If a picture paints a thousand words, then this collection of charts should do a pretty good job of painting the landscape as it affects our economy and our property markets. Each month the RBA summarises macroeconomic and financial market trends in Australia by providing a detailed chart pack. World Economy Australia’s economy doesn’t operate in…
Rents have continued to rise generally for both houses and units over July although the typically quieter mid-winter period has contributed to higher vacancy rates in some capitals. Canberra was the top performer with house rents surging by 2.6% over the month followed by Melbourne higher by 1.7%, Brisbane up 1.3%, Adelaide higher by 1.1%…
A few years ago, you could buy almost anything in a reasonable suburb of a capital city or major regional centre, hold it through a cycle, and come out well ahead. The rising tide did most of the heavy lifting. Selectivity mattered, but it wasn’t make-or-break. Today it is. The market has splintered into dozens…
Commercial property is suddenly attracting a great deal more attention from investors. Following the recent Federal Budget changes, some residential property investors are looking at warehouses, offices and shops and wondering whether commercial property offers a safer tax environment, stronger cash flow and a better way forward. On the surface, the numbers can look very…
For decades, Australians became accustomed to the idea that each generation would enjoy a better standard of living than the one before it. We worked, we saved, we bought homes, we built businesses and, despite the occasional recession or economic shock, most households expected their incomes and wealth to rise over time. Unfortunately, that expectation…
If you only looked at today’s monthly housing costs, it would be easy to conclude that buying a home in Australia no longer makes financial sense. After all, new research from Compare the Market shows that in every Australian capital city except Darwin, renting is cheaper than buying, and in some cities the difference is…
The Reserve Bank of Australia has left the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% as it assesses whether the three interest rate rises delivered earlier this year are doing enough to slow the economy and bring inflation back under control. The RBA faces a difficult balancing act. Inflation remains too high and another rate rise is…
Every now and then, it’s worth asking yourself a tough question: What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances—but your thinking? You see, most of us live by a set of invisible “rules.” We didn’t write them, but we follow them anyway. Rules about what’s possible, what’s realistic, what people like us…
Australia desperately needs more homes, and the latest building approval figures appear to offer some welcome news. Approvals increased in June, apartment approvals rebounded strongly, and the quarterly trend is finally moving higher. However, another set of figures tells us why Australia’s housing shortage could remain with us for years. The cost of building a…
For millions of Australian homeowners and property investors, the Reserve Bank’s decision to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35% will come as welcome relief. After three interest rate increases earlier this year, the RBA has now kept rates steady for two consecutive meetings, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean the tightening cycle is over,…
