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By Melly Shute There are few things more reliably Australian than trying to solve a complicated national problem with a tax tweak and a press conference. This week’s idea is the possible removal of the capital gains tax discount for investment properties, a proposal that has all the ingredients of a proper local political feast: investors clutching their spreadsheets, first home buyers clutching their despair, and renters clutching whatever remains of their bond. For those playing along at home, the CGT discount is the tax rule that softens the blow when an investor sells a property for a profit. Remove it, and suddenly the tax bill gets chunkier, triggered at the contract date no less, which, in property terms, is rather like being told the music stops before you have even put the champagne back in the fridge.

By Melly Shute From 1 July 2026, changes to Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing laws mean that law firms are required to complete additional identity and risk assessment checks before providing certain services. These reforms are designed to protect the financial system and prevent misuse by criminal organisations.

A $735,000 waterfront shack earning $70,000 per year has hit the market, according to realestate.com.au . Coastal lifestyle, strong headline income, and short stay appeal make this type of property attractive to investors in Victoria. But for anyone considering a short stay property investment, understanding the full legal and financial picture is critical. A property that looks profitable on paper may have hidden costs, compliance obligations, and risks if not carefully assessed.

Who knew that the slightly shabby, no lift, 1960s and 1970s walk up apartment would become the star of Victoria’s property market? While everyone has been chasing houses with white picket fences, these old flats are quietly outperforming detached homes in price growth, proving that sometimes smaller, simpler, and cheaper to run really does win. Recent data shows unit prices in Victoria have been climbing faster than houses in many suburbs. Some forecasts predict apartment prices could rise by seven per cent this year, slightly ahead of house price growth. For first home buyers, the maths is simple. House prices have risen nearly seventy per cent over five years while units have grown about thirty per cent, meaning entry level buyers can get a foot in the door far sooner with an apartment.

Article posted by innercitynews.com.au Melly Shute | 16th January, 2026 Victoria has never been shy about a rental reform. In recent years, the Residential Tenancies Act has been amended so often that, at times, it feels less like legislation and more like a subscription service, “features” released regularly, whether anyone asked for them or not. The intention behind the reforms is clear and, in many respects, admirable: greater security for tenants, improved minimum standards in rental homes, more transparency in the leasing process, and fewer “surprise” terminations.

Commercial property law can look simple until the paperwork starts talking. Melly Shute | 16th January 2026 Mixed use property is having a moment in Melbourne. A shopfront with a residence upstairs looks like the dream: income downstairs, lifestyle upstairs, and the smug satisfaction of owning “a little building” in an inner city suburb.

Article posted by innercitynews.com.au Melly Shute | 1st December, 2025 Victoria plans to require reserve prices to be published seven days before auction from 2026. Here is how that interacts with existing underquoting rules, what Consumer Affairs Victoria’s data shows and how inner city buyers should calibrate due diligence and strategy now. Victoria’s auction rules are changing. The Victorian Government announced on November 19, 2025, that legislation will be introduced in 2026 to require publication of a property’s reserve price at least seven days before an auction or fixed date sale .

Melly Shute | 26th November, 2025  Commercial subleases can be fast, cash-positive transactions when structured correctly. They are also fertile ground for disputes if consent, rent waterfalls, and make-good are not nailed down at the outset. For Victorian landlords, tenants and would-be subtenants, this is a concise guide to getting a sublease done quickly while protecting your position.

Melly Shute | 7th November, 2025 Smith Street used to be a stage: cafés buzzing, boutiques bursting with treasures, foot traffic like background music. Now it is more like a ghost town with better lighting. “For Lease” signs replace chatter, empty windows replace whimsy, and landlords are left wondering if tumbleweeds pay rent.