logo
Seaford auction frenzy: Three homes, $1.879m sold, all snapped up by first-home buyers in high-stakes triple sale

Seaford auction frenzy: Three homes, $1.879m sold, all snapped up by first-home buyers in high-stakes triple sale

News.com.au26-05-2025

There were tears, cheers and a $500 heartbreak as three Seaford homes went under the hammer in a row, and all sold to first-home buyers.
The triple auction of 1, 2 and 3/83 East Rd delivered a combined $1.879m result, with the three homes selling for $628,000, $580,000 and $671,000 respectively.
Ray White Chelsea director Shane O'Sughrue said the crowd of about 180 created one of the liveliest auction days he'd seen in months, with five to six bidders competing on each property and one buyer narrowly missing out by just $500.
'There was a lot of emotion,' Mr O'Sughrue said.
'One bidder lost by $500 and was gutted.
'One of the vendors actually cried, she was so overwhelmed.'
The homes, a three-bedroom renovator, a modern two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit, and a rear three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse, were all sold by the same owner, who was looking to fund a new business venture.
'We were thrilled, of course, but it was bittersweet too,' the vendor said.
'You could see how much it meant to everyone.
'We've been in their shoes, and seeing three young first-home buyers walk away with the keys was really special. A real full-circle moment.'
The vendor said the properties were held as long-term investments and the sales came together quickly, with no major upgrades beyond ensuring they were clean and presentable.
'We didn't have time for any big renovation,' she said.
'We gave Shane a tight brief and just hoped for the best.'
All three homes are located just 2km from Seaford Beach and within walking distance of schools, wetlands, and two train stations, factors Mr O'Sughrue said helped fuel demand in the $600,000 range.
'These weren't luxury renos, but they were neat, coastal, and had outdoor space, and that's exactly what first-home buyers are chasing right now,' he said.
The Ray White Chelsea director said buyer urgency had ramped up in recent weeks, with expectations of Tuesday's interest rate cut adding to the sense of competition.
'There's a definite shift, people aren't overthinking it anymore,' Mr O'Sughrue said.
'If something is priced right and well-presented, it gets snapped up fast,' he said.
Mr O'Sughrue added that the under-$700,000 price bracket was now 'the hottest part of the market' across Melbourne's bayside fringe.
'When you've got three first-home buyers walking away with wins in one day, you know that segment is flying,' he said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Berserk' factories, debts and excuses: Suppliers of collapsed Australian fashion giant speak out
'Berserk' factories, debts and excuses: Suppliers of collapsed Australian fashion giant speak out

SBS Australia

time7 minutes ago

  • SBS Australia

'Berserk' factories, debts and excuses: Suppliers of collapsed Australian fashion giant speak out

