Famous Australian artist Louis Kahan’s museum-like Melbourne house is in the frame for a $2.3m-$2.5m sale.

Mr Kahan, who died in 2002, won the 1962 Archibald Prize for his painting of writer Patrick White.

Other creatives captured by Mr Kahan included iconic US actor and comedian Bob Hope, singer Bing Crosby, opera stars Luciano Pavarotti and Dame Joan Sutherland, Australian actor Alan Marshall, composer Igor Stravinsky and violinist Yehudi Menuhin, plus the art critic, writer and producer Robert Hughes.

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Earlier in life, after arriving in Paris in 1925, Mr Kahan designed costumes for celebrated dancer, actor, singer and World War II spy Joséphine Baker and the renowned music hall Folies Bergère.

Mr Kahan served as a war artist during WWII and sketched post-war trials of accused Nazi collaborators for the French newspaper Le Figaro.

In 1950, after moving to Melbourne, the Viennese-born artist worked in stage and costume design for The National Theatre and the Australian Opera.

His family is selling the three-bedroom abode at 11 Second Ave, Kew, that served as Mr Kahan’s home for about six decades.

The mid-century house was originally designed by architect Ernst Milston in 1960 and extended by the noted Australian modernist Kevin Borland a decade later.

Circa Property director Christine Henderson described the residence as an important part of Melbourne’s artistic history, with Mr Kahan’s easels and artistic supplies still set up in the studio.

“It’s so beautiful, I have seen a lot of mid-century homes and this one is really unique, it’s like a museum” Ms Henderson said.

The house features a distinctive geometric facade, wall-to-wall glazing, timber panelling, an open fireplace in the main living area and a cellar concealed behind a hidden door.

One of the downstairs bedrooms has a walk-in wardrobe and accesses a north-facing terrace, while some of the garden’s plantings are listed on Boroondara Council’s significant trees register.

Ms Henderson said that Mr Kahan’s family were hoping to sell the house to an owner-occupier who appreciated its history and character, rather than a developer.

Many of the interested buyers are architects “who can see the potential”.

“They have been really enamoured by it, it’s like a time capsule,” Ms Henderson added.

“It has an incredible floorplan and flow that and the studio would make an incredible master bedroom, there’s a bathroom in there.”

Mr Kahan’s work is held in many Australian and international galleries including the Australian National Gallery, Australian National Portrait Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre,

British Museum and Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

Hundreds of his portraits of wounded Allied soldiers from WWII are exhibited in the Red Cross Museum, Washington.

In the 1940s, Mr Kahan – who was acquainted with legendary film directors Billy Wilder and Otto Preminger – sketched the likes of Hope, Crosby and actor Randolph Scott on film sets in Hollywood.

Mr Kahan was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for his contribution to Australian cultural life in 1993.

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They were once an affordable refuge for home buyers crushed under the weight of mounting bills and higher interest rates, but exhausted property seekers are increasingly bailing out.

New figures have revealed parts of Sydney’s “mortgage belt” of more affordable middle-ring suburbs have begun to overheat after years of runaway home price rises that defied then higher interest rates.

There was a similar trend in parts of Perth, where demand has begun to cool after close to three years of extreme price hikes, along with isolated pockets of Melbourne and regional NSW.

Property sales in these areas are now on a downward trajectory with five quarters of decreasing sales volumes and the prospect of an adjustment in prices, according to data from researcher Hotspotting.

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Hotspotting noted that 17 of the 50 national markets with the steepest declines in property transactions were in Sydney, with falling demand suggesting imminent price falls in some cases.

Another 17 of the 50 markets with the fastest declines in transactions were in WA, mostly in Perth, with an additional five suburbs in Melbourne.

Many of Sydney’s worst performers were spread across the Greater Parramatta region and included Auburn, Granville, Lidcombe, North Rocks and Wentworth Point.

Others were in the southwest, including Bankstown, Greenacre and Bexley, and in the inner west, Newtown and Leichhardt.

Melbourne suburbs included Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Doncaster, Glen Waverley and Thornhill Park.

Hottspotting analyst Terry Ryder said prices in these areas were likely to “stagnate or fall” for some time.

Some of the Sydney suburbs had lost the relative affordability that had once made them sought after, he added.

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“These were areas that were more affordable and were popular because of it, but they’re not so affordable anymore and there has been an exodus to (other) markets,” Mr Ryder said.

It was no surprise that the bulk of the national markets with falling transaction levels were in Sydney – given how much higher prices were in the Harbour City relative to other capital, he added.

