Consumers lose out when a real estate agent acts fraudulently – be that false advertising, deceptive conduct or misusing trust funds. Research shows a link between such misconduct and lower regulatory and educational standards.
Determining how far a person can lawfully go in protecting themselves in a home invasion requires consideration of complex legal issues.
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By requiring that a person acting in self-defence must act genuinely and reasonably, Australian states and territories appropriately balance self-defence against vigilantism.
Domain and REA are going head to head, but what if one reinvented the game?
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New research released today shows that changes to NSW strata law that allow the sale of apartments against the owner’s wishes likely won’t improve housing affordability or availability.
In the next couple of weeks you’ll start to see all the signs of the change of season. Like many Sydneysiders, I’m looking forward to the longer hours of sunshine and flowers blossoming. Inevitably, and…
Developers levied by local governments to provide essential infrastructure over-inflate that cost when passing it onto buyers.
AAP/Paul Miller
London has more than 40 “ghost” underground stations that are awaiting a new function. Now, Transport for London is inviting companies to submit bids to transform them. But is this a good idea and does…
Has the sun set on China’s property boom?
Tao Wu via Flickr
The Chinese property market that has powered the country’s rapid economic growth for a decade and a half has suffered a contraction. This seems to confirm a popular pessimistic outlook that China’s property…
Animal spirits: the Reserve Bank will be asked to explain itself on what is means by macroprudential tools.
AAP/Dan Peled
Is there a national housing supply problem? No, but there is a problem of access to affordable housing in certain regions. Last month, Reserve Bank Governor, Glenn Stevens commented on the need for “animal…
We must address patchy data collection to get an accurate picture of foreign property investment.
ABS
A large portion of commentary on foreign investment in Australia is based on scant data, as recent submissions to the inquiry into foreign investment in residential property show. At the moment it seems…
Greenfield land developments have trumped urban growth boundaries in many Australian cities.
Joe Castro/AAP
State government attempts to redirect development from urban fringes to established urban areas have failed. New deregulated planning systems, not strategic metropolitan plans, are driving development…
Australia’s property market is heating up; but what role have self-funded superannuants played?
Self managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) have come under criticism from regulators amid concerns that the sector is over-investing in the residential property sector. The profession has hit back at the…
Private land disguised as public space. Even London’s City Hall is rented back from the private sector.
Toby Melville/PA
When a public utility is acquired by a private equity firm, there is no doubt what kind of process is underway. The take-over of provision of services and, by extension, ability to profit from them is…
A respected US researcher believes baby boomers retreating from their large homes could lead to a glut of unsellable homes. Could this happen in Australia?
They’re calling it the great “senior sell off” and it’s scaring suburban America. Still recovering from the housing market crisis of 2007-09, America’s latest concern is a looming glut of unsellable suburban…