Annabell Mihic (left) and Jayson Haydon say Mosaic Brands' inability to pay their invoices on time had mammoth impacts on their businesses. Source: Supplied There will be more to come on the collapse of Mosaic Brands in Dateline's two-part investigation, The Cost of Doing Business, coming soon to SBS and SBS On Demand . Annabell Mihic loved fashion. In 2001, while pregnant with twins, she set out to make her dream a reality, launching her first clothing business, Faith Fashion, with just $600. By 2014, she'd found success working with factories in Bangladesh sourcing designs, fabrics and clothes for retail companies Pretty Girl Fashion Group and Specialty Fashion, owners of some of Australia's major heritage brands such as Noni B, Katies, Rockmans and Millers. "I picked up my children from school, every mother was wearing a pair of jeans from Rockmans in a different colour, and a sweater or knitwear that was just beautifully created by the team," Sydney-based Annabell told Dateline. Jayson Haydon, also in Sydney, was another riding the high of Australia's booming fashion scene with his company On Trend. Focusing on factories in China, he was also supplying Pretty Girl Fashion Group and Specialty Fashion, making clothes for brands such Noni B, Rockmans, Autograph, Millers and W-Lane. "We would have to get all of the patterns made — everything that they needed — in China, all the trims, the buttons, the zippers, the cottons, whatever, for the garment supply," he told Dateline. "We had to make decisions in 10 minutes for $10 million. I just enjoyed all those aspects of it." Annabell and Jayson were among a handful of Australian entrepreneurs pioneering offshore manufacturing at a time when the country's fashion industry was experiencing rapid growth. Known as buying agents, they'd become essential middlemen to a new kind of supply chain, helping to connect big retailers with offshore garment factories to deliver high quantities of good-quality, low-cost clothes to Australian consumers. It was a ticket to success. Jayson said his business "grew and grew and grew". "The first year in 2010 our turnover was $17k ... by 2012 it was about $3 million and about $5.8 million the year after that." "If On Trend was famous for anything, it was always on time, good quality, no drama, good communication and honesty." But Annabell and Jayson say things started to unravel for them after a new retail giant started to emerge from 2014, when Scott Evans, a retail executive and Richard Facioni, a former Macquarie Group banker, joined forces to buy up the fashion companies Annabell and Jayson once supplied. With backing by the financier Alceon Group, Evans and Facioni first bought Noni B, becoming its CEO and chairperson respectively. Then between 2014 and 2019, with Luka Softa as their CFO, they continued a mission to become Australia's largest fashion retailer by snapping up many of the country's mid-tier fashion groups — Pretty Girl Fashion in 2016, then EziBuy in 2017 and Speciality Fashion Group in 2018 — before merging and rebranding them all under one name: Mosaic Brands. It was during this takeover phase that Annabell and Jayson said everything changed. Annabell and Jayson say the day Evans and Facioni took over Pretty Girl Fashion Group their payment terms were immediately extended. "We received a phone call from a buyer in Pretty Girl Fashion Group who said there's been a takeover and our payment terms have completely changed," Annabell said. "It's now 120 days." These new contract negotiations meant Annabell was no longer paid 30 days after her goods were shipped. She now had to wait 120 days. We received a phone call from a buyer who said our payment terms have completely changed. Annabell Mihic But it didn't stop there. Annabell says her terms were later extended to 200 days and, in some circumstances, more than 300 days — meaning it was almost a year before she would receive payment for the goods she supplied. The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia has advocated for 30-day payment terms as an industry standard for small businesses, arguing it's crucial for their financial health. This extension of payment terms placed enormous pressure on Annabell's supply chain. The factories she worked with overseas, their workers and material suppliers were all now waiting longer to get paid too. "It's a vicious cycle," Annabell said. "I can't give the money to the factories. [Which means] the factories can't open letters of credit [with their banks] for the goods that they are going to make. It was a nightmare." Annabel and Jayson say they signed up to Mosaic Brands' terms because the group now owned all the brands they supplied. Jayson said the situation placed incredible pressure on his business and the factories he worked with, which refused to supply him the goods he needed without payment. "You have to dance with your finance company ... so they understand you're under duress. "Factories go berserk ... trying to hold you [to] ransom." Factories go berserk ... trying to hold you [to] ransom. Jayson Haydon These lengthy payment terms benefited the buyers like Pretty Girl Fashion and latterly Mosaic Brands by freeing up cash for their business. But multiple sources from within the fashion industry told Dateline these extended payment terms are untenable in an industry that relies on garment manufacturers taking on huge upfront costs to kickstart the production process, placing too much pressure on businesses throughout the supply chain. One industry insider said Mosaic Brands' extended payment terms: "have given the Australian fashion industry a bad name". Come 2018, Annabell and Jayson told Dateline, they stopped being paid on time. Invoices with already-stretched payment terms would fall due, and they still would not see any money. When Annabell chased her payments, she received various excuses. "They couldn't find the invoice, the invoices weren't matching ... We used our own