One of the many buzz-words this year will be jobs. And rightly so, because having a job and in particular a full time one, is a must when it comes to buying a dwelling and how well the housing market performs is increasingly dependent on local employment trends. Now I will apologise from the get…
One minute read I want to get three things off my chest. I think they are important. They are relevant, given recent and pending events. These three things are growth, debt and illiquidity. Bear with me, this will only take a minute. 1. Growth We are hooked on growth; fixated by it. All last week…
Three minute read. Apparently, High-rise Harry will cease building apartments for rent if the NSW government implements rental reforms to improve security of tenure. NSW politicians are looking to follow Victoria by implementing a series of measures to limit rent rises and make evictions harder. The NSW ALP is also considering giving tenants the option…
One minute read. No interest rate change again this week. The smarties tell me that a neutral interest rate setting is when the yield curve is at 0.5%. Above this magic marker, official rates are likely to rise and below, the cash rate is likely to remain steady or may even fall. Our chart this…
Two minute read Much, these days, is written about price growth, and to some extent, about rents. A lot of it looks backwards, telling us about past performance. Most of it is nonsense. Less is said about future trends. And if the future is promoted, it is almost always thrown out there with little or…
Property spruikers are at pains to outline that because one area is cheaper than another, it must be a better buy. Take Sydney versus SEQld, for example. Some folks have been calling for – and still are – a SEQld real estate “boom”. Yet, the latest figures show that dwelling values have risen by about…
Three minute read Give yourself a hearty pat on the back, because if you are reading this, you are most likely involved in the property or real estate sector, either as an active participant or as a property owner. Why the selfie? Well, because property-related things now make up a third of the Australian economy….
Two minute read A few weeks back, the talking heads applauded the return of the first home buyer. A sample of what was written in the press follows: Official figures show that 8,573 mortgage loans were taken out by first-time buyers in June, which is the highest level in almost three years. The total value…
One minute read A billion – in Australia – is $1,000,000,000. You see this amount written everywhere these days. You cannot escape it. It was brought home to me a few weeks back, whilst driving through New South Wales. Road work signs proudly announced $2.3 billion worth of construction here, another $1.7 billion there. Governments…
Investment matters, private expenditure, in particular. It reflects confidence. Where business invests, economic growth and jobs often follow. People move to where there is work. It is a ‘post-postmodern’ world. Show me the money! And our table speaks volumes. Total private investment State or territory Total Fiscal 2017 Distribution Fiscal 2017 Five year change NSW…
