Just four auctions were held in Canberra and all passed in.

Conditional buyers had inquired about a couple of the properties during the afternoon but no sales had been made.

However, the mercury rising to 40 degrees during the afternoon did not stop the enthusiasm of the city’s auctioneers who battled hard in their suits.

A freestanding townhouse in a complex in Oxley was passed in with no bids being placed early on Saturday morning.

The three-bedroom home at 4/77 Newman Morris Circuit had a large outdoor entertaining area with views across to the Brindabellas. It featured high ceilings, a rumpus room converted from the original double garage, a secluded garden area with a pond off the main bedroom, and a rumpus room with a third bathroom.

About 30 people gathered on the terrace to watch as LJ Hooker Tuggeranong auctioneer Dan Cooper passed the property in.

Selling agent Peter Logue said there had been a couple of conditional buyers in the crowd who had expressed interest following the auction.

It has now been listed on the market for $565,000.

He said the auction had been held early in 2014 because the vendors had just bought a house in Tasmania. Mr Logue said he expected things to kick on with the auction market as people tried to find homes to settle in as they moved to Canberra for the start of the year.

‘‘I think any time between now until the end of March is a very good time to be buying and selling, after that it gets close to winter,’’ he said.

A beautifully renovated three-bedroom home in Holder and a family home on a more than 1000square metre corner block in Richardson also passed in.

Negotiations were under way late afternoon on the Richardson property.

A duplex on Belconnen Way in Page billed as a great home for first-home buyers, investors and renovators was also passed in.

Agents have been reporting a flurry of interest in house inspection in the New Year but the number of auctions will not likely pick up until at least February.

Real Estate Institute of the ACT president Michael Kumm said this week positivity had returned to the market for 2014 and the booming Sydney property scene was bringing confidence to the territory.

INDEPENDENT PROPERTY GROUP
2/40 Belconnen Way, Page – passed in

LJ HOOKER
1 Longman Street, Richardson – passed in
4/77 Newman Morris Crescent, Oxley – passed in
72 Blackwood Terrace, Holder – passed in

PETER BLACKSHAW
73 Hibberd Crescent, Forde - $405,000
12/18 Macpherson Street, O'Connor - $445,000
13 Myrtle Close, Jerrabomberra - $515,000
21 Alice Jackson Crescent, Gilmore - $530,000
14 Cerutty Crescent, Gordon - $560,000
5/21 Krantzcke Circuit, Harcourt Hill - $565,000
6 Duecem Smith Street, Bonner - $592,900
154 Temperley Street, Nicholls - $740,000
10 Jalanga Crescent, Aranda - $1,360,000
5 Fraser Place, Yarralumla - $1,385,000
13 Whitford Place, Conder - $382,500
2 Bullock Circuit, Kambah - $562,000
3 Waterfall Drive, Jerrabomberra - $660,000
8 McKail Crescent, Stirling - $685,000
17/9 Jardine Street, Kingston -$1,125,000

INDEPENDENT PROPERTY GROUP
33/ John Gorton Drive, Wright, $454,900
158/ Easty Street, Phillip, $489,900
11/43 Port Jackson Circuit, Phillip, $540,000
26 John Crawford Crescent, Casey, $424,950
42 Hughes Crescent, Ngunnawal, $699,000
7/25 Temperley Street, Nicholls, $680,000
29 Spafford Crescent, Farrer, $623,000
8 Paloona Place, Duffy, $495,000
Lambrick Lane, Casey $409,900
32 Tarling Street, Casey, $369,950
6/4 Hay Street, O'Connor, $510,000
79/39 Benjamin Way, Belconnen, $549,900
44 Rollston Street, Amaroo, $767,700
16/ Eastlake Parade, Kingston, $479,950
56/16 Eyre Street, Griffith, $446,000
4/7 Youl Court, Banks, $315,000

McGRATH
6 Sarson Street, Gungahlin - $597,000
10 Baratta Street, Crace - $790,000
9 Tipiloura Street, Ngunnawal - $375,000
51 Fergus Road, Queanbeyan - $347,000
5/13 Gerald Street, Queanbeyan - $456,000
70 Downard Street, Calwell - $570,000
55 Cunningham Street, Kingston - $1,210,000
24 Shepherd Street, Pearce - $602,000
67 Carman Loop, Macgregor - $445,950
3 Cade Place, Melba - $530,000
13 Auburn Street, Amaroo - $648,000
11 Kneebone Street, Bonython - $495,000
31 Harbison Crescent, Wanniassa - $655,000
64 Rosewood Glen, Jerrabomberra - $567,000
4 Mariners Court, Jerrabomberra - $820,000
27 Magnolia Close, Jerrabomberra - $880,000
65 Aamira Christina Stead Street, Franklin - $437,000
15/2 Clare Burton Street, Franklin - $329,000
407/155 Northbourne Avenue, Turner - $591,000
2 Darmoday Place, Sutton - $1,015,000
14 Salkauskas Crescent, Lyneham - $865,000
12 Doutney Place, Dunlop - $490,000