forwarder, they couldn't find [the invoice]. We used their forwarder, they still couldn't find it," she said. Freight forwarders are a crucial link in the supply chain who help facilitate the movement of goods from origin to destination and, in turn, trigger when a payment should fall due. Annabel and Jayson said they found themselves in a cycle that ultimately ran them into the ground. They had mounting interest and debt with financiers, while factories and suppliers in Bangladesh and China were chasing them for their own payments. In response to their desperate requests to be paid, Annabell and Jayson said they were met with endless excuses from Mosaic Brands. Annabell said she felt financially intimidated, trapped and like she was to blame. "Nothing about how I have been treated has been normal to me. I don't feel that any other retailer, Australian or international, that I've worked with has ever done that." I don't feel that any other retailer ... that I've worked with has ever done that. Annabell Mihic By 2020, Jayson said Mosaic Brands owed him $8 million in unpaid invoices. The following year, in 2021, he was forced to put his company On Trend into voluntary administration and ultimately, liquidation — selling everything he could to cover his debts in Australia. But he could never pay back the companies he owed money to in China. "If I won Lotto, I would just give 'em the money. But I don't have that sort of money. US$6 million is a lot of dollars and ... I'd already sold everything. I sold cars ... anything that I could liquidate. I just kept my home, " Jayson said. He added that some of the factories in China were able to recoup their money through insurance, but others went under. Dateline sought comment from Evans, Facioni and Softa, but they all declined. A year after Jayson, Annabell lost everything too. In 2022, she placed her business Faith Fashion into liquidation. For Annabell, things reached their worst when she was owed around US$8 million in unpaid invoices for goods supplied to Mosaic Brands. "It's not my money, I'm just a glorified bank; I was the agent. It's the factories, it's the people that made the clothes. It wasn't my money, I let them down," Annabell said, crying as she recalled the responsibility she still feels. It's the factories, it's the people that made the clothes ... I let them down Annabell Mihic To this day, she said she's still owed US$200,000 in missing unpaid invoices. Both Annabell and Jayson said Mosaic Brands' inability to pay their invoices on time was one of the main reasons they lost their businesses. Dateline has spoken to multiple suppliers to Mosaic Brands, not just in Australia but in China, Bangladesh and India, who all said they faced similar payment delays and mounting debts. At least one factory owner in Bangladesh, one agent in China, and one factory in India say they have also lost their businesses due to Mosaic Brands' late payments and related issues. It's cost hundreds of jobs — and income for many more family members. Several other large and mid-size factories spoken to in Bangladesh, which employ thousands of local workers, say they are now also on the brink of collapse. Last week, administrators for Mosaic Brands issued a preliminary finding that the company may have been operating while insolvent for four years before the company's collapse. Insolvency is when a company can no longer pay its debts and it's illegal to trade under these circumstances, according to the Corporations Act. There are serious penalties for allowing a company to trade while insolvent. Mosaic Brands' directors are yet to comment on the findings of the report. However, the report acknowledges that the directors sought to rely on safe harbour and COVID-19 provisions at times. If established, these protections could amount to a defence against any potential director liability for trading whilst insolvent. A release issued on behalf of the Mosaic Brands board of directors last year, in response to previous reports the company had been using safe harbour protections, said its directors take their duties seriously, and did seek advice on the applicability and compliance with the safe harbour provisions. For Annabell, the FTI's latest report doesn't go far enough. "This failure did not begin with COVID. It began in 2018, when Mosaic acquired Specialty Fashion Group — a large and aggressive expansion that placed enormous pressure on cash flow and supplier relationships," she said. "What happened to me — and to so many other suppliers — was the result of sustained financial mismanagement ... and decisions that transferred risk down the chain while protecting those at the top." Annabell said she raised her issues with the Australian Competiton and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Small Business Ombudsman and Australia's Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) as early as 2019, which all amounted to nothing. She said the outcome has been a bitter pill to swallow. "We are not collateral damage. We are the people who made this supply chain work. We fulfilled contracts. We trusted in good faith — and we were left unpaid." Dateline contacted the ACCC, which said it currently has a matter before the courts with Mosaic Brands anad does not comment on complaints or potential investigations. The Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman said it can't comment on the detail or outcome of individual cases. It also said the information Annabell Mehic provided them at the time helped "the advocacy work undertaken by ASBFEO on the Payment Times Reporting Scheme and our advocacy for improved payment times to help cashflow issues". An ASIC spokesperson said they are aware "that Mosaic Brands Limited went into external administration in October 2024 and of the Report to Creditors issued by the external administrator, FTI Consulting, on 13 June 2025 and they continue to monitor the matter". Watch now Share this with family and friends

