Traders In Purple has launched Lighthouse, a second waterfront property at Newport in Moreton Bay.

Following the success of Lasail, which sold out in record time prior to completion, Lighthouse presents an opportunity for downsizers and upgraders to embrace waterfront living and a relaxed coastal lifestyle.

Lighthouse has two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, three-bedroom garden villas and three-bedroom townhomes.

Features to all dwelling types will be an abundance of natural light, indoor and outdoor living space, and views, including outlooks over Moreton Bay, the Newport waterfront and marina, Glass House Mountains, and gardens.

Located at the corner of Trinity St and Lighthouse Esplanade alongside Lakeview Park, with a 22-berth marina frontage, Lighthouse has two buildings, Palm and Dune, connected by a subtropical porte cochere entry.

Resident amenity includes a swimming pool for each building, outdoor entertaining areas, landscaped gardens and a shared Residents’ Lounge.

Sales of the first building, Palm, will begin this month, coinciding with the opening of an on-site sales display, featuring a full-sized kitchen and bathroom.

Early price indications at the development will see two-bedroom apartments starting from $1.095m, three-bedroom apartments from $1.39m, townhomes from $990,000 and garden villas from $1.18m.

Designed by Rothelowman, Lighthouse incorporates many design touches that add to the sense of being on holiday.

“There’s a quiet harmony in the design – light, layered and grounded in the natural rhythm of southeast Queensland,” Rothelowman principal architect Jeff Brown said.

“From the point of arrival, as you travel deeper into Lighthouse, a series of garden lobbies and airy walkways have been carefully orchestrated to make the journey from outdoors to indoors beautiful and welcoming.”

Interiors reinforce the sense of elegant simplicity, emphasising quality, light and warmth within a neutral colour and finishes palette.

Traders In Purple chief executive Brett Robinson said the diversity of dwelling types was the result of listening to customers and appreciating what they valued most in their home.

“Lighthouse builds upon what we delivered to customers at Lasail, enhancing the offering with additional resident amenities including a Residents’ Lounge and thoughtful inclusions like a herb garden, all designed to foster a strong sense of community,” he said.

“We have included more two-bedroom apartments and wherever possible all dwelling types feature a multipurpose room that can be used as a study or hobby space, second living room or guest accommodation.

“Careful thought has gone into designing homes from the inside out, thinking about the way people want to live, especially when they’re in this incredible waterfront location with a climate that lends itself to outdoor living.

“That translates into large usable balconies and courtyards that extend the living space with vast floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of water views.

“It’s about doing the simple things exceptionally well.”

Mr Robinson said buyers were likely to come from the wider Pine Rivers region and Moreton Bay peninsula, many of them downsizing from a family home or upgrading from an older apartment.

“We have been fielding a huge amount of inquiry, including some of those who missed out on an opportunity to buy at Lasail, which sold so quickly,” he said. “Some inquiry has also come from people renting at Lasail, who’ve had an opportunity to know our brand and the quality we deliver.”

LIGHTHOUSE

Developer: Traders In Purple

Address: Corner of Trinity St and Lighthouse Esplanade, Newport

Features: Two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, three-bedroom garden villas and three-bedroom townhomes, priced from $990,000

Contact: 0408 721 050

More info:lighthousenewport.com.au

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In a decisive move that has sent shockwaves through global markets, President Donald Trump has announced a dramatic increase in tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the United States, doubling them from 25 per cent to 50 per cent.

This decision, made public during a rally at a Pennsylvania steel plant on Monday, has raised concerns about the potential impact on Australia’s housing market, which is already grappling with rising costs.

Australia’s direct exposure to these tariffs is expected to be limited, with only a small percentage of its steel and aluminium exports heading to the US.

However, the indirect effects could ripple through the housing market, influencing construction costs and availability of imported materials.

Historically, similar tariff hikes have led to increased prices for US consumers and reduced employment in industries reliant on metal inputs.

The tariffs imposed by George W. Bush in 2002 and Trump’s first-term tariffs demonstrated these adverse effects, with US industries taking years to recover.

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For Australians, this means that products imported from the US, such as construction machinery and materials, are likely to become more expensive.

This could exacerbate existing pressures on the housing market, where affordability is already a critical issue.

Moreover, the ripple effects extend beyond Australia’s borders.

Countries like Canada and Mexico, which export significant amounts of steel and aluminium to the US, will face increased pressure on their metals industries.

This could lead to reduced demand for Australian exports, both directly and indirectly, as North American consumers tighten their spending.

Additionally, affected metals manufacturers may seek alternative markets, potentially displacing Australian exports to countries like South Korea.

This situation is compounded by the OECD’s warnings of excess steel capacity, driven by China’s substantial steel subsidies.

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Despite these challenges, there is a potential silver lining for the Australian housing market.

A temporary fall in steel and aluminium prices could offer some relief from the post-pandemic rise in building and infrastructure costs.

