There has been a lot of talk about Brisbane’s much anticipated Queen’s Wharf. However, it seems this is only one of many new and vibrant changes in store for Brisbane. Another major project on the cards is The Howard Smith Wharves development.

 Recent plans have revealed that the new $100 million Howard Smith Wharves redevelopment, going under the Story Bridge, is set to include a boutique art-themed hotel, parkland and two lifts up the cliff face. For Brisbane, plans for these two milestone developments spell far more than a fancy facelift for the city, they are complete game changers – especially when it comes to real estate.

How so, you might be asking. Well to delve further we need to break it down into two phases – “during development” and “post development”. Let’s first take a look at the former:

During development

Whilst these major developments are underway, both projects are expected to provide a significant boost to Brisbane’s local economy.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk recently said that the Queen’s Wharf Development (alone) would pull in more than one million tourists to south-east Queensland over the coming years. She also said the project would create 2000 construction jobs and 8000 operational jobs.

Now, let us take a look at the Howard Smith Wharves development, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said that this will create more than 200 jobs during the construction phase and more than 400 permanent jobs, providing an important boost to the local economy.

As a result of creating significantly more jobs, Brisbane will likely see an influx in the number of tenants looking to live in the CBD (where they now work). Fantastic news for local investors!

Post development

Now let us look at post development, this is potentially the real gamer changer. When you combine both uniquely sophisticated redevelopments – the Queen’s Wharf and Howard Smith Wharves - suddenly Brisbane is up there rivalling Melbourne as one of the more cosmopolitan cities on offer here in Australia.

But do not just take our word for it. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the Howard Smith Wharves redevelopment taking place on the 3.43-hectare site would deliver a "world-class waterfront destination" that would enhance Brisbane's reputation.

Further advocating this, the boutique accommodation in the new Howard Smith Wharves redevelopment is set to be run by Art Series Hotel Group. Marketing director or Art Series Hotel Group, Ryan Tuckerman, said they dedicate each property to one single Australian artist, so each of the properties that are already in existence – there are six already – all of them are named after and celebrate one individual artist.

“That artist's career is reflected through the whole property, from the colour palette to the artworks that are displayed in the rooms.

"So it's almost like it's not only a boutique hotel, but it's also an art gallery as well."

Mr Tuckerman said Art Series Hotel Group had been admittedly "Melbourne-centric" prior to its expansion into Adelaide last year but that they are really looking forward to being up in Brisbane.

"There's very much a cultural arts scene up there."

Overall Tuckerman said the proposed development will deliver a five-star, 164-room Art Series Hotel which will add to the company’s world-class tourism offering, as well as regenerating this historically significant city centre site.

In addition to the hotel, a 1500-square-metre exhibition space will be used to host events such as cultural and food festivals.

New cultural spaces, boutique hotels and overall a more cosmopolitan lifestyle, Brisbane is on the verge of very exciting times ahead.

With 2016 on our doorstep, there is a lot for buyers and investors to get excited about in the New Year here in Brisbane and, as always, we are only too happy to help. Why not make an appointment with Hannah on 0419 782 133 to find out how your investment can grow as these new changes unfold. 

In recent times there has been a lot of debate regarding Australia’s property market – will it fall or will it boom? What will happen in the new year? There are very extreme opinions on both sides of the fence for this argument. Now, while we do not claim to have a crystal ball that can predict the future, we can explain a number of obvious reasons as to why we do believe Brisbane will do well and why we are looking to the new year with great excitement around the local market.

5 reasons the future is looking bright for Brisbane property:

Our population growth is very strong

Much of this prediction is fuelled by immigration (on a state and national level) and to some degree solid natural population growth. Sure, immigration levels have dropped in Australia overall but as a whole we are still growing much faster than any other country in the developed world.

