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The latest census data confirmed the shift to medium-density living in Sydney’s inner city. While the debate about under- or oversupply of residential dwellings remains, it is clear that demand for inner-city units is high, as evident by the number of transactions in the 12 months to April 2012, with the unit-to-house sales ratio closing the year at 2.5 to 1 (8,099 units vs. 3,163 houses).
Would you invest in off-the-plan apartments in this market? Yes, but with reservations.
As a first-home buyer I would certainly consider buying after October 1, when the NSW state government’s generous incentives kick in. The chance to move into a newly built property and being able to select the location, aspect and inclusions is a strong drawing card to buyers of a first home. However, given the hurdles often put by financiers for purchases of off-the-plan units, it is prudent to start the journey into the housing market with a healthy deposit that will shield against the risk of a lower valuation upon completion.
As a downsizer I would do the sums. As many downsizers are in the stage in life when retirement is contemplated, it is imperative to take into consideration not only the cost to finance the property, but also ongoing costs such as water and council rates and strata fees. A recent research we conducted found that strata fees in city buildings represented a larger percentage of the price of a unit than in buildings located further away from the city.
The reason was often the type of common facilities included in the building. It is imperative to consider the suitability of each facility to the purchaser’s lifestyle. While an elevator is commonplace in most developments, swimming pools, gyms and function rooms are used in marketing campaigns to attract buyers. They have a significant impact on strata fees and are often underutilised by residents. In recent times, developers have shied away from “resort”-style developments of the last decade, understanding that buyers today are conscious of the costs involved, and often outsource their recreational needs to one of the many sporting facilities located around town.
Units will continue to be the dwelling of choice into the future, as both younger and older generations see value in the lifestyle options offered by this type of dwelling. However, it will be the style of the building and the bottom line, not only the location, that will determine the attraction of each unit into the future.
Oded Reuveni Etzioni is a research analyst at <a href="https://www.prdnationwide.com.au/site/page.cfm" target="_blank">PRDnationwide</a>.
For more on Sydney's current market and where it is headed, download our free eBook <a target="_blank" href="http://propertyobserver.com.au/ebooks/free-ebook-sydney-embracing-the-world-of-tomorrow">Sydney: Embracing the world of tomorrow. </a>
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Buying an off-the-plan apartment comes with reservations

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New residential apartments are currently selling better than detached houses, according to most estimates. However, other than for a few of the off-the-plan developments, data is not readily available, imposing a reliance on people in the field to ascertain the true performance of the market.
Nonetheless PRDnationwide continues to witness the shift in demand from detached houses to units.
New South Wales already has the largest number of strata-titled properties in the country, with approximately one quarter of Sydney’s population living in strata titled homes, according to the University of New South Wales.
The following trends contribute to the demand for units:
<ol>
<li>Gen Y’s preference for well-located property, close to amenities and if possible to city centres departs from their parents’ choice of detached homes in the suburbs.</li>
<li>Local and overseas investors are trying to predict the demand from Gen Ys and look for modern apartments with close proximity to entertainment precincts. They draw confidence from the strong increases in Sydney’s rents over the past 12 months and the advantages in not tying large amounts of capital until the development is complete.</li>
<li>Some owner-occupiers use the extended period until the settlement of their new apartments to prepare their current residence for sale, possibly receiving higher offers for their house or unit in a rising market over the next 12 to 24 months.</li>
<li>From an investment point of view units show higher liquidity, with lower time on the market and lower discounting than houses.</li>
</ol>
Over the past three years we have seen a fall in first-home buyer activity as government incentives decline. First-home buyers’ activity was likely to drop again when the stamp duty exemption for purchases of apartments below $600,000 was withdrawn at the end of June, however the exemptions will now continue.
At the same time second-home buyers or upgraders are active in the market, as well as downsizers. It is interesting to note that some downsizers who live in apartments in three-storey walk-up buildings and are nearing their 50s and 60s find modern building that include an elevator and easy access attractive as they start to plan their retirement.
Further, some areas such as south Sydney are experiencing strong sales activity due to changes in zoning, as suburbs such as Botany and Mascot turn from industrial to residential hubs. This leads to an increase in the values of existing houses and apartments, allowing their owners to borrow against the rising levels of equity to purchase new properties in the same area.
The sale of new residential apartments is Sydney is buoyed by an extensive buyer base and an increasingly attractive product. However, in order to ensure the performance of the dwelling, it is vital for investors and owner-occupiers to look for well-located properties that will appeal to a wide range of buyers.
Oded Reuveni Etzioni is a research analyst at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.prdnationwide.com.au/site/page.cfm">PRDnationwide</a>.
Photograph of scaffolding by Victoria Pickering, courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>.
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New apartment sales the shining beacon in Sydney's residential market: PRDnationwide's Oded Reuveni-Etzioni