This could provide a much-needed respite for developers and home builders, potentially easing some of the financial burdens faced by prospective homeowners.

Indeed, exclusive data by the Housing Industry Association shows the cost of reinforced steel had dropped by 7.2 per cent over the 12 months to March, 2025 but are still up 41.1 per cent when compared to five years ago.

The cost of steel beams and sections have also dropped by 5.6 per cent over the past 12 months.

Managing director of ProWay Paul Gianniotis, who has been building livestock equipment over the past decade, said history showed Trump’s tariffs on steel would have limited implications on his business.

“A lot of the steel going into the USA (will be) out of the market, and that’s going to have to find a home,” he told the ABC.

“So if you just look at the tariffs alone and what will likely happen, (there is) going to be a glut of steel on the planet and, you know, there should be deals to be had.”

Mr Gianniotis said, earlier this year, buying imported steel was around 10 per cent cheaper than buying from domestic suppliers.

After the US tariffs were announced, that discount doubled to 20 per cent.
“So, it’s becoming more attractive to import steel as an option, he told the ABC”

While Trump’s tariff hike presents challenges for global trade, the Australian housing market may find some relief in the shifting dynamics.

As the situation unfolds, stakeholders in the housing sector will need to remain vigilant and adaptable to navigate the complexities of international trade and its impact on local markets.

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Video has emerged of boxing legend Jeff Fenech falling for a prank and losing it over a fake auction of his property.

The social media clip captured the practical joke which was co-ordinated by The Block winner Ozman “Oz” Abu Malik and boxer Billy Dib.

Auctioneer Tom Panos and a group of actors posed as buyers outside Fenech’s home while Oz and Dib watched the sale from a car, in the Instagram video titled ‘Impromptu Auctions is back … this time it’s the CELEBRITY EDITION!’.

“Today we’re here for none other than the auction of this wonderful home,” Panos kicked off the auction.

“An opening bid offer to get us up and running today. You tell me what’s your bid, sir, 2.5 (million) would have been a good bid 35 years ago.”

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Fenech then walked outside his house and discovered the scene.

“Why are you going to my house?,” the 61-year-old asked Panos.

The boxing legend can be seen throwing the auction signs, telling the crowd to “f**k off” while the auction continues.

“Get away from my house!” Fenech yelled.

The former world champion was told by one of the bidders that his house is for sale.

Fenech confronted Panos and told him “Don’t make me do something bad”.

“How’s my house for sale?” Fenech asked.

“How’s my house for sale?! Don’t you think I’d know if my house was for sale?”

Panos replied he had been given instructions.

A furious Fenech tells Panos he has “been given the wrong instructions” and threatens to call the police.

The crowd intervened, with one man in a suit telling the boxing icon they had been given instructions by the bank.

“Are you crazy? They’ve given you the wrong address,” Fenech said.

“How’s my house for sale? It’s my house. I own it totally. How’s it for sale!?!”

The auction continued with bids reaching as high as $6.5 million while Fenech remarked the house is worth over $9.5 million.

Fenech then pushed Panos and bidders off his property as the auction closed. Oz and Dib then hopped out of a car and revealed it was a prank.

Oz apologised to Fenech and said Dib wanted to get him back, to which he jokingly replied “He got me well”.

Dib said Fenech had always been a part of his career.

“We’ve had an amazing journey together,” he said.

“He’s pranked so many people along the way, and today he finally got pranked.”

Fenech replied “the pranker gets pranked”.

Oz and his best friend Omar were crowned the winners of The Block: Tree Change in 2022.

Their property sold for $5,666,666 and took home a record-breaking profit of $1.6 million.

Oz runs his building company Zenith, and produces social media content on the side.

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An Aussie property mogul who turned a measly $40K into a staggering 38-property empire is revealing his secrets to help battlers break into Australia’s brutal housing market.

A standout among property investing peers, Bharat Patel was once a cash-strapped international student at the University of Technology in Sydney and now sits on a jaw-dropping $14m asset base – buying five properties so far this year alone across Queensland, Tasmania, and Darwin.

His bold claim is that even if you’re scraping by on $50k a year right now, you can still buy property in Australia.

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Mr Patel, who set up Cashflow Properties to help others repeat his success, believes a mindset change is required for his shockingly simple strategy of starting small but thinking big, leveraging the bank’s money, zeroing in on growth markets – rinse and repeat 40 times.

“A strong mindset is important, even if you are someone who is currently on a low income $50,000 or $60,000, you can still you can buy property in Australia as long as you know where to buy your first property. If you have $30,000 to $40,000 yes, you can still buy property in Australia in 2025.”

“It’s all about buying the cheaper property first, leverage from the bank, and you have to be ready to buy the next property where market is moving so you are buying in a growing market.”

“Your equity will be there to support you for the next property as long as you buy the right property at the right time with the right price tag.”

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For him it is all about buying cheaper first and then snowballing rather than going for $2-4m home first off and being stuck with it.

