.

The first place investors can often see that repricing is the sharemarket.

A house or commercial building does not have a price that changes every few seconds. An Australian real estate investment trust does.

A-REITs can own billions of dollars of shopping centres, offices, warehouses and other property, but their securities trade continuously on the ASX. When expectations around interest rates and bond yields change, investors can immediately alter what they are willing to pay for those property earnings.

That can create a situation where the value attributed to a portfolio on the sharemarket falls even though the underlying buildings have not changed hands and their independent valuations remain unchanged.

The two markets simply move at different speeds.

Mark Ferguson, Head of Charter Hall Maxim Property Securities, has previously described direct property valuations as lagging the listed market. Writing for Charter Hall during an earlier period of rising interest rates and bond yields, Ferguson noted that listed property was already pricing increases in capitalisation rates and falls in underlying property values before those adjustments had fully emerged in direct-market valuations.

The effect can be substantial.

Consider a commercial property producing $1 million a year in net operating income. At a five per cent capitalisation rate, that income implies a value of $20 million.

If investors subsequently require a 5.5 per cent return while the property’s income remains unchanged, the implied value falls to around $18.18 million. At six per cent, it falls again to roughly $16.67 million.

Nothing necessarily happened to the building. It could have the same tenant paying the same rent under the same lease. What changed was the return required by the person buying it.

That is also why income growth becomes so important.

A well-located property with constrained supply and strong rental growth can increase its earnings quickly enough to absorb some of the pressure from higher required returns. An ageing office building facing vacancies, refurbishment costs and an approaching debt refinancing could instead be hit from several directions at once.

Debt adds another dimension because property is one of the economy’s most capital-intensive asset classes.

Higher market rates can increase the cost of financing an acquisition or refinancing existing debt while simultaneously increasing the return investors expect from the property itself. For developers, the consequences can be even more pronounced because higher construction finance costs can coincide with lower anticipated end values.

If that happens, a project can be squeezed from both directions: it becomes more expensive to deliver at precisely the time investors become less willing to pay yesterday’s price for the finished asset.

The direct property market generally takes longer to reveal that adjustment.

An A-REIT can lose five per cent of its market value in a trading session. An office building may not transact for another year. Owners can reject lower offers, transactions can be withdrawn and valuers must wait for comparable sales to establish new evidence.

That lag is one reason listed property can be useful even for investors who have no intention of buying a REIT.

The same principle eventually extends to residential property, although houses and apartments are generally valued using comparable sales rather than capitalisation rates.

Residential property is particularly sensitive to credit. Higher bond and swap rates can influence bank funding and fixed mortgage pricing, while higher borrowing costs reduce the amount households can service.

If prospective buyers can borrow less, the number of people capable of paying yesterday’s price can shrink. Vendors may initially resist that adjustment, resulting in fewer transactions rather than immediate price falls, before motivated sales eventually establish new comparable values.

For investors, rental growth can provide an important buffer. Rising rents can help offset higher financing costs, just as increasing commercial rents can compensate for some expansion in capitalisation rates. Investors relying primarily on capital growth while accepting a low rental yield have considerably less protection when the cost of money rises.

That is why movements in listed property and bond markets deserve attention beyond the trading floor.

They provide a constantly updating view of how investors are pricing interest rates, debt, future income and property risk, often months before those changes become obvious in direct transactions.

For an A-REIT investor, that means looking at gearing, debt maturity, hedging, interest cover and the discount or premium to net tangible assets rather than simply chasing the highest distribution yield.

For a commercial property investor, it means testing what happens to valuations if capitalisation rates move 25, 50 or 100 basis points higher.

For residential investors, it means understanding mortgage costs, borrowing capacity, realistic rental income and how much of the investment case relies on future capital growth.

The cash rate will continue to attract most of the attention in Australian property. But investors looking for an earlier indication of how the market is repricing risk should also be watching the bond market.

