Brunswick Victoria, Not Brunswick Heads In 2013, Beyonce was in Melbourne and shot the No Angel video clip in front of this old workers’ cottage in inner-city Brunswick (see main pic above). The power of celebrity being what it is,…
Population Byron Shire’s population Is currently 35,081. With a land area of 56,664 Ha that is 0.62 people per hectare. As a comparison, Sydney has a population density of around 1000 people per hectare. 51.8% are females and 48.2% are…
The government is acting fast and loose with the public purse. It can be confusing for the average punter to get their head around what is possible and available. Especially as it is changing every day. Australians will be offered…
Council Matters: What’s new news with our beloved Byron Shire Council: Amnesty for illegal dwellings Council is to pass a proposal that will allow illegal dwellings a new approval process. There is to be a moratorium for 15 months starting…
More Models Soon Byron will have more models than the Paris Fashion Week catwalk. The latest arrival is Elyse Knowles who bought a $2.3million beach house in Byron Bay. The property is at the bottom end of Patterson Street is…
Just as a Buyer’s Agent was an unknown service until only a decade ago, a Vendors Advocate is gradually gaining awareness and acceptance. Many buyer’s agents are now offering vendor’s advocacy as another part of their service. In both situations,…
Byron Bay is a mecca for newlyweds. It is not uncommon to see groups of overdressed young adults boarding a bus to take them to an unknown destination to witness a betrothal. You can often see a barefoot beau in…
Coping with COVID Byron has been lucky. As of last week, we only have had 16 confirmed cases of COVID, 55 in all of Northern NSW. It could have been a lot worse here with all the international travelers passing…
It would be easy to assume that the property market is tanking all over the world. National media outlets cannot help but treat the whole industry as one big story. Also, traditional media needs to compete with online content providers…
The City Council of Lafayette, Calif., met the public two Mondays a month, and Steve Falk liked to sit off by himself, near the fire exit of the auditorium, so that he could observe from the widest possible vantage. Trim,…
Attention everyone! We need to make a decision on what to do about a crucial piece of our infrastructure. Like most things in this shire, what to do with our disused rail corridor is highly contested. As usual, there are…
Here I am being contrarian again. Most mainstream media is saying that the property market is tanking but I do not see any evidence to support that. Not at the end of April anyway. As we all know, its a…
Property Guidelines for COVID-19 Following the implementation of government restrictions on public inspections and on-site auctions, the property industry quickly made changes. It switched to digital inspections and online auctions. The benefits of digital inspections may be here to stay….
HINTERLAND Maclean’s Ridge This property is good for anyone looking for the small acreage dream but ready to drive a bit further from the coast. This is a good character home and very pleasant views and pool. It has already…
Off-Market Sales As a buyer’s agent, I often help buyers into an off-market sale. There are numerous reasons why a seller may wish to not go public with their listing. During a downturn, off-market can be more attractive. In a…
Anyone who has visited the Byron Arts and Industry Estate lately will see it is full to overflowing. Equally, all the other industrial estates in Bangalow, Mullumbimby and Billinudgel are close to capacity. One aspect of the North Coast Regional…
Unfortunately, my crystal ball broke when I threw it against the wall. I got a bit cranky when I realised I could no longer go to my favourite café for my large single-shot, coconut milk flat white. Therefore I can no…
With the worldwide spread of COVID-19, the past few weeks have seen increased expectations of an Australian recession, a slowdown in business activity and trillions of dollars wiped off global share markets. Many are asking what the impact of the…
Northern NSW cases of Covid-19 As of 8 PM 30th of March, there were 38 Covid-19 cases in the Northern NSW region. This was 1.77% of the 2145 tests conducted. The NSW average of positive tests per 100,000 is 2.03…
Mini Market Watch It is a 99% certainty that the Reserve Bank will drop interest rates again today to the new record low of 0.5%. Whether this will be enough to stimulate the wider economy and not just the…
The never-ending saga of what to do about Short Term Holiday Letting is at the end of another cycle. This topic has been around the block almost as many times as the Byron bypass. Council is recommending a blanket 90-day…
Electric Kool-Aid Kombi Test Byron local Alex Bosin is doing the transition to electric vehicles Byron style. Being an ex-airline engineer for Lufthansa, he has converted his beloved Kombi to be fully electric. Besides enjoying the ride himself he also…
Readers may be interested to see this article which ran in the Qantas magazine. I am sure the last thing many Mullum residents want is for ‘The Biggest Little Town In Australia’ to be known as ‘The New Byron’. And…
As we head into the start of 2020, the property market is quickly recovering from the price falls that were experienced in 2019. Byron Bay dropped 8% for the year ending Sept 2019. However, it is interesting to put that…
A while ago I was showing some overseas visitors around Byron. We strolled up to the carpark at the top of Jonson Street. It was sunset and sky was turning a rich, glorious pink. Surfers were peeling down the swell…
Celeste Barber buys in Tweed Actor, comedienne and Instagram sensation, Celeste Barber has purchased a penthouse unit in a 1980 block overlooking Rainbow Bay in Tweed Heads. Ms. Barber grew up in Terranora just inland from Tweed so it is…
Citizen Lottery Byron Shire has a bad case of ‘some people know best’ syndrome. The Council wants to broaden the range of the community consultation process. This follows on from the success of the citizen juries or the ‘Byron Model’…
Welcome to Byron Property Search Market Watch. Six months ago, I suggested we were probably experiencing a 6% median house price drop since the highs of late 2017. I’d say we’ve dropped another 6% since then, but gees the market’s…
Beach Hotel Sells The iconic Beach Hotel – The Beachie – has found a new owner. Investment company Moelis have an exclusivity agreement to buy The Beach Hotel in Byron Bay. The agreed price is just over $100 million….