Empty Airbnbs fuel Sydney's rental crisis
Empty Airbnbs fuel Sydney's rental crisis

Daily Telegraph

time36 minutes ago

  • Daily Telegraph

Empty Airbnbs fuel Sydney's rental crisis

While Sydney-siders struggle to find affordable rentals, Airbnbs in Sydney sit empty on average 294 days a year. As Sydney's rental crisis continues, with sky-high prices and limited vacancies, thousands of properties that could house locals are sitting idle most of the year. Short term rentals, like Stayz and Airbnb are having a huge impact on Sydney's tenants while property investors charge premium nightly rates, earning far more than traditional rentals. An inquiry by Unions NSW into the rental market's severe supply shortage revealed there were were over 200,000 un-hosted Airbnb dwellings in Australia, while renters, including many essential workers, were struggling with rental stress or risked homelessness. MORE: Investor tricks lock out hopeful homebuyers Last year, 67,900 people sought help from homelessness services with thousands turned away due to a lack of funding, according to Homelessness NSW. Unions NSW and Homelessness NSW are calling for urgent change, asking the state government to match Victoria's recently implemented 7.5 per cent levy on short-term rental stays. MORE: Singles face impossible property reality New builds vanish amid loan slump Homelessness NSW CEO Dominique Rowe said the pressure on the rental market exacerbated by short-term rentals has driven an alarming rise in homelessness. 'We are seeing a severe shortage of affordable rental properties, pricing more and more people out of the private market and into homelessness,' she said. Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey said this was a 'commonsense approach.' '(It) would make a positive difference. The Government promised to tackle housing affordability. We now need to see action,' he said. The inquiry found essential workers faced additional challenges securing long-term housing because of the impacts of the short-term rental market. 'This is forcing the workers our communities rely on into excessive commutes, financial stress or even homelessness,' Mr Morey said. The number of short-term rentals outnumbered vacant long-term rentals in some areas across Sydney, with a large portion near hospitals. Search results on Airbnb showed over 1000 listings within proximity to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital located in Camperdown, while there were only 71 properties in the suburb listed for long-term rental on On top of a 7.5 per cent levy, Unions NSW have suggested a 60-day statewide cap on un-hosted short-term rental stays. Revenue from the proposed levy could go towards funding essential worker accomodation or homelessness services. 'A levy on short-term accommodation would encourage long-term rental availability and would raise much-needed funds that should be directed to overwhelmed and under-resourced homelessness services,' Ms Rowe said. MORE: Security guard sells $4m lottery win James Packer's offsider 'buys $80m penthouse'

Why Geelong's homes isn't target stacking up
Why Geelong's homes isn't target stacking up