Property prices might take months to respond to a changing financial environment. The price of money moves considerably faster.

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The electric Porsche Cayenne now has supercar numbers

For all the attention Porsche’s move to electric power has generated, perhaps the most surprising number attached to its latest EV isn’t its range or charging speed.

It’s 1,156.

That is the maximum horsepower available from the new Cayenne Turbo Electric, making a large, five-seat family SUV the most powerful production Porsche ever built.

Not a 911. Not a Taycan. Not one of Stuttgart’s limited-production track specials. A Cayenne.

The new flagship produces up to 850kW, or 1,156PS, and 1,500Nm of torque with Launch Control activated, enough to send it from 0–100km/h in just 2.5 seconds.

Keep the accelerator pinned and 200km/h arrives in 7.4 seconds, before the Cayenne eventually reaches its 260km/h top speed. Those numbers put a vehicle capable of carrying five people and their luggage firmly into supercar territory.

It also represents something of a full-circle moment for the Cayenne.

When Porsche first revealed the original Cayenne more than two decades ago, the idea that the sports car specialist would build an SUV was controversial. It went on to become one of the company’s most important models and helped expand Porsche well beyond the traditional two-door sports car market.

Now the Cayenne is again being used to push Porsche into new territory.

The Cayenne Turbo Electric sits at the top of a growing three-model electric range in Australia, above the Cayenne Electric and Cayenne S Electric. Crucially, Porsche isn’t abandoning combustion power in the process. Petrol and plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne continue alongside the new electric generation, giving buyers a choice of powertrains rather than forcing an immediate wholesale transition.

But if the electric Cayenne is supposed to demonstrate what Porsche believes the next generation of its luxury SUV can do, the Turbo is the exclamation point.

In normal driving it produces up to 630kW, or 857PS. A Push-to-Pass function can temporarily add another 130kW for 10 seconds, while the full 850kW is unleashed with Launch Control.

Managing that much performance repeatedly is considerably more complicated than simply fitting powerful electric motors.

Porsche has equipped the rear motor with direct oil cooling, technology derived from motorsport, designed to maintain high continuous power output and efficiency rather than deliver one spectacular acceleration run before heat begins limiting performance.

It is part of the broader engineering challenge facing the new Cayenne.

Porsche hasn’t simply had to make a very fast electric SUV. It has had to make a 1,156PS electric SUV behave like a Porsche.

Adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management is standard, while the Turbo adds Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus. Rear-axle steering, capable of turning the rear wheels by up to five degrees, is optional.

Buyers can also specify Porsche Active Ride, the active suspension technology already seen elsewhere in the Porsche range. The system is designed to almost completely compensate for pitch and roll movements, helping keep the body level under acceleration, braking and cornering. That becomes particularly relevant in a large SUV carrying a substantial battery beneath its floor.

Even braking has been approached differently.

The Cayenne Electric can recover energy at up to 600kW under deceleration, a figure Porsche compares with the recuperation capabilities of its Formula E racing cars. The company says around 97 per cent of everyday braking can consequently be handled by the electric motors without requiring the conventional friction brakes.

For those intending to explore the outer edges of its performance envelope, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes remain available on the Turbo.

Then there is the battery.

A 113kWh high-voltage battery sits at the centre of the Cayenne’s new 800-volt electrical architecture. For the Turbo, Porsche quotes a European WLTP range of up to 623 kilometres, although Australian-specific range figures can vary depending on specification and testing.

More impressive is how quickly that battery can theoretically be replenished.

The Cayenne can accept DC charging at up to 390kW under optimal conditions, briefly reaching as much as 400kW under specific circumstances. Porsche says a 10 to 80 per cent charge can take less than 16 minutes when connected to sufficiently powerful infrastructure and with the battery at the appropriate temperature.

That potentially addresses one of the compromises that has traditionally separated a long-distance electric luxury SUV from its petrol equivalent.

