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…
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…
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,…
For millions of Australian borrowers, an offset account has become an important part of managing a mortgage. Salaries are paid into it, savings accumulate there and household spending flows through it, all with the expectation that every dollar sitting in the account is quietly reducing the interest charged on the home loan. However, a recent…
What’s next for interest rates? Well, it seems mortgage holders can breathe another sigh of relief, with most experts tipping the RBA to leave the cash rate where it is. According to this month’s Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey™, 38 experts and economists weighed in on future cash rate moves and other issues relating to…
Have you been wondering what’s ahead for interest rates, especially with the RBA meeting coming up next week? There’s been a lot of chatter lately from some high-profile commentators suggesting we’re “off the hook” when it comes to inflation. I don’t think that’s the case just yet, and when you look beyond the headline number,…
Australian home prices fell for the fourth straight month in July, with capital cities driving the decline, according to the latest Home Price Index from PropTrack. Data shows that the median price of an Australian home fell by 0.3% in July to reach $894,000. Houses were down 0.4% to $989,000, while units were down 0.2%…
Australia’s property downturn gathered sharp momentum in July, with Cotality’s national Home Value Index (HVI) falling 0.7% – the largest single -month decline since December 2022. The downturn is no longer confined to Sydney and Melbourne, as cumulative demand -side pressures pulled previously resilient mid -sized capitals into negative territory. Sydney and Melbourne continue to…
Property investors have access to more information than ever before, yet many still begin their search in the wrong place. They scroll through listings, become attracted to a renovated kitchen or impressive photographs and then start looking for data that supports a decision they have emotionally made. Successful property selection works in the opposite direction….
Tomorrow we’ll get the latest figures on inflation in Australia. That data will be critical in helping the Reserve Bank of Australia decide whether to lift interest rates again next month. Answering questions at a lunchtime speech today, RBA Governor Michele Bullock noted “inflation is still too high”. Yet many Australians are confused about how…
