It’s official – housing affordability in Australia is at a crisis point. A startling report by the Real Estate Institute of Australia reveals that families are now allocating nearly half of their income to mortgage repayments. Specifically, the average household spends just shy of 48% of their income on home repayments. The latest Housing Affordability…
Despite pandemics, rising interest rates, and challenging supply issues, the Australian property market remains a remarkably resilient, unyielding force, with two out of every five Australians determined to buy a home within the next five years. A recent Westpac Home Ownership Report reveals a surge in home buying intentions – 44% of Australians plan to purchase…
Who owns more property – men or women? Well, according to CoreLogic’s 2024 Women & Property report, which surveyed home ownership status and motivations, barriers and attitudes towards dwelling ownership among women and men in Australia 68.2% of women surveyed own at least one property – including owner-occupied and investment properties – slightly higher than…
Retail turnover increased by just +1.1 per cent over the year to January. After accounting for very rapid population growth and price inflation, this represents quite a significant slowdown for the sector. Source: ABS The national accounts reflected a very similar picture – the Aussie economy grew slightly in Q4 2023, up by 0.2 per…
With another building firm going into administration yesterday, affecting a further 120 projects, it wasn’t a great surprise to see that home-building activity was falling sharply in late 2023 as the pipeline shrunk. Apartment construction held up better. I’ve been of the opinion that anti-landlord legislation and new land taxes will stifle the supply of…
We know that we’re just not building enough homes despite soaring demand for more accommodation. According to PropTrack’s New Homes Report, December saw a 9.5% drop in total building approvals, a stark contrast to the modest 0.3% increase in November. This decline was particularly pronounced in unit approvals, which plummeted by 25%, and to a…
A recent analysis by the e61 Institute and PropTrack has shed light on the significant impact of Queensland’s 2011 stamp duty hikes. The numbers are telling: a sharp 7.2% drop in home purchases for that year. This isn’t just about sales figures; it’s about people – with a 9% decrease in relocations (equating to 20,000…
In some of Australia’s most sought-after suburbs, finding a rental property is an increasingly herculean task. With a tiny fraction of properties available for rent tenants face fierce competition, driving up rental prices and exacerbating the existing rental crisis. High demand and limited supply are leaving many in a lurch. However, it’s not all doom…
The Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s biggest lender, is forecasting six interest rate cuts in 2024 and 2025 starting in September this year. They also expect dwelling prices to rise a further 5% in 2024. The CBA’s head of Australian Economics, Gareth Aird, says the recent rise in unemployment will force the RBA to take action to…
A panel of 31 leading economists assembled by The Conversation sees no cut in interest rates before the middle of this year, and only a slight cut by December, enough to trim just $55 per month off the cost of servicing a $600,000 variable-rate mortgage. The panel draws on the expertise of leading forecasters at…