Well it’s been a long time coming (three and a half years in fact) but the wait has certainly proved worthwhile as the countdown begins towards the return of a much-loved city icon, the resurrected Riverwalk, which is set to open once again on Sunday, September 21.
 
The eagerly anticipated opening of the bridge will be a welcoming sight for many locals and tourists, as it marks a huge milestone of our cities healing after Brisbane lost its floating predecessor three and a half years ago in the 2011 floods. The 900-metre path will, once again, connect New Farm with the Brisbane CBD and is expected to carry more than 3,000 cyclists and pedestrians each day.
 
Brisbane Central MP Robert Cavallucci said that the near completion of the structure was "great news" for residents of New Farm and the city's inner north.

"The New Farm Riverwalk was left battered and bruised after the 2011 floods, but thanks to a great team effort between the state and federal governments, we were able to partner with Council and restore the Riverwalk to its former glory," he said.

This highly used piece of infrastructure will also have an opening span to allow vessels across. According to Cr Quirk, this opening is set to operate for about five minutes at a time so that vessels can move out into the Brisbane River.

"We will balance the needs of private riverfront landowners with the efficient operation of the opening span, maintaining an important river connection for residents and visitors," said Quirk.

The reopening on the 21 September paves the way for many more exciting inner-city projects which are in the pipeline for Brisbane’s central business district (CBD) and surrounds.

With so many impressive new landmarks and urban projects being built around the CBD, such as Riverwalk, Brisbane’s central living continues to offers city-dwellers a very attractive lifestyle; a lifestyle that celebrates innovation, excitement, accessibility and convenience. Thus, it is no wonder people from interstate are continuously flocking to Brisbane to live.

As we start to witness a major increase in Brisbane’s liveability, it seems more and more people are wanting “in” on all the action. All in all, this can only mean good things for Brisbane’s real estate market. Especially in areas that will see the soon-to-be return of the Riverwalk, such as the CBD and New Farm. It’s certainly no doubt that once the bridge opens it will open a plethora of opportunities for those choosing to live within its surrounds.
 
Interested in purchasing or selling property in Brisbane? For more information on real estate opportunities please contact Hannah on 0419 782 133.

If rarity is what makes precious jewels so valuable then the Brisbane central business district (CBD) is currently one of the finest gems around.
 
Brisbane is a vibrant Australian city and greatly regarded as a desirable place to live, so it comes as no surprise that Brissie’s inner-city real estate is popular amongst home-buyers. What is surprising, however, is the unprecedented rate in which the demand is growing.
 
More than ever we are experiencing a huge need for city living; with hundreds of buyers on the lookout to purchase property within the Brisbane central business district (CBD).
 
“Units within the CBD offer a unique and incomparable appeal that just can’t be found in some of the more modern urban renewal precincts, thus putting Brisbane’s CBD living in a league all of its very own. Such realty is unlike anything else available on the market, so it’s no wonder home buyers are snapping up such rare opportunities when they arise,” says Hannah Schuhmann, Principal of HS Brisbane Property.
 
It comes back to the good old term ‘supply and demand’. While the number of buyers drawn to CBD-based real estate is increasing, on the flipside, we are witnessing a complete lack of those wanting to sell their CBD abodes. This consequently means there is limited availability in housing stock.
 
For example, at present out of the 9,230 units in the Brisbane CBD area only approximately 200 of these are for sale. That is less than 3 per cent!  This is an astonishing figure! It is figures like these that are making rare gems out of Brisbane’s inner-city housing.
 
Meanwhile, as demand for the city’s CBD realty gems is on the rise, the Brisbane City Council (BCC) is busy working on plans for another soon-to-be treasure; its latest urban landscape, Kurilpa.
 
A short walk from the CBD, Kurilpa is set it be Brisbane’s new world-class waterfront destination and home to a sophisticated inner-city community. The new redevelopment will transform 25 hectares of land and one kilometre of river frontage into a sought after central hub; one which will house a mix of contemporary apartments, state-of-the-art offices and innovative cultural centres.
 
For more information on real estate opportunities in the Brisbane CBD or to find out what your property is worth, please contact Hannah on 0419 782 133.
  
 
*Figures sourced from RP Data.

We live in an age where we have insurance for almost every area of our lives… from our pets to our income, from our overseas holidays to our mobile phones.  We insure everything to make sure that what is valuable to us remains safe for the future.  
 
Considering real estate, whether it is your home or your investment property, is usually our biggest asset, it is generally considered a must have when it comes to insurance and something most property owners have.  The question is, are you covered for everything you need?
 
As the G20 Summit fast approaches the eyes of the world are fixed on Brisbane as we invite the most influential, powerful people from across the globe into our fair city.  As unappealing as the thought is, realistically with all of this attention comes the need for heightened security across our city and especially throughout the CBD where many of the high profile attendees will be spending time.
 