The economy is healthier than ever

Remember a little billion dollar project called the Queen’s Wharf? Well that development is set to put a rocket behind the Brisbane economy as early as 2016, making it stronger and stronger by creating a major influx when it comes to tourism and the local economy – this equals more jobs and in turn, more people moving into the city! A major tick for Brisbane. Plus, let us not forget the bigger picture, we live in Australia whereby our economy is performing at a level that is the envied by of much of the Western world. 

Banking systems are sound

When it comes to banking, Australia, including Brisbane, is currently experiencing reasonable interest rates, tight lending practices and low default rates – not a bad position to be in really when you think about it.

Australia’s home ownership culture is thriving

In contrast to some overseas markets Australians have high equity in their properties and a conservative debt position. 

Sensible level of household debt

Yes, weare borrowing more, but the debt seems to be with those who can afford it. The bigger picture looks like this… a vast majority of Australians are actually saving more money and accumulating less credit card debt. On the flipside they are paying off their mortgages faster than necessary and getting ahead of their finances. Effectively this is reducing the risk of collapsing house prices should interest rates rise or the economy hit a speed bump.

So sure, we are not claiming that Australia is the bee-all and end-all for property (even though we think it is) – we are just pointing out that our industry is a far cry from "heading down the gurgler” and other similar headlines media portals love to taunt investors with, and at HS Brisbane Property we are very much looking forward a positive new year coming our way!

So for those looking to buy property in Brisbane, you can rest easy. While every Australian city is different and will experience its own share of peaks and valleys, here in Brisbane we expect continued positivity on the horizon.

To jump on board before Brisbane’s property market picks up even further in momentum, why not make an appointment with Hannah, your CBD property expert? Call 0419 782 133 to schedule a consultation. 

From all of the team at HS Brisbane Property – we wish you and your family a wonderful and very Merry Christmas!  ‘Frohe Weihachten and see you next year!

The results of the 2015 Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) Annual Investor Sentiment Survey are in, and it is good news once again for Brisbane. According to the results, a whopping 58 per cent of these investors said that Brisbane offers the best investment prospects. Here are some reasons why...

First though, let us take a look at the property market as a whole and breakdown the reasons why investors are buying into the property market in the first place.

Of over 1,000 investors who were surveyed by PIPA, almost two thirds of property investors said that they are looking to buy a residential property in the next six to 12 months, with the three biggest contributing factors towards this decision being:

benefit of long-term wealth

capital growth opportunities

Australia’s current low interest rates.

 In fact, over 40 per cent said ‘long-term wealth benefits’ were the primary reason for the decision. So while that provides insight into why investors are buying into the property market, let us delve a little deeper and look at some of the main reasons why Brisbane is their number one location to buy property in.

 One major reason that came from the survey is affordability. Most of the property investors surveyed believed that Brisbane was the most affordable capital city in Australia to buy in right now as Sydney and Melbourne have both seen property prices boom.

 It also comes down to confidence and which state capital investors feel has the biggest prospects. That is where Brisbane came top of the class.

 According to Ben Kingsley, chairman of Property Investment Professionals of Australia, “Investors are seeing Melbourne and Sydney performing very well and they’re looking for alternative markets that they think they can get in before the market starts to move”.

 Kingsley said that Melbourne was approaching the peak of the cycle and Sydney’s market had already started slowing down.

 As previously mentioned, a massive 58 per cent of investors surveyed by PIPA saw Brisbane as the capital city offering the best investment prospects. Comparatively only 17 per cent of investors identified Melbourne as having the best investment prospects, this was followed by Sydney with 11 per cent, 6 per cent in Perth and 5 per cent in Adelaide.

 Mr Kingsley also stated that, “Probably over the last six months there has been some speculation in the Sydney market, and the Melbourne market is enjoying a good spring but I suspect that will slow down into 2016.”

What was really interesting about the survey was how investors viewed the popular so-called ‘bubble’. There has been much talk of late about a property price ‘bubble’, but the results speak for themselves, indicating that 69 per cent of respondents said concerns surrounding a 'bubble' did not cause them to put their investments plans on hold.