Finding a charger capable of delivering anywhere near 400kW is another matter, particularly in Australia, but the car itself has been engineered with considerably more charging capacity than much of today’s infrastructure can provide.

Porsche is going further at home.

The Cayenne Electric is the first Porsche designed to support optional wireless charging. Rather than plugging the car into a wallbox, owners will eventually be able to park above a floor plate capable of inductively charging the battery at up to 11kW.

The system automatically recognises the vehicle and allows it to lower itself into the appropriate position above the plate. Porsche expects the wireless charging system to become available to order in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2026, with Australian Cayenne Electric models pre-wired to allow it to be retrofitted, unless buyers opt out.

For all those numbers, however, the Cayenne still has to fulfil the role that has made it such an important Porsche for more than 20 years. It needs to be useful.

The electric model is 4,985mm long and rides on a 3,023mm wheelbase, almost 13 centimetres longer between the axles than the combustion-engined Cayenne.

Most of that extra space has been used to improve rear passenger accommodation.

The electrically adjustable rear seats can move between comfort and cargo-oriented positions, while luggage capacity ranges from 781 litres to 1,588 litres. Removing an engine from the front also creates a further 90-litre luggage compartment under the bonnet.

Depending on specification, the Cayenne Electric can tow as much as 3.5 tonnes. It is that collision of figures that perhaps best explains the new Turbo.

This is a vehicle capable of reaching 100km/h in 2.5 seconds and producing 1,500Nm of torque, yet it can also carry a family, swallow more than 1,500 litres of luggage with the rear seats configured for cargo and tow a substantial boat or caravan.

Inside, Porsche has similarly moved the Cayenne further into its digital era.

The new Porsche Driver Experience combines a fully digital instrument display with the curved central Flow Display, while a separate passenger display and augmented-reality head-up display are available.

Despite the expansion of screen real estate, Porsche has retained a mixture of digital and physical controls rather than moving every function behind a touchscreen.

Australian Turbo models also receive a generous standard specification, including a panoramic roof, ventilated front seats, four-zone climate control, privacy glass and Porsche’s Parking Entry Package with Surround View and Self-Steering ParkAssist.

And we now know what all of it will cost.

The Cayenne Turbo Electric is priced from $259,900 before on-road costs in Australia, compared with $167,800 for the Cayenne Electric and $193,100 for the Cayenne S Electric.

Orders are already open, with the first Australian deliveries expected from the third quarter of 2026.

There is also a Cayenne Turbo Coupé Electric for buyers wanting the same extraordinary drivetrain beneath a more sporting roofline. It is priced from $272,100 before on-road costs.

Ultimately, however, the significance of the Turbo isn’t simply that Porsche has electrified another model. The company has used electrification to move the performance ceiling of the Cayenne somewhere it has never been before.

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Kanebridge Property of the Week: Marcus Blackmore’s transformed Bayview waterfront hits the market

There is very little left of the century-old Pittwater shack Marcus Blackmore and Caroline Furlong bought for $5.7 million just over three years ago.

The vitamin industry heavyweight and his wife have returned 1808 Pittwater Road, Bayview to the market, but what buyers will find today is considerably different from the modest waterfront cottage that Blackmore and Furlong bought in August 2023.

The couple bought the tightly held property, long known locally as The Shack, after it had remained with the same family since the 1930s.

The timing of the purchase was particularly notable. It came immediately after Japanese brewing giant Kirin’s $1.9 billion takeover of Blackmores was announced, a deal which resulted in an $11.6 million dividend for Blackmore as a major shareholder of the company founded by his father, Maurice Blackmore.

It ended almost a century of ownership by the family of local teacher Neville Moodie.

The original three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage sat almost on the water, with lawns running to Pittwater and a timber boathouse at the shoreline. Its appeal was less about the house itself and more about a rare north-facing position overlooking Scotland Island and a location where waterfront holdings are seldom offered for sale.

