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This article explores the historical and architectural aspects of vernacular Queensland verandahs from the 1860s to the 1930s. Verandahs are seen as spaces that connect the house with the garden and offer a view of the streetscape. They can be transformed to reflect the personalities and needs of those who live with them, serving various purposes for different individuals and creatures. The origin of the verandah is traced back to Portuguese and Middle Eastern influences, and it arrived in Australia through various colonial influences. Different styles of verandahs are described, including those that span the front of the house, half verandahs, return verandahs, double return verandahs, and wrap verandahs. The article also discusses the different periods of vernacular Queensland domestic architecture, including colonial, federation, and interwar styles. Verandahs have served as a platform for community engagement and provided a cooler alternative to the interior of homes. The use of lattice and plants, such as bougainvillea and ferns, have been popular decorative features on verandahs. The text also explores the theory of objectification and habitus in relation to how people present and use their verandah spaces. The importance of authenticity and personal preference in decorating verandahs is emphasized. The text provides examples of how residents have incorporated their verandahs into their lives, creating serene and reflective spaces. The text describes three different verand [Extracted from the article]

This study aims to contribute a regional experience of establishing a credible estimation of the house price premium associated with solar photovoltaics (PV) and to reveal the change of the premium in response to the changing feed-in tariffs (FiTs). This paper used Python to crawl records of sold residential properties in Southport, Queensland from 2008 to 2018. An experimental group of 316 solar PV houses and a control group of 228 non-solar PV houses were extracted for analysis. Using the hedonic approach, the study found that the gross premium was 4.3% of the average house price; the average net premium (exclusive of the PV installation cost) was 21,403 AUD when the FiT was at 44 cents/kWh; when the FiT dropped to 8 cents/kWh, the gross premium fell to 2.4%, and the average net premium dropped to 5600 AUD. The study shows that a solar PV house does enjoy a premium in terms of property value and indicates that a higher solar rebate and subsidy leads to a higher premium. It is commendable to provide some financial incentives to keep the premium within a reasonable range to encourage solar PV adoption. • Ten-year records of sold houses in Southport were analysed. • Solar panel associated house premiums were identified. • A higher feed-in tariff led to a higher premium. • The premium decreased with the installation cost decreasing. • Reasonable premiums help to encourage solar adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bushfires are a common occurrence and are an inevitable natural event in many regions of Australia in most years. Despite the dangers of such bushfires to nearby properties and human life, humans continue to live in close proximity to bushfire prone areas. The pertinent questions asked in this study are whether residents are aware of the dangers of living in such areas- and if so, is it reflected in lower property values? Such residents have the choice of either discounting the risks of bushfires in their neighbourhoods or deciding to pay more to live in bushfire areas for the positive amenity values afforded by forested bushland settings. Buyers paying a premium price to live in close proximity to green space are well documented in hedonic property (HP) values studies. We examine this phenomenon using data available for forested bushfire prone areas in the immediate environs of the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia using an HP values approach. For this study sales data of 1028 houses in four suburbs are used. The regression results clearly show that residents in fact are paying more to be close to green space (forested areas) which is also clearly identified as bushfire prone areas. The threat of bushfires may have an effect on property prices but it is dominated by the desire to live close to green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of the trade weighted index (TWI) return on the volatility of Australian Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). This study also contributes to the existing literature by measuring the impact of the macroeconomics and fundamental factors on the real estate market for three major states in Australia including New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Using monthly house and unit prices and covering the period from 2009 to 2016, this research uses both fixed and random effect panel data models and the vector autoregressive (VAR) model. The findings of the study suggest that the movement of the TWI has positive and statistically significant impact on Australian REITs suggesting the real estate investors expect risk premium on exchange rate factor. The results also purport that both house and unit prices in Australia are exposed to the fluctuations of the fundamental risk factors. Rental yield, a return component, has a positive relationship with the real estate market in New South Wales and Queensland. The findings of the study provide significant insight to the investors in their portfolio formation since they have the understanding of the priced risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing is a primary requirement of life and so home ownership remains the ideal for most people. However, not everyone is able to, or wants to, own their own home. These individuals depend upon rental accommodation as their form of home tenure with the number of individuals and families who live in rented accommodation steadily increasing. Ensuring that residential tenants have security of tenure for their home of choice is a right in many jurisdictions but not in Australia. Focusing on the Queensland position, the author examines the current lack of security of tenure experienced by private residential tenants in the context of the recently announced Queensland Government review, and in doing so they highlight matters requiring government attention. The article concludes by recommending changes to existing laws to improve security of tenure for tenants; as well as providing interim measures that may be adopted both long term and prior to finalisation of the current review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the history, factors responsible and effective legal remedial proposals for the dispossession of lands and real property of Indigenous peoples in Australia. It discusses the need and development of Indigenous tenure for aboriginal property and native titles in Queensland under the provisions of the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 and Land Title Act of 1994.