So there you have it, as you can see there is certainly a growing trend of investors purchasing property in Brisbane. If you have been considering whether Brisbane is the right place for you to invest, then you just need to do the research and weigh up the facts. It is all right there in front of you.

 To find out more about the Brisbane property market, in particular the sought after Brisbane Central Business District, why not contact the professional property consultants at HSBP on 0419 782 133.

Many of our clients first come to us with investments in shares but have made the decision to shift their focus to property investing. The question is why? Why go down the road of bricks and mortar over other investment classes like stocks and shares?

The first thing that comes to mind is stability. Take the last few months for example. In the early hours on Tuesday August 25th the global stock market exposed its volatility yet again as it came crashing down. Once again a harsh reminder to investors as to just how unpredictable the stock market can be.  Even since then there have been further upsets and this past week has presented the typical unpredictabilityof the markets as the seemingly ‘untouchable’ Australian retailer Dick Smith's share prices crashed by as much as 69 per cent after the company surprised investors with a $60 million earnings impairment – as reported by www.abc.net.au.

Many of our clients who previously held investments in shares tell us how quickly their portfolios changed after witnessing major economic events such as the global financial crisis (GFC) and the August stock market crash, etc.

“We always hear feedback from clients telling us that they feel more at ease with investments they can physically see and walk into… that is why they come to us”, says Hannah Schuhmann, Principal of HS Brisbane Property.

Another fundamental reason is control. With recent purchasers telling us they invested in property because it enables them to have more power over their investment - unlike other investment classes. They appreciate that property allows them to have full control of where they buy, how they buy and when to sell.

That is not to say that economic conditions do not play a part in driving property values. The primary difference is that economic conditions of the share market are much more magnified due to the fact that emotions and the media can have a strong influence on values.

One of the other very common reasons we hear time and time again when our clients explain why they made the shift from shares to property is because real estate is a much easier asset to understand. In comparison to the stock market, real estate terminologies and strategies are fairly straightforward. Need-to-know terms come down to things like capital growth, cash flow and yields. 

If like many of our other clients you are looking to have a balanced approach by not having all of your resources in one place, we would love to talk to you about Brisbane properties that can offer you great returns on your investment. For more information or to book an appointment callHannah Schuhmann on 0419 782 133. 

Source:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-30/dick-smith-shares-crash-69-per-cent/6986576

Recently we covered an article on the Queen’s Wharf and what this new major $3 billion development means for our local Brisbane economy, from increased tourism to more jobs and a steep rise in demand for city living. Now, latest reports indicate that the new casino consortium, is also expecting to guarantee $1 billion dollars in revenue for the state. 

These latest figures come after the Queen’s Wharf casino development was finally signed off early last week by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the project would have a significant effect on Queensland, including a guaranteed $1 billion in revenue. She said the first instalment of $272 million would begin to be paid to the Queensland Government immediately, with a further $880 million to follow from casino taxes over the first 10 years of operating.

"It does mean there is a huge injection of cash that is going directly to pay down debt on our state budget,” said Annastacia Palaszczuk.

"We would expect to see more than one million tourists coming to south-east Queensland over the coming years.”

She said the project would create 2000 construction jobs and 8000 operational jobs, "but we will see overall some 10,000 jobs over the coming year".

10,000 new jobs equals thousands of people who will want to live closer to work! This means Brisbane should see a strong in crease in the number of tenants looking for places to live in the CBD – great news for investors. 

However, 10,000 jobs and $1 billion in revenue are just the beginning. The Queen’s Wharf is also expected to generate an estimated additional 1.39 million tourists a year, therefore creating an extra $1.69 million in tourist spend a year.

This potentially means a higher income for local operators and business owners, and more stability for employees. Theoretically opening the window for more people to enter the real estate market, either as buyer or investors - it is a win-win. 

With so many new opportunities on the horizon, if you have ever considered investing in the Brisbane CBD, then now 'pre Queens Wharf' is the perfect time to do so. For more information, contact Hannah on 0419 782 133.