In an earlier market news we touched on the extra security measure that are being taken by event organisers in terms of CBD street closures and in some cases possible lock downs, but as a property owner – especially in terms of CBD apartments – something you need to investigate now is whether your building is covered in the event of a terrorist attack.
 
Recently we have had a chat to a number of building managers in the CBD and have found not all buildings are currently insured in the event of a terrorist attack.  While the likeliness of something terrible happening is low, as with all insurances it is generally better to err on the side of caution to ensure your investment is safe if the worst were to happen.   For example, as a CBD owner myself, our building implemented a cover of $2.5m for a fee of approximately $800 for the Event, ie one week’s cover.
 
Terrorism and vandalism insurance can protect your asset should anything terror related happen but also if your building falls target to the protestors that generally accompany an event like this and are known for spraying their messages across buildings in prominent areas to gain attention.  In any case, these types of damages can be costly to fix so having the insurance in place before the event, where the risk is higher than ever before, could be a very good idea.
 
For more information or to get the ball rolling in getting your building (and your investment) insured, contact your building  or Body Corporate Manager today so they can organise quotes with your insurer.

We live in an age where we have passwords for everything.  Security and anti-fraud measures are a way of life and everyone has a tale to tell of a hilariously unbelievable scam email they have received at one time or another… I guess we’re still waiting for that 500million to wired into our accounts? 

However, many people are not aware that fraudsters are even trying their hand at real estate transactions and now more than ever you have to be super vigilant when it comes to buying and selling property - so you do not become a victim of real estate fraud.

“It is frightening that this is now a part of our industry but that is the reality we are facing.  As a real estate agent, it is my job to ensure my clients are protected as much as possible from this kind of fraudulent activity and we are constantly double checking everything to make sure it is above board” said Hannah Schuhmann, Principal of HS Brisbane Property.

Authorities are warning real estate and settlement agents to be on high alert following reported real estate fraud in the ACT recently.  An interstate Commissioner for Consumer Protection has issued a warning that she believes the criminals responsible for that particular act could strike again.

“Everyone in the property industry, particularly those involved in property management and sales, should have a heightened state of awareness about these fraud attempts. They need to be in a position to detect them soon after initial contact is made and certainly before any documents are sent,” Commissioner Anne Driscoll said.

“Agents need to ensure that they have owner identification processes in place and that all of their staff are properly trained and instructed in what to do when a request to change contact details are made, especially if the owner is based overseas” she aid.

Criminals involved in real estate fraud are brazen and with the windfall for a successful fraud being quite substantial, we are likely to only see more of these attempts in the future.

At HS Brisbane Property, we have had first hand dealings with an attempt at a fraudulent transaction which we identified and took the correct steps to stop. 

“It’s happening and it’s happening right here in Brisbane.  If you are buying or selling a property, particularly where the other party is located internationally it is vital that you work with an Agent that you can trust” said Hannah Schuhmann.

The Property Observer recently released a checklist of tips to follow to assist in protecting yourself from potential real estate fraudsters:

• Regularly check that your property manager/real estate agent has your current and correct contact details on file
• Set up a password or secret question that will confirm your identity when dealing with your property manager/agent
• Provide copies of your ‘identification’ details when engaging your property manager, so agents are able to compare your details with fraudulent documents that may be presented later
• Be proactive and ask your property manager/real estate agent/conveyancer how they intend to identify the true owner of the land title they are selling or dealing with. Ask them: do they complete a 100-point check? Do they comply with Landgate’s Verification of Identity Practice?
• Ensure that your property manager/agent has a process in place to verify any requests to change your contact details by sending notifications to both the old and new addresses, both physical and electronic
• Ensure that your property manager/agent has your correct signature on file and that they check signed documents to confirm they match
• Protect your personal information and prevent identity theft by using secured mailboxes for mail deliveries and shredding or burning letters before disposing of them
• Be wary of giving your personal and/or financial information to third parties, either by phone or email
• Regularly change passwords to your email and banking accounts
• Never click on any links contained in emails from unknown sources
• Install anti-virus/anti-malware software on your computer and keep it up to date
• Owner(s) can place a Caveat (Improper Dealings) on their property through Landgate, which means the owner(s) must personally attend Landgate’s Midland office and pass an identity check , before that caveat may be removed, which reduces the risk of the title changing hands without the owner(s) knowledge
• Consider subscribing to Landgate’s TitleWatch service, which will alert you if an Electronic Advice of Sale (EAS) is lodged, or documents are lodged, against your Certificate of Title.
• If you are going overseas and selling your property, consider appointing someone trustworthy to act on your behalf as your Power of Attorney; and remember to take with you the relevant original identity documentation so your identity can be verified by an Australian Consular Official

Source: http://www.propertyobserver.com.au/