Much publicity has been given to the problem of high levels of environmental contaminants, most notably high blood lead concentration levels among children in the city of Mount Isa because of mining and smelting activities. The health impacts from mining-related pollutants are now well documented. This includes published research being discussed in an editorial of the Medical Journal of Australia (see Munksgaard et al. 2010). On the other hand, negative impacts on property prices, although mentioned, have not been examined to date. This study rectifies this research gap. This study uses a hedonic property price approach to examine the impact of mining- and smelting-related pollution on nearby property prices. The hypothesis is that those properties closer to the lead and copper smelters have lower property (house) prices than those farther away. The results of the study show that the marginal willingness to pay to be farther from the pollution source is AUS $13 947 per kilometre within the 4 km radius selected. The study has several policy implications, which are discussed briefly. We used ordinary least squares, geographically weighted regression, spatial error and spatial autoregressive or spatial lag models for this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a court case wherein the appellant bank held a first mortgage of two properties and cannot sell the properties since First Melbourne Capital Pty Ltd., who held a second mortgage, would not discharge the second mortgage. The appeal's issue was about the bank's breached of duty under section 85 of the Property Law Act 1974 and section 420A of the Corporation Act. The Full Court dismissed the appeal since the bank failed to hire a Port Douglas real estate agent.

The article reports on the indefeasibility of forged mortgages in Queensland. It mentions a case wherein a forged mortgage appeared to be a win for the registered mortgagee. It discusses the case in line the changes to the Land Title Act 1994 which aims to decrease identity fraud. An overview of the case is provided.

The article discusses the case heard by the Queensland Court of Appeal regarding the equitable interest in land. The case focused on the request of the landowner to divide its land. However, the court decided that the case should be based on the conduct of the prior holder and only postpone the interest where the conduct has resulted to others to conclude that earlier interest does not exist. It concludes that the decision of the court follows the more modern view.

The article focuses on the decision of the Queensland Court of Appeal to dismiss the appeal of purchasers on the conditions of the contract for the sale of land dated November 27, 2005. The contract contained a provision that it was conditional on purchasers who enter an enforceable agreement to sell their property within 30 days and that the contract will expire if such deal did not occur. The judge considered the contract as a means of allowing the purchasers to waive the condition even after the 30 day period.

The article focuses on the ruling of the Queensland Court of Appeal on the applicability of the section 59 of the Property Law Act 1974 of the provisions of the Statute of Frauds to a grant of a profit à prendre. It notes that the involved parties agreed that the timber harvesting rights granted were an interest in land. The court ruled that the section 11 of the Queensland Act 11 was applicable to a profit à prendre.

This article provides information on the misdescription of property as seen in the case of Jarema Pty. Ltd. v. Kato in Queensland. The case discussed the applicability of a clause in most conveying contracts that a buyer can be entitled to compensation in case of a misdescription of property in the contract. It was decided that there was no misdescription of property in the legal dispute.