Three years on, Blackmore and Furlong have completely reimagined the site.  Walter Barda Design was commissioned to design a new split-level residence, delivered by Touchstone Construction Group, that takes full advantage of the relatively compact waterfront parcel and its prized northern orientation.

The resulting home is unmistakably contemporary, with curved architectural forms, natural limestone and timber flooring, extensive glazing and reinforced concrete construction wrapped in external timber cladding.

The main living level opens directly to a north-facing terrace and waterfront lawn, while the kitchen centres around a substantial island bench with Miele appliances and a butler’s pantry.

The main bedroom has been designed almost as a private suite within the home, with two walk-in wardrobes, two ensuites and its own balcony. Two further bedrooms each have an ensuite, while the waterfront boathouse has been designed as a multipurpose space with its own bathroom, giving it the flexibility to operate as additional accommodation.

Perhaps the most impressive addition sits above it all.

The top floor combines a home office with an outdoor kitchen and rooftop entertaining terrace, complete with a spa and elevated views across Pittwater towards Scotland Island.

An internal lift connects the home’s levels, while underfloor heating, home automation, solar, ducted air conditioning, an EV charger and an internal-access double garage bring the original Pittwater weekender firmly into the 21st century.

A private slipway preserves perhaps the most important feature for a long-time Pittwater resident and accomplished sailor such as Blackmore: direct access to the water.

The project represents the latest chapter in a long-running love affair with Pittwater property for Blackmore.

He spent 25 years on Prince Alfred Parade in Newport after buying the deep waterfront property for $1.31 million in 1995. Blackmore and Furlong extensively renovated the Rowan Stewart-designed home over their ownership before selling it in 2020 for $8.125 million.

By then, they had already secured their next Pittwater address.

In 2016, the couple paid $9.25 million for Sandgate, a Queenslander-style waterfront residence further along Pittwater Road in Bayview, bought from USForex co-founder Matthew Gilmour.

The 1,500 sqm holding subsequently underwent a substantial rebuild, with development documents at the time putting the cost of the new home, swimming pool and jetty at around $3.37 million. It became their principal Bayview residence after the Newport sale.

Property of the Week

Property: 1808 Pittwater Road, Bayview, NSW
Owners: Marcus Blackmore and Caroline Furlong
Agent: Phillip Sheh, Black Diamondz
Price: Contact agent
Purchased: $5.7 million, August 2023
Architect: Walter Barda Design
Builder: Touchstone Construction Group

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Dolly Parton’s Onetime Hollywood Hills Home Lists for the First Time in a Generation Asking $7.95M

A residence in the Hollywood Hills that was once home to the late Dolly Parton has hit the market for $7.95 million.

The country singer and her late husband, Carl Dean, bought the house in 1985 for $750,000 and sold it in 1990 for $1.2 million, according to listing records.

The property, aptly known as the Dolly Parton House, hasn’t been on the market for 25 years, according to the listing with Edward Tinney of Nourmand & Associates and Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency.

There's a library and media room.
There’s a library and media room. Paul Barnaby Photography

It’s unlikely Parton and Dean would recognize the house as it stands today though; it was rebuilt in 2009, and upgraded further in the years since, the listing said.

Across its almost 4,700 square feet, the house has living and dining rooms with walls of glass that frame the views that stretch across the city to the Pacific Ocean.

MORE: Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Puts Heptagonal California Home Up for Sale 

The house spans close to 4,700 square feet.
The house spans close to 4,700 square feet. Paul Barnaby Photography

There’s also a library and media room, a family room and an eat-in kitchen. There are four bedrooms, including the primary suite, which has a coffee bar, a fireplace, two bathrooms, a space for an office or gym, a walk-in closet and a private deck.

Outside, there’s a pool and spa, with space for outdoor dining and entertaining. Plus there’s a two-car garage, electrical infrastructure for an EV charger and a Zen trail, according to the listing.

The seller, who couldn’t be reached for comment, paid $2.05 million for the home in 2001, records with PropertyShark show.