“What’s happening in a lot of these once more affordable areas follows a trend that’s happening across the wider Sydney market, where the lack of affordability is pushing people out.”

Mr Ryder said there has been a spike in Sydney tenants becoming “rentvestors” rather than first-home buyers.

He attributed this to rises in the costs of buying homes in even cheaper Sydney markets, which often made an investment property in a lower-priced regional market more attractive.

A similar trend, albeit less advanced, was appearing in Perth – a market that has boomed in recent years and, which was until last year, the nation’s hottest property market, Mr Ryder said.

“Parts of Perth became frenzied. Too many investors were piling into that market buying anything they could,” he said.

“Some reckless buying caused overheating of the Perth market and prices are passed their peak. That strong growth we once had has evaporated because prices went up so much over two to three years.”

SuburbData analyst Jeremy Sheppard said an adjustment in prices was common in markets that had seen sustained rapid growth over a long period of time.

“Eventually markets run out of puff,” he said. “Buyers will see they get better value somewhere else and there’s an adjustment.”

SUBURBS WITH STEEPEST DECLINES IN TRANSACTIONS

NSW: Auburn, Banktown, Bexley, Carlingford, East Lismore, Gledswood Hills, Granville, Greenacre, Helensburgh, Leichhardt, Lidcombe, Lismore, Mascot, Mittagong, Mosman, Newtown, North Rocks, South Lismore, Tallawong, Wentworth Point

QUEENSLAND: Bargara, Broadbeach Waters, New Auckland

VICTORIA: Box Hill, Broadmeadows, Doncaster, Geelong West, Glen Waverley, Thornhill Park, Trafalgar, Williamstown

WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Applecross, Aubin Grove, Balga, Bicton, Cannington, Claremont, Eden Hill, Gosnells, Greenwood, Joondalup, Kelmscott, Rivervale, Rockingham, South Perth, Subiaco, Swanbourne, Tapping

The post ‘Overheating’: price falls imminent in once trendy suburbs appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Lone Wolf Technologies has released Deal Tracker, a new pipeline dashboard designed to give real estate agents a centralized, real-time view of the home transaction process from initial contact through closing.

The dashboard is now available as the default homepage for users of Lone Wolf’s Transact platform.

It integrates with Lone Wolf’s broader software system, connecting real estate front-office tools such as Lone Wolf Relationships with transaction management and back-office services via Lone Wolf Foundation.

“This launch reinforces our commitment to delivering a seamlessly integrated technology ecosystem that eliminates workflow gaps for real estate professionals,” Lone Wolf CEO Jimmy Kelly said. “Deal Tracker exemplifies our vision of connecting every aspect of the real estate business, from lead generation to back-office operations, in one intelligent industry cloud.”

Deal Tracker allows users to view the status of each transaction in a single interface that displays real-time compliance updates, closing dates and key milestones.

Users can also initiate transactions directly from the dashboard’s opportunity cards, allowing for quicker transitions between lead generation and deal execution. A visual pipeline tracker displays transaction steps, from warm leads to closed transactions.

“As a member of Lone Wolf’s Proptech Advisory Board, we specifically advocated for a feature like Deal Tracker because greater transparency into our deal pipeline empowers us to communicate more effectively with our clients and deliver an exceptional experience,” said Elmer Morales, founder of eHomes.

In May, Longbridge Financial debuted Platinum Preserve, a new proprietary reverse mortgage product that aims to help borrowers preserve home equity for their heirs.

RMD spoke to Longbridge co-founder Melissa Macerato about the product’s origins, how industry pros have received it thus far, and how it differs from other Platinum line products.

The interview with Macerato, the chief revenue and marketing officer at Longbridge, has been edited for length and clarity.

Chris Clow: Tell me a bit about the development of this product. How was the initial idea conceived, and how did you work through the development process? 

Melissa Macerato: Platinum Preserve has really been a long time in the making. Whenever we look at product enhancements at Longbridge, we start by asking, what problems can we solve to better meet the needs of older Americans? Time and time again, the biggest objection our loan officers hear is that homeowners want to access their equity but still leave something meaningful for their heirs. 

Because of the complexity involved, it’s been much more than just a simple feature add-on. Developing this required extensive discussions, legal structuring, and a lot of thoughtful work to get it right in today’s environment.

