A Record Year Of House Building

According to economists at the Housing Institute of Australia (HIA), a record number of detached housing starts will occur in the 12 months to September 2021.

“More than 146,000 detached houses commencing construction. This is more than 20 per cent higher than the peak of the previous boom in 2018,” stated HIA Economist, Angela Lillicrap.

This forecast is contained in HIA’s economic and industry Outlook Report. The State and National Outlook Reports include updated forecasts for new home building and renovations activity for Australia and each of the eight states and territories.

“This large volume of work will ensure that the industry remains very active through until at least the second half of 2022,” added Ms Lillicrap.

Ms Lillicrap cites a number of factors driving the level of activity, namely, the HomeBuilder scheme and low-interest rates, as well as consumer preferences shifting away from high-density areas.

“The extension of HomeBuilder’s commencement deadline will help limit the impact of constraints imposed by land, labour and materials and ensure the elevated volume of detached homes will be sustained for longer.”

However, the increase in building is not something that is shared between the detached and multi-unit sector, the latter expecting a decline in 2020/21.

“The timing and speed of a recovery in overseas migration will have a significant impact on these forecasts.

The return to stable and certain population growth is central to stable economic growth,” concluded Ms Lillicrap.

A Mid-Century Modern home in Carmel, California, hit the market on Friday for just the third time in 70 years with a listing price of $4.25 million.

Located in the community of Carmel Highlands, the house is just steps from the coastline and comes with private beach access, according to the listing with Tim Allen of Coldwell Banker Realty in Northern California. Allen was not immediately available for comment.

The property last changed hands in 2010 when Hollywood screenwriter Richard Outten bought it for $990,000, public records show. Outten penned the screenplays for the 1992 movie “Pet Sematary Two” and the 1987 film “Lionheart,” and created the story for the 2012 “Journey to the Center of the Earth” sequel, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” He was not immediately available for comment.

Built in 1953, the home’s mid-century charm has been preserved over the years while still being updated for modern living. Interior details include wood paneling, exposed-brick walls and beamed ceilings.

The single-level house has 1,785 square feet, which includes three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Though not directly on the water, large windows flanking the adobe-brick, wood-burning fireplace look out at the ocean.

Sliding glass doors create a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor living. Outside, there’s a large patio surrounded by lush landscaping, and there are also meandering paths through sustainable succulent gardens, according to the listing.

In addition to its close proximity to the beach, the home is a 10-minute walk from downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.

As of July, the median list price in Carmel is $3.1 million, up 8% from last year, even as active listings have increased 50% year over year, according to data from Realtor.com.

A Record Year Of House Building

Australia is poised to set a new record for detached homebuilding in 2020/21.

Owned by Richard Outten, who’s penned screenplays for films including “Pet Sematary Two” and “Lionheart,” this is only the third time the home has been on the market