MORE: Tiger Woods’s Mini-Golf Business Partner Lists South Florida Home for $18.5 Million

The pool and spa.
The pool and spa.Paul Barnaby Photography

Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.

She released 50 studio albums over the course of her career—resulting in 27 gold and platinum albums—and starred in films including “9 to 5,” “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” and “Steel Magnolias.”

A philanthropist, she was behind the Imagination Library, which donated more than 200 million books to children around the world. In 2020, she helped fund early research for Moderna’s Covid 19 vaccine with a $1 million donation to Vanderbilt University.

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Dopamine Design: A Couple Lists Their 1950s ‘Happy House’ in Palm Springs Ahead of Modernism Week

A bold 1950s home in Palm Springs, California, adorned with eight colorful murals by the late artist Shawn Savage, is coming to market ahead of the city’s annual Modernism Week.

The white stucco home on El Camino Way, built in 1954 and recently renovated, has an asking price of $2.295 million. Its staggered facade features three playfully abstract murals on either side of double-height hot pink doors.

MORE: Megamansion Outside Princeton, N.J., With a Pub and Two-Story Library Heads to Auction

The sellers are Los Angeles-based partners John Freeman and Mathieu Faure, who knew it was “the one” when they saw it after several months of searching in the winter of 2023. “It’s a happy house,” Freeman said. “We really liked the feel of the house: the uniqueness, the openness, the brightness—and the art.”

Located in the Mesa neighborhood of Palm Springs, which backs up to the San Jacinto Mountains, the 2,237-square-foot house features three bedrooms, an angled bonus room and a yard with a pool, desert mountain views and another colorful mural running alongside the pool.

“I never thought in my life I would have a house with pink doors,” said Faure, a producer at Apple TV who is originally from Paris. “It’s so colorful, it’s so different. And so Palm Springs.”

Abstract murals can be found on the facade.
Abstract murals can be found on the facade.Patrick Ketchum

The layout of the home creates a smooth flow from the front doors through the open-plan common area—a foyer, bar, and living and dining room—into the kitchen around a fireplace wall and out to the yard. A corridor leads to a private bedroom wing, where the primary suite has floor-to-ceiling windows and the primary bath is only a tad smaller than the bedroom.

Faure has filled the home with Jonathan Adler furniture, rugs and accessories, riffing on the energetic California vibes of the house to create an aesthetic of “modern American glamour,” he said.

“It was enjoyable for me to play with different types of furniture and make this house ‘happy chic,’ as I describe it,” he said.

MORE: Beverly Hills Villa of Late Philanthropist Glorya Kaufman Sells for $19.25 Million

“He did a fantastic job,” said Freeman, who is an attorney and consultant. “It does kind of bring a smile to my face whenever I walk into the house.”

Since the furniture and decor were chosen for the particularities of the space, the couple is open to selling them with the home. Their West Hollywood house is already furnished; the collection doesn’t match the vibes of a Houston loft they bought near family; and Faure can’t imagine these pieces in New York—where he’s lived in the past—he said.

The duo bought the Palm Springs house for $1.925 million in 2024, according to property records, and will list the home Monday. They are represented by Stewart Smith, Patrick Jordan and Kevin Stanley of Bennion Deville Homes/Luxury Portfolio International.

The previous owners had purchased the home in 2021 for $975,000 and then spent more than two years and $700,000 on the renovation, according to Realtor.com. They commissioned Savage, a local Palm Springs artist and painter known for his joyful abstract work, to decorate the home.

MORE: Alpine Villa From Lady Gaga Movie ‘House of Gucci’ Lists for €2.9 Million

Savage, who died in 2024, lived in the Coachella Valley from 2003, and his work can be found in various local institutions and is on exhibit at the Illumine Gallery in Palm Springs. “Some artists pass through a place. Shawn Savage became a part of it,” the gallery’s description states.

