The federal election campaign was dominated by the housing crisis. But the real power to solve it rests with the states. In Victoria, reforms are underway that promise a bigger boost to the housing aspirations of younger generations than anything that occurs in the federal parliament. Yet these reforms are now under threat of being…
Quarterly growth in combined regional dwelling values continues to outperform the capitals, however, the performance gap has narrowed since the start of the year, according to the latest Cotality Regional Market Update. The data shows regional dwelling values rose 1.5% in the three months to April, outpacing the 1.0% quarterly rise in the combined capital…
If you’ve been following my commentary for a while, you’ll know I always advocate for a long-term perspective when it comes to property. While market cycles may come and go, the big-picture fundamentals rarely change, and they all point to one thing: Australian property values will continue to rise. But every now and then, it’s…
Australia’s property market continues to throw up a mix of challenges and opportunities — and once again, it’s the savvy investors who are moving first. The latest Mortgage Insights Report from Money.com.au paints a fascinating picture of how lending patterns are shifting across the country. On one hand, investor lending is climbing back toward record…
The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the official interest rate for the second time this year, as it lowered forecasts for Australian economic growth and pointed to increasing uncertainty in the world economy. The bank lowered the cash rate target by 0.25%, from 4.1% to 3.85%, saying inflation is expected to remain in the target…
Today’s 25 basis point cut to the cash rate marks a further shift toward more accommodative monetary policy. With both headline and core inflation now within the RBA’s 2—3% target range —and no signs of a wage-price breakout despite ongoing tightness in the labour market — the RBA’s decision to lower rates for the second time…
Just when we thought we’d seen it all in Australia’s rental crisis—skyrocketing rents, chronic undersupply, and fierce competition for even the most modest of properties- a new phenomenon is emerging that reflects just how desperate tenants have become. It’s called pet bidding. Yes, really. We’ve long been talking about rent bidding, where would-be tenants offer…
If you’ve been reading the headlines, you’d think Melbourne landlords are under siege, and in many ways, they are. But as always, the devil is in the details, and the narrative isn’t as one-sided as it seems. Yes, rents have declined or flattened in several Melbourne suburbs, and yes, landlords are facing an increasingly hostile…
When it comes to most aspects of life, $1 million goes a long way. Whether it’s a lifetime of family groceries1, 75 years’ worth of household transport costs2, or smashed avocado for breakfast every day, for over 100 years3. For housing, however, $1 million is increasingly standard. In August last year, the median house value…
In recent weeks, a quiet shift has been happening behind the scenes in our financial system. While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) continues to hold the official cash rate steady at 4.35% – at least in the short term- a number of lenders, including five more just this past week, have been trimming their…