The Byron area is continually going through growth and changes. Not everyone is happy about this so there may be some consolation in knowing what these changes may look like. Predicting the future is pretty random and unscientific. But science…
Street Camping Around this time of year, the topic of illegal camping often raises its dreadlocked head. Byron is a popular place all year round but in summer and school holidays it is a traffic jam of backpacker station wagons,…
Just as a Buyer’s Agent was an unknown occupation only a few years ago, a Vendor’s Advocate is now gaining awareness and acceptance. Many buyers agents offer vendors advocacy as well. In both situations they can research, give market appraisals…
CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE Are you exasperated about the lack of action on climate change? Feel like there is nothing you can do? Well you are not alone, and apparently there is something you can do. More and more people…
Childe Street, Belongil Beach John Cornell and Delvene Delany are listing their last remaining block of land at Belongil Beach. This is the final parcel of their one-time 2.3-acre compound bought in 1987 for $375,000. They sold the main chunk…
In last month’s newsletter, we talked about Byron Shire’s Draft Residential Settlement Strategy. This month let’s talk about the Mullumbimby Masterplan. It is worthwhile noting that the Mullum Master Plan is part of a suite of planning documents currently in…
It’s not easy being Green Last month’s article dealing with some thorny issues around local politics got a good response and some positive feedback. Basically, I was bemoaning the acrimonious division within the local Greens. The way I see…
In the last few weeks of October, spring was well and truly sprung and there is a new energy around. People are certainly thinking about property again. After a fairly lack lustre winter, buyers are on the hunt. The market…
Grand Old Homes of Byron Even though I try not to quote the Murdoch press, The Daily Telegraph did a story on the grand old homes of Byron Bay during September. It featured properties for sale that I have already…
The Beachie – A Pub Like No Other Some Aussie pubs are integral to a town’s character and history. The story of Byron Bay’s Beach Hotel somehow encapsulates the changing fortunes of this area. After going through lots of iterations,…
Politics Schmolitics! BPS newsletter tries to stay away from politics. But there is one major issue affecting Byron Shire Council that is not receiving scrutiny. We are now less than a year away from the next council election in…
It’s a Plan – at least! Most things fail without a good plan. Byron Shire has had a terrible track record of forward planning. The usual process is for a council’s planning department to release a rural or residential strategy…
Changes to Mullumbimby Watch out for two major changes in the works for the Biggest Little Town. Apologies to the many who don’t want Mullum to change at all. First is the Mullumbimby Master Plan about to be released….
The NSW Government is about to introduce a new regulatory framework for Short Term Rental Accommodation (STRA). In essence, the government is planning to allow homeowners the right to rent their properties for a maximum of 180 days per year….