Unsurprisingly, the murals invite lots of friendly conversations, as well as guided tours and interested lookers, but never to a degree that it disturbed the peacefulness of their home or the neighborhood, the sellers said. “It felt like living in an art gallery, and you have the exterior that you would share with the world,” Faure explained.

The neighborhood also played a role in their decision to buy, because of its access to the hiking trails of the San Jacinto Mountains, the lack of through-roads and the neighborly environment.

“It’s a very friendly place,” Faure said.

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Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s Trophy-Home Developers Are Doubling Down on Waterfront Living

Long-term optimism remains strong in the United Arab Emirates, even as the war in neighboring Iran hinders home sales and demand for now.

While there have certainly been residential and commercial real estate projects across the U.A.E. that have been paused or delayed due to the turmoil experienced across the region, by and large, new developments continue to be launched.

That’s the case in the luxury residences sector in particular, where a string of starry, big-name projects are putting homes on the market before the close of the year. One trend is that the islands of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the U.A.E. at large that are taking their turn in the spotlight, as waterfront living continues to be in demand and come at a premium.

For would-be buyers looking for resort-style homes along the shores, there’s an array of upcoming projects to get excited about. Right at the top of the list are hotel branded residences from the likes of Ritz-Carlton and Janu, the sister brand of powerhouse Aman, among five swanky projects selling this season.

Credit: The Ritz-Carlton Residences Al Maryah Island

The Ritz-Carlton Residences Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi

Luxury hotel branded residences are thriving, and the exciting Ritz-Carlton Residences Al Maryah Island development is a great example of why. Residents can expect hotel-style amenities and services from a locale within Abu Dhabi’s thriving waterfront district, with the creature comforts of home built into it.

This project was unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week 2025 and promises to offer The Ritz-Carlton brand’s signature, timeless style and unwavering attention to detail. All units will feature floor-to-ceiling windows with enviable views, while residents will be able to take advantage of a resort-grade, infinity waterfront pool, immersive spa and wellness facilities, and a waterfront promenade with curated outdoor spaces as well as high-end retail and dining venues.

Sales launch in October.

Number of Units: 172

Price Range: Starting at $1.2 million

Developer/Architect: Killa Design and Tara Bernerd, with SAAS Properties.

Home Sizes: One- to four-bedroom residences ranging from 882 square feet to 4,962 square feet, and a five-bedroom, 13,713-square-foot penthouse.

Amenities: Wellness facilities including premium fitness center, massage room, meditation and recovery rooms, cold plunge and indoor pool. There’s also a rooftop pool, co-working lounge, executive golf lounge, and a games room and children play area.

Website

Janu Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah

Just 50 minutes from Dubai International Airport, Janu Al Marjan Island aims to both feel a world apart from the city, while also offering supreme ease of access. The property has its own private stretch of beach and marina, ideal for superyacht mooring and serving as the scene of a beach club.

The Janu Residences will be positioned next to the Janu hotel, with residents able to take advantage of its many social and wellness spaces, in addition to resident’s-only amenities and services. Meanwhile, the adjacent Wynn Al Marjan Island, the U.A.E.’s first integrated resort, is in direct proximity as well.

Social life by the sea, with discretion and wellness on tap, not to mention a chance to get in early on burgeoning Ras Al Khaimah.

Sales launch in late October.

Number of Units: 73

Price Range: Starting at $2.3 million

Developer/Architect: Jointly developed by Marjan and Wynn Resorts, with architecture by SCDA Architects.

Home Sizes: One- to five-bedroom residences ranging from 2,117 square feet to 18,955 square feet, as well as five Marina Villas and a residential tower penthouse.

Amenities: An active lifestyle comes to the forefront with the Janu Spa and Wellness center and a padel court. Six dining venues and a signature beach club are key features for residents who want it all, right on-site.