News.com.au

timean hour ago

  • News.com.au

Why Geelong's homes isn't target stacking up

Geelong's lofty target to deliver nearly 130,000 new homes by 2051 is doomed to fail unless something gives to make building apartments stack up better. An Urban Development Institute of Australia study revealed 15 projects where high density permits approved in Geelong's CBD have not yet progressed. The report detailed a $200,000 gap between the median price apartments are selling for in Geelong and the minimum price per new apartment to remain viable in an eight-storey building as construction costs escalate. The residential and mixed use approved developments include landmark projects from Gurner and Monno, a large scale built-to-rent development and the region's first vertical retirement village. Other properties have been put up for sale, such as a 14-level residential and office tower at 118 Corio St. The only major residential projects under way are an 11-storey social housing tower and the seven-storey Motif apartment complex near to the Latrobe Terrace flyover. The report, Making it Stack: Infill Feasibility in Regional Victoria, highlights the need to accelerate infill development in Geelong to meet housing goals but paints a grim picture around escalating construction costs. The report identifies key challenges such as inflexible planning frameworks and high costs, recommending greater planning flexibility, feasibility testing and incentives to support viable infill housing development, especially if they are to provide affordable housing options. Apartments and townhouses are supposed play a significant role in driving 60 per cent of the new homes in Geelong by 2050 by unlocking infill sites within existing urban boundaries. But only 20 per cent of all new dwellings are being delivered through infill areas. The cost to build apartments is typically twice the rate per square metre than houses, with interest rates, construction and labour costs, developer contributions and mandated affordable housing provisions also hurting viability. Rigid planning rules means decision-making doesn't consider feasibility alongside factors such as heritage, height and density; while urban design frameworks often set height limits below a level deemed viable for development, the study found. The research paper recommendations include allowing greater flexibility in planning rules, testing feasibility before finalising planning frameworks, updating outdated planning schemes, and trialling incentives in key precincts to support infill housing. UDIA Geelong committee chairman Nick Clements said the price point new apartments need to hit to remain viable is the biggest issue that faces building in Geelong. 'You would have to sell an apartment for greater than what a house and land package can be obtained in Gen Fyansford estate, or in Highton,' he said. Fyansford is Geelong's most expensive greenfields market. 'We really need the prices of established homes in Geelong to substantially increase before there can be a greater attractiveness for people to purchase smaller, medium density and apartment stock,' Mr Clements said. 'Interest rates haven't helped, with home prices depreciating in Geelong over the past couple of years.' The median price for existing apartments was $621,000, the study revealed, but the minimum feasible cost to sell a new apartment in Geelong was between $805,000 and $819,000. Mr Clements said the big wages on state government infrastructure projects in Melbourne was creating a local skills shortage in key trades causing labour costs to grow exponentially, while materials costs have stabilised at around 30 per cent above pre-covid levels. Hygge Property director Adam Davidson said a cost-revenue analysis revealed seven storeys was the minimum needed to feasibly build apartments in Geelong, but that would require planners showing more discretion around height or density, if more infill development was to get off the ground. 'It's easy for councils to set frameworks encouraging three to five level development because most people relate to the street level of projects,' Mr Davidson said. 'Unfortunately, because we sell apartments for less in the regions the math shows it's very difficult to deliver apartments at less than six levels in a regional context.' Mr Clements, who is senior principal town planner for Tract Consulting in Geelong, said the number of approved developments shows there's an appetite to build, but the current financial conditions don't allow it. 'The state government has made it very clear they want to see more housing in the CBD,' he said. 'The market is saying we'd love to build it, but we can't make it stack up.' Mr Clements said suburban areas, such as Pakington St North, faced the same issues. 'There's a permit for a site next to the Petrel Hotel that's a perfect example. A building was demolished because there was a permit granted for a multi-level residential and retail outcome, but it hasn't been acted upon because no-one can make it financially viable.' Mr Clements said the government had provided approval pathways bypassing councils for certain projects, but costs remained the overarching problem. 'In the suburbs we still see councillors overturn recommendations from the officers, but they're dealing with 20 dwellings here, 20 dwellings there. They're really a drop in the ocean.' Developers rely on financiers for the vast majority of projects, who assess risk based upon whether a proposal can reach certain financial milestones. 'There's very few developers that you can say are very brave to pull the trigger on various projects and they've got very good relationships with lenders that allow them to be quite bold,' Mr Clements said. City of Greater Geelong executive director placemaking Tennille Bradley said the City was continually in discussion with developers to consider how it can facilitate new apartments and mixed-use development in the CBD. Facilitating development was the primary discussion in a CBD revitalisation forum in March, Ms Bradley said. 'Many of the comments coming from the industry expressed the need for financial intervention, including property related tax consideration, to increase feasibility for development in central Geelong, in addition to possible changes to the planning controls,' she said. The Central Geelong Framework Plan (CGFP) has a goal of 16,000 new residents in central Geelong by 2050. 'Pipelines for apartments and townhouses in central Geelong are incredibly important for the growth and vibrancy of our city, and to help us achieve the housing targets given to us by the state government,' Ms Bradley said. The state government is responsible for planning decisions in the CGFP area and for all developments that are five storeys and above, Ms Bradley said. 'The City recognises that the heights in the CGFP are discretionary and many of the approved projects exceed the recommended heights in the plan for various reasons, one of which being to ensure feasibility.' Ms Bradley said the City continues to advocate for good development outcomes in central Geelong. 'High quality projects that provide high amenity to the community and adequately integrate with the streetscape to ensure an attractive, liveable and vibrant city centre are important to Council, central Geelong residents, the Greater Geelong community and developers,' she said. 'The Mayor continues to advocate for better economic frameworks for central Geelong developers to make sure that approved projects can progress and contribute to additional housing in Geelong.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store