HTW Report The latest Herron Todd White (HTW) rural report shows there is an increasing demand for Northern Rivers farm land. Rural lifestyle lots, particularly close to beaches and towns, are highly sought after. Sub Contracting The report highlights the…
All the signs show that the housing market in Sydney and Melbourne is having a stellar return to form. Prices have jumped a remarkable 1.6% in August and buyer confidence has returned. This sentiment is yet to move north as…
The Last Days of The Disco Dong The phallus-shaped silver sculpture at the Bayshore Drive roundabout is at the beginning of its end. After much public outcry, Council has voted to have it removed. Two mistakes were made. After choosing…
Mini Market Watch The market in the Northern Rivers seams steady as she goes. There has been a 6.1% decline in median house prices In Byron Bay since the highs of early last year. This softness looks like it…
Some interesting options for Byron Bay real estate. Each month on my travels around the shire and beyond, I notice some places I like and buying opportunities. Read on: 22 Kingsley St Byron Bay This is a high demand home…
Last month, Byron Bay was in the middle of yet another media firestorm. Global glossy mag Vanity Fair published an article on the ‘influencers’ of Byron Bay. There has already been invasions of dairy farmers, surfers, hippies, sea changers, now it’s…
Westpac’s latest Home Ownership report found that more than 50 per cent of homebuyers fear buying at auction. Apparently, the biggest fear buyers have is overpaying. The survey also revealed the second biggest response was a general fear of knowing…
Splendour has Sprung, the Byron Writers Festival Unfurls So you’ve showered off the last of the glitter, your thighs have finally stopped throbbing after three days of full-on mosh, your ears are starting to stop ringing and even if it…
“If there’s 2 words to describe the present market, it’s random and erratic”. You could have one house that’s getting lots of interest and competitive bids and selling reallly quickly, while a similar property down the road is getting no…
Watching Byron Council go through its ongoing dramas is a like watching a couple having a domestic argument. It’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, but somehow intriguing. Will it resolve or turn ugly? Neither really happens but it just goes on and…
Since there is no practicing exclusive Buyers Agent between Ballina and Newcastle, I am sometimes asked to head that way. I have researched and purchased property for people in places like Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie. But Yamba and Angourie are…
Cedar House, 140 Dalley St Mullumbimby This grand old example of turn of the century Edwardian architecture is a Mullumbimby masterpiece. Locals would have driven past it on the corner of Dalley and Fern St – opposite the Drill Hall…
Obviously climate change is an urgent global issue and our government is dragging the chain on constructive action. Meanwhile, many Byron locals are passionate about being part of the solution. Last month local activist group ZEB (Zero Emissions Byron) held…
Growing up, my cousin’s family lived in Lismore. Every few years there would be a serious flood and my uncle’s chemist shop in the centre of town would be a disaster area. They would take months to get back to…
We love it that our Byron Shire is appreciated and is included in Leunig cartoons. So, here’s a bit of shameless gossip and some homes that are HOT on our local market! The Hemsworth Hovel Major film actor and…
This article has been lifted from The Sydney Morning Herald Domain Section April 12 2019, and written by Lee Dashiell: I don’t do suburbia. I like to be either in and amongst it all or completely away from it all….
Overview The local property market has had a dull patch heading into winter and prior to the election. Many property commentators were of the opinion that the coalition win would be good for the market. The bad press around negative gearing…
Pass The Bypass Glad to see the Byron Bypass is finally going to proceed. This project has been on the drawing board for as long as I can remember. Many people still question its worth. I understand if you just…
It is great living here in the Northern Rivers and enjoying the green rolling hills and natural beauty. But for many of us, this natural wonder comes with a downside. The fresh air is often full of moulds, pollen and…
Reading the property market now depends on where you live and who you are talking to. Everything is location specific and it is hard to get the right info each specific city or region. Reading national news or listening to…
TIME TO VOTE May 18th is a big day for politicians, lobbyists and shouty radio shock jocks. Babies can start to relax as getting kissed by strange men in suits will decline. Bizarre ads and shocking behaviour from Queenslanders (north…
Many Byron Bay-based individuals and businesses have a strong connection to Sri Lanka. As one of them, the recent catastrophe in the county I love has hit me very hard. I have been attempting to work through the various thoughts…
I have a love affair with a dead architect called Geoffrey Bawa. This love affair goes hand in hand with my passion for Sri Lanka, since Bawa is Sri Lanka’s pre-eminent architect. He died in 2003, and his work has…
As a vendor’s advocate, I often have to advise a seller on how to best present their home. Many owners are just about to do the most expensive and least beneficial things. 9 out 10 times it is best not…
Brunswick Heads Set For Sea Change #2 The popular TV series from the 90s, Sea Change, is getting a reboot and will be filmed in Brunswick Heads. Local producer, Deb Cox, and production company, Every Cloud Productions, will once again…
Where, not when. Terry Ryder from Hotspotting: Here’s the dumbest question an investor can ask: is this a good time to buy real estate? The question shows a fundamental and dangerous lack of understanding about property. A much smarter question…
There is lots of chatter in the media about a property crash. Property prices are either booming or busting – both scenarios are good for selling papers and creating click bait. Our local property market has certainly cooled from last…
Unique Estates Principal Fronts Court Nicolette Van Wijngaarden appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney last Thursday. The former principal of luxury real estate agency, Unique Estates, is facing 10 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception,…
Infrastructure delivery The Victorian Government achieved a stunning success at the recent state elections. The Andrew’s Labour Government proclaim themselves to be Australia’s most progressive government and are being rewarded for delivering on that agenda. One area where they are…
What should a good financial planner/adviser be doing in this present market/environment to assist a client. An adviser needs to be genuinely empathetic to listen well; have experience with all phases of life; and clarify any issues and opportunities with…
Change is gonna come “The only constant is change itself” – apparently. When I first settled here in the mid 80’s, dole and dope were at the centre of the economy. Many lived from dole cheque to dole cheque and…
Mercato on Byron Many of you will have noticed the progress of the new structure in Byron on Jonson Street in Woolworth’s south plaza. The ‘Mercato on Byron’ is taking shape and aiming to open in March 2019. The complex…
The founder of Unique Estates, Nicolette van Wijngaarden, could go to jail for up to 10 years if found guilty. Fifteen charges of fraud have been made against the previously successful real estate agent who ran the luxury brand….