Website

Credit: Janu Al Marjan Island
Credit: Sei Saadiyat

Sei Saadiyat, Saadiyat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi

Located in the Saadiyat Cultural District, Sei Saadiyat combines its historic locale with a unique spin rooted in the Japanese concept of stillness and calm, or “Sei.” That foundational principle is what this community will be based on, with a mission to foster wellness and relaxation in all forms, including fitness and social connection.

A total of 778 homes will be spread across six Jacobs-designed buildings. Aldar is also introducing a first in their residential portfolio in the form of their two-bedroom Kanso Lofts at Sei Saadiyat, featuring double-height, open-plan living in loft style spaces including an elevated bedroom.

Phase one sales launched in September.

Number of Units: 778 total (265 involved in this phase one launch)

Price Range: Starting at $800,000

Developer/Architect: Aldar with architecture by Jacobs and interiors by Kettle Collective.

Home Sizes: Residences range from 753 square feet to 2,238 square feet, in a range of floor plans including one- and two-bedroom apartments, three-bedroom Kanso Residences and two-bedroom Kanso lofts.

Amenities: Amenities tie into the brand’s ethos of stillness and calm: expect a Zen garden with serenity pool and outdoor yoga decks, along with numerous indoor and outdoor fitness areas, and hot-and cold-pool experiences.

Website

Credit: Sei Saadiyat

Amali Canal Residences

Amali Canal Residences is located on Dubai Canal in Al Wasl. The community is suspended above the canal, and brings the presence of water even closer to home with a number of features including private plunge pools in every residence, and a swim-through, indoor-outdoor pool with a signature waterfall facade that would make the posh resorts of the Swiss Alps blush.

There will be no shortage of on-site entertainment and diversions, whether in the form of a private cinema and resident bowling alley, cigar lounge and library, padel and sports courts, a panoramic fitness center. Then there’s The Retreat, a wellness center incorporating spa, sauna, steam, onsen baths, hydrotherapy, and yoga and pilates studios. When it’s time for a bit of work in between the diversions, residents can use an executive boardroom, private studies and co-working lounges.

Sales launch in October.

Number of Units: 211

Price Range: Two bedrooms starting at $3.9 million; three bedrooms starting at $5.4 million; four bedrooms starting at $7.4 million; penthouse pricing on request.

Developer/Architect: Amali Properties in collaboration with AHS Properties, with architecture by Killa Design and interior design by HBA Residential.

Home Sizes: Two- to four-bedroom apartments ranging from 2,880 square feet to 7,800 square feet, in addition to four- and five-bedroom penthouses ranging up to 21,000 square feet.

Amenities: 55,000 square feet of interconnected amenity spaces including myriad lounges, infinity pools with cabanas, children’s waterpark and child care center, padel court and a rooftop secret garden.

Website

Credit: Amali Canal Residences
Credit: Rixos Residences Al Reem Island

Rixos Residences Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi

The Rixo Residences on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, are designed to match its island environs with the thriving culture and finance dynamics of the city. Panoramic water and skyline views bring both faces to life, in this East & West Properties project.

Residences showcase expansive terraces offering boundless views from within a community centered around three dedicated amenity zones: the Oasis, the Haven and the Gathering. Together, wellness, fitness, social life and relaxation are all available in a number of formats.

Less than half a mile from the coast, and only 10 minutes from downtown Abu Dhabi, Rixos Residences offers generous layouts and amenity-rich public spaces that deliver equally as well for family-friendly living as well as investors.

Sales launched in August.

Number of Units: 386

Price Range: One-bedrooms starting at $570,000, with larger loft units starting at $1.8 million.

Developer/Architect: East & West Property Development under the Ennismore portfolio, with architect Aedas and interiors by HBA Residential.

Home Sizes: One- to two-bedroom apartments as well as three- and four-bedroom lofts, from 954 square feet to 2,941 square feet.

Amenities: Wellness treatment areas as well as Turkish hammam and steam rooms, landscaped walking tracks, padel court, rooftop clubhouse and plunge pool, private cinema, and services including concierge, valet and security.