Negative gearing policy debate fails to unnerve the market

The headlines around the negative gearing policy uncertainty failed to unnerve Sydney's nascent 2016 auction property revival.

The auction success rate sat well above 70 percent for the third successive weekend as earlybird sellers secured strong buyer interest.

When it came to affordability, there were however just the four reported sales at $500,000 or less across Sydney.

A $488,000 sale of a two bedroom fibro at Bradbury was the cheapest result.

"It sold to an investor," Richardson & Wrench Campbelltown agent Michelle Balabka said.

The biggest weekend sale under the hammer was $3.68 million at Curl Curl.

The five bedroom Curl Curl offering had a $3.5 million to $3.85 million price guide (above).

There was also a $3,675,000 South Coogee six bedroom house sale.

"The Sydney market is back in full swing," the auctioneer Damien Cooley said after the result.

There were private treaty sales of an $8 million plus harbourfront in Northbridge and a $6 million sale in Cammeray.

The weekend had 539 homes scheduled to go under the hammer, which was well up on the 336 auctioned last weekend, CoreLogic RP Data noted but below the same weekend last year.

With 80 auctions the inner west the was busiest district followed by the east, the south and the upper north shore all with 70 or more.

Manly, Mosman and Randwick were the busiest weekend auction suburbs.

The lower auction numbers are securing higher clearance rates with the fewer choices increasing competition for available properties, agents suggest.

There is confidence in Sydney eastern suburbs property, says Bob Guth at BradfieldCleary, following a perfect 10 out of 10 at the agency's first auctions of the year.

Bob Guth suggested the "very best time" to market Eastern Suburbs real estate was February when there is less competition.

After the federal opposition's policy was unveiled last weekend - restricting negative gearing to new properties and reducing capital gains discounts available to investors - the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull warned " this should put concern into the minds of every single house owner".

Home owners would see the value of the family home "smashed" under Labor's "very blunt, very crude" negative gearing policy, Malcolm Turnbull warned.