Market Watch Generally, the national market is trending down. Melbourne and Sydney are in the doldrums. Sydney median house prices have come down around 8% and Melbourne is off by 5.2%. A prime market indicator is the auction clearance rate….
A gasoline engine has 20,000 individual parts. An electric motor has 20. Electric cars are sold with lifetime guarantees and are only repaired by dealers. It takes only 10 minutes to remove and replace an electric motor. Faulty electric…
The short-term holiday letting debate (STHL) has done yet another circuit around the ring. This time the NSW gov have done their best to bed the problem down. Only time will tell whether this new piece of legislation will be…
Market watch The national media continue to misrepresent the property market. It is true that Sydney and Melbourne are in decline and have seen a reduction in median price since this time last year (6% Sydney, 3.5% Melbourne). But as…
WHAT SHOULD A VENDOR TELL YOU? Buying a house is probably one of the most important purchases a person will make. Many people think the vendor is required to disclose matters that affect the property value, particularly if the buyer…
NEW TECHNOLOGY With new technology making it easier than ever before for home buyers and investors to research property, buyer’s advocates say there are hidden flaws that require an experienced eye and an expert inspection to avoid costly mistakes. Real…
Byron Shire Council loves to be different. We are the rebels in the pack who like to do things our way. Whether it is changing Australia Day or clocking up the biggest legal bills at the Land and Environment Court,…
Byron Bay real estate – market watch So far, the Byron Bay real estate remains firm. There is still a deep demand for good property and buyers are prepared to pay over market value for good stock. This includes anything…
WHAT IS A MOST LIVEABLE CITY? Melbourne lost its “most liveable city” title and is confronting being runner-up to Vienna after seven years at the top. These rankings are based on The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index, which “assesses…
There is no simple auction strategy that will guarantee a win. Basically, its the last person standing. But there are a lot of little tips and tactics that can be employed to assist a win at an auction. The best…
Tourism Contribution Lots of issues animate our local residents. One of them is the Byron Bay bed tax – or how to get tourists contribute to the upkeep of the place. Byron Bay gets over two million visitors every year….
Byron Bay Property Market Watch I will be watching our local market over the next couple of months with great interest. We had a slight blimp over the end of the financial year period, but generally property here is remaining…
Two unrelated stories hit my in-tray this week. It did not take much imagination to see how they are connected. Migration growth and the medium density zoning. Join the dots. The first story outlined how the new state gov planning…
I find working with people and their journeys through real estate endlessly fascinating. I know many people think it would be a boring industry to be in but thats not true! Dealing with people, their homes and large amounts of…
Unique Estates Update Bankrupted real estate agent, Nicolette van Wijngaarden, principal of the luxury agency, Unique Estates, recently surfaced in Melbourne. It seems Ms Wijngaarden took a job with Melbourne agency Dingle Partners, selling units through five agencies in inner-city Melbourne….
Most of last month I was on the road in Sri Lanka. These days you can be anywhere with an internet connection and still run a business. I moved into a new hotel every other day, set up my laptop,…
July Byron Bay Real Estate News: Byron winter festival season, Council’s new general manager, Mullumbimby gateway revitalisation, South Byron sewerage, more industrial estates, and Byron wedding issues. Byron Council Biz: New General Manager The Byron Council GM Ken Grainger, retired…
When it comes to home buying mistakes, I’ve observed just about every one there is. Some examples are; letting a great home slip through your fingers because of indecision; putting agents and vendors offside; getting emotional; being too influenced by a…
Such an interesting property market at the moment it needs a whole article on its own. Sydney and Melbourne trend In Australia, there is currently no single market but a patchwork-quilt of different areas. One area can be in high demand,…
Dramatic developments in the ongoing Short-Term Holiday Letting (STHL) saga came to the fore last month. Just when NSW state government was about to introduce their brand new policy, everything went pear-shaped and the excrement hit the air circulation device….
If you are familiar with the television program MythBusters, you know their goal is to put to test myths and urban legends that have been going around for donkey’s years and prove whether they are right or just that –…
