A horseshoe-shaped house carved into a hill in the Sunshine Coast hinterland has been crowned Queensland’s best house for 2025.

Set on a steep rural site in Bald Knob, ‘Horseshoe Hill’ was described by the judges as a standout architectural home when it took out the Colorbond House of the Year at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards.

Horseshoe Hill by Jager Build was named Queensland’s Colorbond House of the Year at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

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‘Horseshoe Hill’ was designed by Joe Adsett Architects ad built by Jager Build, who the judges praised for their “exceptional level of technical expertise and precision” in constructing the uniquely curved home, from the concrete elements to the integration of recessed lighting, wood, and stone.

Standout features include a double-height living area with a dramatic stone fireplace, an infinity pool, and stepped terraces that meet the landscape.

The property also earned the Jager Build team best Individual Home over $10 million at Saturday’s awards ceremony.

Horseshoe Hill by Jager Build was named Queensland’s Colorbond House of the Year at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

Horseshoe Hill by Jager Build was named Queensland’s Colorbond House of the Year at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

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Innovative Design and Build Group was the other major winner of the night, taking home the BUSSQ Building Super President’s Award for its Gold Coast hinterland retreat, ‘Illalangi’.

Fully off-grid and self-sustaining, the home has been designed to maximise its 360-degree views of the Scenic Rim region.

The team was lauded for its attention to detail in delivering the sustainable, single-storey sanctuary that pays respect to its natural surrounds.

The BUSSQ Building Super President’s Award – Innovative Design and Build Group was awarded to Illalangi (Gold Coast) at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

The BUSSQ Building Super President’s Award – Innovative Design and Build Group was awarded to Illalangi (Gold Coast) at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

The landmark Queen’s Wharf Integrated Resort Development on the Brisbane River earned Multiplex Constructions Qld the Xact Accounting Project of the Year Award, and best Tourism and Leisure Facilities over $10 million.
In the words of one of the judges, the Multiplex team delivered an iconic build “that reminds me what is possible when we don’t listen to the voice in our heads telling us; ‘It’s not possible, you can’t do that’.”

The Queen’s Wharf Integrated Resort Development on the Brisbane River earned Multiplex Constructions Qld the Xact Accounting Project of the Year Award at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

Hutchinson Builders swept the pool with four awards, including best Retail Facilities up to $5 million for Hungry Jacks Gracemere; Residential Building (high-rise over three storeys) up to $20 million for Marella Residences; best Community Accommodation for The Verge Stage 3; and Commercial Refurbishment/Renovation over $30 million for Venue.

The award for Best Residential Swimming Pool went to O’Shea & Sons Builders for ‘Kamares sto Appia’ — a luxurious, Meditterranean-style home in the Brisbane suburb of Seven Hills.

‘Kamares sto Appia’ in Brisbane by O’Shea & Sons Builders won Best Residential Swimming Pool at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

‘Kamares sto Appia’ in Brisbane by O’Shea & Sons Builders won Best Residential Swimming Pool at the 2025 Master Builders Queensland Housing & Construction Awards. Image supplied.

Master Builders Deputy CEO Sue-Ann Fresneda said each of the winners and finalists were “awe-inspiring”.

“This year’s entries pushed boundaries in every direction,” Ms Fresneda said. “From coastal marvels to rural retreats, our members continue to prove that no terrain is too tough when you’ve got vision, skill and a commitment to excellence.”

The post Inside Qld’s best home: Horseshoe house wins top prize appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Housing inventory at one point this year showed 33% year-over-year growth, but that growth has since slowed to 17%, and we might already have seen the seasonal peak in inventory for the year in the first week of August.

I didn’t believe we were witnessing the peak in August and I have been looking for a new yearly high since then, but that hasn’t happened. Last week, we saw a noticeable decline in active listings. It’s October, when we would traditionally start to see the seasonal decline, so if this holds, our active inventory did actually peak the first week of August, which would be highly abnormal compared to what we have seen over the past few years.

Let’s dive into the weekend Housing Market Tracker data to see what is going on. 

Weekly housing inventory data

In the past few years, the seasonal peak in our active listings has occurred in October or November, especially when mortgage rates started rising late in the year. However, I noticed some shifts in the housing market mid-June and then mortgage rates fell below 6.64% — a level that has typically led to stronger demand.

If we did see the seasonal peak on Aug. 1, 2025, it would be much earlier than in previous years and resembling what we used to see in the pre-COVID-19 era.

Last week, inventory fell. 

• Weekly inventory change (Oct. 3-Oct. 10): Inventory fell from 863,972 to 856,870
• The same week last year (Oct. 4-Oct. 11): Inventory fell from 734,257 to 732,378

Regardless of how inventory ends in 2025, this has been the most positive story for housing as supply grew, price growth cooled down and we have a much healthier housing market. On this episode of the HousingWire Daily podcast, I looked at the possibility of adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) leading us to a sub 6% mortgage market in 2026.

