I both love and loathe late September in Sydney ☀️

I've always been an earlier riser (just ask my weary wife!). Sometimes I'm up as early as 2am (a witching hour that's technically considered more late night than early morning which just makes me an insomniac, but either way I'm always up with the birds.

The problem is right now, with the sun blasting through the blinds at a cheery 5.30am, so is every other man and his dog (including my kids!) and that makes for a very, very long day for everyone!

I've noticed lately that a lot of people I'm talking to in Mosman at the moment tell me they're feeling "exhausted", but whether it's the impending time change to daylight saving (don't forget we're "springing" forward 1 hour this Sunday 5th October) or maybe it's just because it's the end of term - we all just need a cup of tea and a little lie down before things really ramp up to Christmas.

Speaking of ramping up, the property market has found fresh legs with the warmer weather arriving but my sense right now is that we're still waiting for Spring to sprung 🤷‍♀️

And it's a question I'm getting asked a LOT. 

In all honesty, the market is acting anything but typical these days.  What used to be known as the '7 Year Itch' (the approx average turnover time of a property or home in the area) is now a 14 or 21 year itch, due to the high costs of selling and moving, namely the crazy rate of stamp duty taxes.  So vendors are hanging on longer to their homes.  In turn that means stock levels remain low (compared to what we would call typical levels 10 years ago).

You don't need to be a real estate agent to know that. 

Anyone who spends enough time in real estate will agree: the market right now is a bit of a rollercoaster, and we’re all just holding on for the ride. As local agents are hustling harder than ever - and if you are selling the good news is that low stock rate means if you have a good property for sale at a good price you've got more eyeballs on your home and more competition at auction.  So that's the upside.

But behind the scenes, genuine buyers are getting harder to pin down and it’s more skill than luck these days to tell the browsers from the serious contenders.

There is certainly some fresh activity of listings across Mosman with the warmer weather, with some beautiful new homes joining the mix and even more buyers looking thanks to those recent interest rate cuts.  These days, having a contract in hand means something, especially when buyers are taking their time, often negotiating longer settlements and making sure all their ducks are in a row before leaping.

On the ground, deals are happening - but it’s rarely without a bit of hard yakka. Premium houses in prime locations continue to draw solid results, and units are a hot topic thanks to new development laws shaking things up. The influx of apartment projects around the Lower North Shore has sparked plenty of chat about Mosman’s future: more density, yes, but what about traffic and green space?

This market rewards patience and honesty. Property values remain strong (median house price is currently sitting at $5.87 million and rising), but success comes down to knowing who’s serious and having the stamina to see things through. Whether you’re a seasoned seller or just starting out, now is the time to focus on quality conversations, and maybe grab an extra coffee on those early starts.

Speaking of good coffee (quickly before I go), did you see the recent write up in the Sydney Morning Herald about Rick Stein's all-time favourite place for a coffee in Sydney? None other than our very own neighbourhood fave, Avenue Rd Cafe right here in Mosman made his list!

The world renowned chef orders a 'large flat white, an orange juice and bacon and eggs on sourdough' whenever he's in town and gave the Ave Rd team a fabulous shoutout in Good Food!

A huge win for a local business to get a wrap like that - congratulations to the entire crew!