REAL ESTATE

The changing climate has made it more difficult to predict weather patterns that could either be damaging to life and property. Some architects from the U.S. and Asia have devised the latest of designs in order for homes to withstand the wrath of Mother Nature.

Overseas investors hold one third of the new Australian apartment market. That's about 13,000 apartments in 37 projects spread across Australia, said property group CBRE.

The Internet and magazines helped 8 million Australians who renovated their homes in the past 12 months.

Refund Home Loans franchisees still plan to bid for the business, but have expressed frustration with administrator SV Partners.

A top broker believes risk specialists are making the products too complex and difficult for many consumers to understand.

Westpac chief Gail Kelly has joined the chorus of bankers warning borrowers may not be so lucky after the next RBA cut.

Wealth Today CEO Michael Stephens has refuted Mortgage Choice's position on individual brokers holding more than one licence, arguing this only increases their capacity to provide good service.

Home loan delinquencies have strongly fell for the second consecutive quarter with new jobs boosting residents' ability to re-pay their home mortgages, Fitch Ratings said.

U.S. stocks wrapped up a second straight week of gains as the euro zone's latest plan to fix its debt crisis overshadowed some disappointing forecasts from big U.S. companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 187 points, or 1.6%, to 12184.26, undoing most of the previous day's sharp losses.

A survey of more than 360 internationally renowned real estate professionals, including investors, developers, property company representatives, lenders, brokers and consultants has revealed the emerging top earners for the real estate sector in 2012.

Prolink Finance Solutions’ Muzi Dandachli will be postponing holidays until late January or early February to cope with demand which is having his business colleagues ‘chasing their tails’.

Suncorp has introduced year-one trail commissions amid other changes it says will simplify its commission structure.

Top brokers believe falling home values could spur buyers into action in 2012 as prices become "more realistic".

Not even wealth and fame could shield them from the financial crisis gripping homeowners in the United States. Celebrities were also victims of bank foreclosures and lost millions invested in properties acquired when real estate was booming.

House prices in the country are rising again, as buyers become optimistic about the Philippine economy.

NAB Broker's John Flavell has defended the separate positioning of Homeside products and the bank's branch-based offerings.

Funding pressures mean non-banks won't be able to compete on price in 2012, but Firstfolio's Mark Flack has said this is nothing new for the industry.

The global property markets are imploding, and fast. The strain that first found its footing in the U.S has now truly gone viral. From Dubai to Denmark, developers have been left reeling, while national exchequers struggle to hold ground.

Unbelievable.That is the only word fit to describe the fact that the world's tallest, most luxurious, lavish and downright most expensive single-family home has been left lying empty for what is now more than a year since its completion.

Another indicator, the hedonic price index rose 2.0% y-o-y to August 2011 (-0.42% in real terms) according to Hypoport AG.

The world's housing markets had a weak third quarter of 2011, according to the latest survey of world-wide house price indices prepared by the Global Property Guide. During the year to end Q3 2011, house prices fell in 25 countries, of the 44 countries for which quarterly house price statistics are available, and rose in only 19 countries.

Sydney is ranked as the third most favourable market in the Asia Pacific region for commercial real estate investment next year, largely due to the resiliency of the Australian economy, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Asia Pacific 2012, a real estate forecast jointly published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Homeowners in financial stress are receiving advice from what may seem an unlikely source: the Australian Bankers' Association.

The administrator of Refund Home Loans has claimed the business could sell before Christmas.

Refund Home Loans' administrator has assured franchisees that a wind up resolution will only affect a shell company, not Refund Home Loans' businesses.

NextGen.Net has announced the appointment of Tony Carn as its new sales director, with Greg Mitchell stepping in to fill a combined general manager of sales role at Homeloans.

NAB Broker will pay 65 basis points up-front to all brokers from 1 January 2012, as part of a wholesale change to its broker channel segmentation strategy.

NAB's major bank competitors have all reacted to NAB Broker's commission restructure by saying they plan no immediate changes to their own broker remuneration structures.

Floods triggered by heavy rains have isolated two towns in northern New South Wales and swept away a boy leading to his death.