New listings data

New listings data peaked during the week of May 23 this year, reaching a total of 83,143 listings. Since then, this number has gradually declined. This is very early in the year to see the seasonal peak in new listings.

However, I was excited to see stability in this data line recently. Most home sellers are also buyers, so seeing this stability this late in the year is encouraging. 2025 will still be one of the lowest years for new listings in history. To give you some perspective, during the years of the housing bubble crash, new listings were soaring between 250,000 and 400,000 per week for many years.

Here’s last week’s new listings data over the past two years:

• 2025: 64,770
• 2024: 62,879

Price-cut percentage

In an average year, approximately one-third of homes experience price reductions before they sell. Homeowners often lower their sale prices when inventory levels increase and mortgage rates remain elevated, which is why the percentage of price reductions is higher in 2025 than last year. This has been another great year for housing, as the market has become much more buyer-friendly in 2025. 

For my 2025 price forecast, I anticipated a modest increase of approximately 1.77% in home prices. This suggests that 2025 will likely see negative real-home prices again. In 2024, my forecast of a 2.33% increase proved inaccurate, primarily because rates fell to around 6% and demand improved in the second half of the year. As a result, home prices increased by 4% in 2024. The rise in price reductions this year, compared to last, reinforces my cautious growth forecast for 2025. This data line growth rate has also cooled down recently.

Here are the percentages of homes that saw price reductions last week in the past few years:

• 2025: 41.8%
• 2024: 39%

10-year yield and mortgage rates

In my 2025 forecast, I anticipated the following ranges:

• Mortgage rates between 5.75% and 7.25%
• The 10-year yield fluctuating between 3.80% and 4.70%

Well, Friday came and Trump escalated the trade war, driving the 10-year yield closer to 4% and mortgage rates lower. This is primarily due to stocks being down and money moving into the bond market due to fear that things could get worse on Monday morning. This isn’t a surprise as Godzilla tariffs in April drove the 10-year yield toward 4% too.

However, labor data is now much softer than at the start of the year. We are close to my bond market forecast bottom call, so it will really take more economic data weakness and market drama to drive yields and mortgage rates lower from here. Mortgage rates ended the week at 6.32% on Mortgage News Daily, and the Polly rate lock data ended the week at 6.38%.

Mortgage spreads

This year has seen favorable mortgage pricing, primarily due to improvements in mortgage spreads compared to 2023 and 2024. As long as there are no significant market disruptions and the Federal Reserve continues to cut rates toward neutral, this trend is expected to continue. 

Historically, mortgage spreads have ranged between 1.60% and 1.80%. If today’s spreads were as bad as they were at the peak of 2023, mortgage rates would be 0.95% higher. Conversely, if the spreads returned to their normal range, mortgage rates would be 0.55% to 0.35% lower than today’s level. The best levels of normal spreads would mean mortgage rates at 5.79% % to 5.99% today.

Purchase application data

We’ve had 10 weeks of testing the housing data with rates under 6.64%, which has been the key level in the past. So far, the trend is positive. This week, we saw a -1% decline in the week-to-week data, but it was up 14% year over year. This makes seven positive weeks and three negative on a week-to-week basis, with 10 straight weeks of double-digit year-over-year growth. But the week-to-week data has slowed down recently. 

Here is the weekly data for 2025 so far:

• 19 positive readings
• 14 negative readings
• 6 flat prints
• 36 straight weeks of positive year-over-year data
• 23 consecutive weeks of double-digit growth year over year 

Weekly pending sales

Our weekly pending home sales provide a week-to-week view of the data, though pending sales can be influenced by holidays and short-term fluctuations. We are still showing slight year-over-year growth in this data line. The pending sales data will typically be reflected in the existing home sales report 30-60 days after the sale is finalized. Last week was our highest weekly home sales data for this calendar year since the market crash in 2022.

Weekly pending sales for last week:

• 2025: 63,883
• 2024: 61,238

The week ahead: The trade war, market drama and Fed speeches

Things could get really intense next week if the situation regarding China tariffs continues to escalate, as both the stock and bond markets are experiencing significant fluctuations.

Usually, we would have several economic reports this week; however, inflation week has been postponed due to the government shutdown. However, the White House has ordered BLS workers to return and ensure the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report is released on Oct. 24. While housing starts won’t be reported this week, we will have the builders’ confidence data.

Until the government shutdown is resolved, we won’t have much economic data, but we might see some significant market drama ahead. Additionally, many Federal Reserve members, including Fed Chair Powell, will speak in the coming week. Buckle up, folks — this could be a week where the headlines take a wild turn.

70-72 Beaumont Rd, Berwick, is on the market for $2.3m to $2.5m.

A heritage estate once home to Australia’s first Olympian presents a golden opportunity for buyers in Berwick.

The circa 1854 homestead ‘Burnbank’ has hit the market with $2.3m to $2.5m price hopes on land that was originally part of Edwin Flack’s former farm.

Flack was only Australia’s representative at the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, where he won gold in the 800m and 1500m track events.

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The property currently operates as a bed and breakfast.