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Some people were uncertain as to the differences between the ‘First Home Plus’ Scheme and the new ‘First Home – New Home’ Scheme that is due to start in the new year. Let me explain:
The ‘First Home Plus’ Scheme currently in place provides a tax duty exemption for first-home buyers in NSW, with full exemption on homes valued up to $500,000 and partial exemption for homes valued between $500,000 and $600,000. Purchasers of vacant residential land currently enjoy a full exemption for lots valued $300,000 or less, with a concession on duty for lots valued between $300,000 and $450,000.
The new scheme will be implemented for property exchanged as of January 1, 2012 and will apply to newly built homes, homes bought off the plan and vacant lots, with existing dwellings receiving no exemption under this scheme. In implementing the new scheme, the government is attempting to stimulate the construction of new dwellings by making them more attractive to first-home buyers. Exemption will also be given to vacant residential lots transacting for $300,000 or less, with a partial exemption given to lots valued between $300,000 and $450,000. Dwellings and land selling above the specified amounts will receive no exemption.
Savings of $ $17,990 for a newly built home worth $500,000 or $8,990 for a vacant block of land worth $300,000 equates to 3.5% of the total value (including the stamp duty) for the former and 2.9% for the latter. This may appear like a substantial amount of money but in reality represents only a negligible amount of the total cost involved in the purchase a house or unit, which can be erased almost instantly should the market turn south.
Although there is a clear advantage for first-home buyers aiming to purchase an existing dwelling before the end of the year, the figures above demonstrate that understanding the market and where it is heading is much more important.
We see the purchase of real estate as a long-term investment and therefore suggest that first home buyers conduct a thorough research of the market and make sure they buy at the right price. This will help to ensure that the longer term movement of the market will not erase the short term impact of stamp duty savings.
According to the NSW Office of State Revenue the Normal Place of Residence rule will continue to apply, requiring first-home buyers to “occupy the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of six months commencing within 12 months from completion of the agreement.” It is also worth noting that eligibility for the Federal Government’s First Home Owner’s Grant is independent of the ‘First Home – New Home’ Scheme and can be applied for regardless of the property’s value or its age (a cap of $835,000 applies).
Oded Reuveni Etzioni is a research analyst at <a href="https://www.prdnationwide.com.au/site/page.cfm" target="_blank">PRDnationwide</a>. 
 
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How NSW laws will change for first-home buyers in January

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As we look to what's ahead for 2012, Property Observer is republishing some of our most noteworthy stories of 2011.
 
The recently published Foreign Ownership of Primary Production Land in NSW by PRDnationwide is a unique study that identifies major foreign companies and individuals who own large tracts of land in NSW. Overall, 464,957 hectares of land were identified as having some form of foreign ownership, which raised questions about the true extent of foreign owned primary production land in NSW and indeed Australia. The report provides an overview of countries that invest in NSW, and identifies Korea as one of the dominant investors in both agriculture and mining.
It also highlights the Chinese ownership of prime agricultural land in the Gunnedah Region that has received media attention in recent months. Much of the criticism from the public, the media and several politicians is that national interests, i.e. control over food and mining resources, are being eroded, and foreigners without loyalty to Australia could use this control to expatriate our natural resources.  This highlights the fear that we as humans have of the unknown. The absence of a foreign ownership registry allows commentators to take advantage of this void to portray the situation as a total takeover of the country by foreigners.
According to the latest data by the ABS, as at December 31, 2010, total agricultural land in Australia totalled 398 million hectares. Of this total, 353 million hectares, or 89% of agricultural land were entirely Australian owned, while 45 million hectares had some level of foreign ownership. In NSW, the total estimated foreign ownership of land equalled 1,535,366 hectares, representing 2.73% of the total agricultural land in the state.
Under current legislation much of the control over the produce from the land is at the discretion of the producer, who is able to ship it out of the country. Furthermore, ABS figures show that the size of land used for farming in Australia has been diminishing over the years, further strengthening the assertion that agricultural land is a scarce resource that must be guarded.   Additionally, recent actions by mining companies prove that there are few barriers to prevent primary production land being turned into a mining operation.
The positive side of foreign ownership is its contribution to the Australian agricultural sector. In addition to agents’ commissions and the creation of jobs, the investment also allows for the injection of capital into unviable or borderline farming operations. Moreover, there are a number of transactional contributions to the state coffers. Our investigation into the dynamics of foreign ownership revealed that in many cases, the foreign company is not interested in the long term ownership of the land, and will subsequently offload their agricultural portfolio if favour of other assets in Australia or overseas. One example is John Swire and Sons, who have been selling off their Australian mixed farming portfolio over the past 12 months, with the purchasers often being Australian farmers. Another illustration is the purchase of AWB by the Canadian company Agrium Inc., which later on sold it (albeit to the American company Cargill Inc.).
In our view, control over the foreign ownership of land can only be attained by a clear identification of the extent of ownership and use of the land. One way to do this is through the establishment of a foreign owners’ registry. Once this has been done, legislators will be able to identify trends in the use of land, and establish a set of criteria to limit any actions that could be adversarial to the long term interests of Australia.
The ownership of land is likely to remain in the news for the near term, with mining and agricultural companies intensifying their operations around the country. However, the ability of government to track these transactions and have better understanding of the extent of foreign-owned land will depend on the effectiveness of systems set up to track the ownership, and the subsequent legislation to control the expatriation of minerals and food products.
Oded Reuveni Etzioni is a research analyst at <a href="https://www.prdnationwide.com.au/site/page.cfm" target="_blank">PRDnationwide</a>. 
Photograph by Mick Stanic
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