We understood there was a real gap in the market for a reverse mortgage option that could protect a portion of a homeowner’s equity without sacrificing the flexibility they need now. Hitting those barriers in traditional product design pushed us to innovate further, and I’m proud that Preserve directly addresses one of the biggest concerns older homeowners have expressed for years. 

CC: How long would you say the process took between idea and announcement? 

MM: This has been in the works for quite some time. We’ve explored different ways to incorporate an equity preservation feature into our proprietary offerings for a number of years, and thanks to the right mix of timing, market readiness, and the commitment of our team and investors, we were able to bring Platinum Preserve to market this year. 

CC: What role does LBF expect Preserve to play in the broader context of the Platinum product suite? 

MM: Platinum Preserve strengthens the Platinum suite by directly addressing a clear consumer priority and that is legacy planning. Our Platinum proprietary products have always been about providing the flexibility and the choice beyond what FHA reverse mortgages can offer right now. Adding Preserve to the mix expands that flexibility even further. We see it becoming a core option for homeowners who want the benefits of a reverse mortgage but also want to maintain a meaningful stake in their home’s equity for future needs or inheritance. It’s another way we’re making sure our product suite can meet a range of financial goals and comfort levels. 

CC: Tell me a little bit about the initial response from industry professionals following the announcement. 

MM: We’ve had encouraging feedback so far, especially from industry professionals who see Preserve as a smart, strategic addition to their toolkit. This really speaks for a different type of borrower, those who may have been more hesitant in the past because they didn’t want to use the maximum proceeds available. It helps loan officers approach prospects who might have put up barriers before and gives them a fresh, meaningful option to discuss. 

We know it may take a little more time for the market to fully absorb this, simply because it’s not designed for borrowers looking to access every dollar of equity right away. But that’s exactly the point. Preserve allows us, and our partners, to better match the right product to the right borrower, and to re-engage people who might have passed on a reverse mortgage previously. It’s an important strategic play to broaden conversations and help more senior homeowners benefit from these solutions in a way that aligns with their priorities. 

CC: Is there an opportunity for product differentiation with Preserve? Is that a goal as the company pursues broader product development? 

MM: Our goal with Preserve, and really with our entire Platinum suite, is to continue leading the proprietary reverse mortgage market by responding to the needs of older homeowners.  

Preserve is a prime example of how we’re doing that. We see clear opportunities to differentiate ourselves not just through innovative product features, but also through the way we educate, service, and support both borrowers and our partners. As the market continues to grow and fluctuate, we’ll keep focusing on responsible innovation that builds trust and delivers practical value to Longbridge customers. 

CC: Is there anything I’m missing that you think our reverse mortgage audience should most keep in mind about Preserve, or other plans the company has? 

MM: I’d highlight that Preserve really reflects our broader mission at Longbridge: to grow and expand the reverse mortgage market in a responsible, meaningful way. We want to reach a wider variety of older homeowners, many of whom may have hesitated in the past because they wanted to protect a portion of their equity. Preserve helps remove that hesitation by giving them more control and confidence. 

More broadly, we’re always looking ahead at how we can innovate and build products that fit different life stages, financial needs, and personal goals. The ultimate goal is to keep expanding access to these solutions so that more seniors can benefit from the wealth they’ve built over a lifetime and do so on their own terms. 

HouseSavings.com — a real estate brokerage based in central Pennsylvania — has introduced a digital-first platform that offers flat-fee and low-commission listing services with the goal of reducing costs for home sellers.

The company’s model features three residential listing packages — two flat-fee options starting at $999, and a virtual full-service package with a 1% commission paid at closing.

Services are designed to provide sellers with flexible options and more control over the listing process while lowering or eliminating traditional real estate commissions.

“In today’s digital market — particularly with ongoing inventory shortages — many homes are selling quickly with limited agent involvement,” said Paul Rhoads, founder and CEO of HouseSavings.com. “A 3% listing fee often doesn’t reflect the actual effort involved. HouseSavings.com gives sellers more control, transparency, and value.”

The three listing options include:

• Essential Listing ($999 flat fee): Includes an MLS listing, third-party syndication to sites like Zillow and Redfin, a yard sign, standard forms from the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors, a comparative market analysis and access to a showing app. This option is targeted at experienced sellers.
• Assisted Seller ($1,499 flat fee): Adds dedicated agent support, including review of the agreement of sale, and help with required documentation.
• Virtual Full-Service (1% of sale price, paid at closing): A licensed agent provides full transaction support remotely, from offer negotiations to closing coordination.