Ornate period detail is retained in the main living room.

A popular competitor, he was dubbed the ‘Lion of Athens’ for his athletic success.

He later purchased the Burnbank villa and surrounding land in Beaumont Rd, Berwick, where he established a dairy.

Today, the seven-bedroom house operates as a bed and breakfast set on 1.09ha of established grounds that include a swimming pool and gazebo.

The original homestead is believed to have undergone a Victorian-era renovation and retains stately features from that period including high ceilings, ornate cornices, fireplaces and handmade leadlight windows.

Flynn, Frankston listing agent Belinda Ragoni said it presented myriad options for buyers in one of Berwick’s finest streets.

Garden views are a highlight of the sunroom.

Edwin Flack, affectionately known as the ‘Lions of Athens’.

Timber panelling features in several of the living spaces.

“It is a genuine period home and is currently used as a bed and breakfast, so it attracts guest from all the country and has had numerous weddings,” Ms Ragoni said.

“They could either take over the business or it can do basically anything.

“It has got a kitchen that could be used for catering, it’s also got a pavilion in the middle of the garden

“They used to have a beauty therapist run out of there, it could be a retreat, it has got so much potential.”

Beyond the wide veranda and formal entrance hall, the house offers multiple living zones, including a formal dining room and large sunroom with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views over leafy garden.

Four of the six bedrooms have ensuites, while a self-contained cottage provides additional accommodation.

A poolside patio paves the way for outdoor entertaining among the private grounds dotted with mature trees.

The post Aussie Olympian Edwin Flack’s former estate for sale in Berwick appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Eileen and Michael O’Connor were splitting their time between Dallas/Fort Worth and Upstate New York and looking forward to retiring in Manhattan. After a four-year search they finally landed a Battery Park City condo. Here’s their story as told to Kelly Kreth.

I was born and raised on the Upper East Side and my husband, Michael, was born and lived in the Philadelphia area.

We met when our airline jobs relocated to Dallas/Fort Worth and quickly discovered that real estate in Texas was more affordable, much easier to qualify for and that the cost of living was also much lower.

Our last home located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex town of Bedford was purchased in 2001 for $169,000. It was a 2,200-square-foot, two bedroom, two bath built in 1996 with a two-car garage. Our short commute to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was a breeze. 

[Editor’s note: Brick Underground’s series The Newcomers features first-person accounts about why a renter or buyer decided to take a chance on NYC.]

We also own a home in Upstate New York; a 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath house. We spent most of our time in the Dallas area and visited New York occasionally.

We loved the warm weather, the cowboy culture of Fort Worth and the cosmopolitan feel of Dallas and enjoyed many happy years in Texas. We were able to make significant contributions to our retirement savings accounts.

Why they decided to move

A big draw was the weather: We both like the multiple seasons and we have friends and family in New York State. After 40 years as American Airlines employees in flight operations, we sold our home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for $400,000 and decided to move up north to Manhattan.

We kept our upstate home but wanted our primary place to be in New York City. We were downsizing and choosing to retire in Manhattan instead of living down south in a bigger space. We wanted more culture and considered Dallas a “NYC Wanna Be.”

Wanted: A one bedroom for $400,000 to $600,000

We felt that a one bedroom would suffice. We mainly looked in door-person buildings with elevators and our budget was $400,000 to $600,000. Our finances were in good shape: Thankfully we didn’t need to take out a mortgage because we would be dipping into our retirement funds.

Initially we looked on the Upper East Side and then decided to prioritize Downtown, focusing on Battery Park City.

We worked with Kunal Khemlani, an agent at the Corcoran Group who I found on social media. When we first met him in the summer of 2021, he showed us apartments even though he was on crutches because he was recovering from an accident.

We took a break from our search for two years before reaching out in 2024 to Kunal via Facebook Messenger. I wasn’t sure if he would remember us, but he did. He stood out from other agents for his understanding of our needs and his patience.

What they like about their new place

We saw about 20 units over a span of four years and considered a few. After going into contract on a $535,000 Albany Street unit, an undisclosed $16,000 assessment came up during due diligence. We backed out.

We liked another unit for $525,000 on South End Avenue, but then we finally found the one: A one bedroom with a balcony in an elevator building called The Cove Club. It’s a well-maintained condo building on the waterfront in Battery Park City, and we have a large roof deck, gym, lounge, and 24-hour doormen. Our condo was $555,000.

Our closing was in May and we opted to move our stuff ourselves but we had to downsize in a big way, including getting rid of our car, but it wasn’t a struggle at all.

The building appears to be in good shape and we love the downtown area and waterfront, as well as being near the 6, 2 and 3 trains.

We don’t miss much about Dallas except the Tex-Mex food, but there is plenty of great food in NYC. We like Mezze on the River and Treadwell’s and we continue to discover new restaurants.

It’s easy to get to Update New York via Amtrak and we tend to go every other week. We’re so happy to have retired in NYC.

Wishing you could rewind the clock to summer vacation? These totally affordable beachy listings make it possible.