“Start small scale, and don’t just sit back and relax. Use your opportunity if you have it.”

“It was extremely challenging for me to buy 10 properties initially in 10 years, and then it started getting easier because I knew the success, the resources, the markets which are going to boom, so that I made decisions quite easily.”

His book called “From an international student to owning 30 properties in Australia” is a step-by-step guide to building a passive income stream for retirement, and available from Amazon, Apple store, Google and in bookstores like Booktopia and Dymocks now.

“I’m purchasing my 38th property as we speak, but in the book I just mentioned my first 30 properties and how I started with almost nothing after my university degree at UTS, and then, slowly, one property at a time, I just built my property.”

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“The main purpose of the book is to give confidence to people who may be on a low salary, and are thinking that in Australia, they cannot buy any property – which is false. As long as you understand where your position allows you to buy something as a stepping stone, you can always build your property portfolio later.”

He used a combination of purchase vehicles to lock in his last few five homes, buying one via superannuation, and four in personal names and a family trust he created.

”It depends on which property it is, where I am buying, and what the purpose is out of that property as well. The one I purchased in Darwin was from our family trust. Noone was buying in Darwin, but I can see there are lots of opportunities in Darwin nowadays.”

He used superannuation to buy a Gladstone property in Queensland. “It’s doing extremely well, similar to what happened growth-wise in Townsville, also Rockhampton is also moving up as well.”

Mr Patel said the affordable stock of properties across Queensland made it a strong target for investors.

”Obviously the whole of Queensland is on the next horizon in terms of infrastructure because of the Olympics coming, not only Brisbane but the majority of the regionals are also experiencing the boom. So because of the affordability, because of the low stock, and because not many properties are going to be available due to the construction crisis, it’s definitely a growth corridor.”

Mr Patel said he was now looking to diversify state-wise too, looking at Northern Territory and maybe one more in Tasmania, as well as commercial properties.

”My ultimate goal is to hit 50 properties, the sooner, the better. I will try. I will work on my debt consolidation strategy as well because obviously every property brings you debt. At some stage you have to consolidate your debt again, it is all good debt so depending on my age and retirement plan, I will start consolidating my debt after hitting 50 properties.”

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One Aussie state has been warned to prepare for more demand for new homes and land as other states flatline in popularity or drop in demand altogether.

The latest OpenLot New House Enquiry Index has revealed that Queensland was the only state to record positive demand growth for new homes in the first quarter of this year, achieving an enquiry index of 233.3.

This indicates that QLD buyers make 26 per cent more enquiries than in the next-best state, South Australia (SA).

“Queensland also has the highest enquiries per buyer, aka absolute demand,” the report said.

The OpenLot New House Enquiry Index is based on the average number of enquiries made by each new house and land buyer.

Queensland’s closest rival was South Australia (SA) which had an enquiry index of 185.1 but that represented a decline since the first half of last year, the report revealed.

Western Australia (WA) and SA experienced significant drops in demand, with WA down 20.8 per cent and SA down 12.4 per cent.

NSW and Victoria remained stable but showed signs of softening, with NSW nearly unchanged at -0.4 per cent and Victoria dropping by 5.4 per cent.

Overall, demand for new stock fell 1.3 per cent nationally compared to 2024 but they remained above historic levels, the report revealed.

OpenLot.com.au founder and CEO Qi Chen said the findings come from their real-time

measure of buyer interest based on average enquiries made each quarter by theirr more than

130,000 users.

“National growth has stalled, dipping by 1.3 per cent year-on-year,” Chen said.

“Still, demand remains well above historic norms and sits at the third-highest level ever

recorded.

“However, each of the states is its own market, which means the national number

obscures as much as it reveals.

“Of all the states, Queensland is the standout, with growth in enquiries per user and total

buyer enquiries leading the nation.

“That’s driven by a shortage of land, so buyers have to work harder to find what they are looking for.

“We expect more land to become available in Queensland in the second half of 2025.”

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Chen added that WA and SA were both lagging significantly behind the other

states.

“Both states experienced double-digit drops in buyer interest in the first quarter

compared to 2024,” Chen said.

“Victoria and NSW are holding steady, but both states show signs of a

potential softening.

“That’s a trend we will watch over the next two quarters.

“For developers, there’s a clear case to accelerate project launches to meet demand in Queensland.

“In Western Australia and South Australia, buyers may need new incentives to

re-engage.”

It comes after Villawood Properties announced that construction has begun on a new affordable housing development in Brisbane southern Redland Bay area.

The $250 million Baya development will see 224 blocks made available, with a special $20,000 grant for essential workers who get on board.

Villawood Properties CEO Alan Miller said an important part of this development was giving care workers access to affordable homes at a reasonable distance.

“The whole issue is the whole of southeast Queensland is pretty unsupplied with housing options,” he said.

“Getting people into housing in locations where they work is really the most important thing.”

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