Australia’s property markets have been given a temporary reprieve, with the Reserve Bank leaving the cash rate unchanged in August. However, borrowers and property investors should be careful about interpreting the decision as the end of the interest rate cycle. The RBA’s message was clear. Inflation remains too high, new global pressures are emerging, and…
There is no doubt that our housing markets are facing challenges from all directions, but clearly they have remained more resilient than the property pessimists had predicted. To better understand what’s happening, this monthly collection of charts from Cotality paints an interesting picture. According to Cotality, double-digit declines in home values would make little dent in…
Australia’s housing shortage is usually blamed on population growth, sluggish construction, planning delays, labour shortages and the rising cost of building new homes. All of these factors matter, but another powerful force is sitting quietly in the background. Australia has around 4.5 million baby boomers, aged between 62 and 80, and many remain in the…
SQM Research today released its latest data on residential property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate remained steady at 1.3% in July 2026, unchanged from June. The total number of residential vacancies increased to 40,771 dwellings, up from 39,229 in June, indicating a modest increase in available rental stock despite the unchanged headline vacancy…
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…
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,…
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,…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 4 August 2026 showed a softer month for asking prices across most capital cities, reflecting the increased level of supply now available to buyers. Capital asking prices declined 1.5% for houses, while unit prices fell 0.2%. Combined dwelling asking prices eased 1.2% over the month…
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Negative gearing on established homes has just been abolished. The capital gains tax discount you’ve relied on for twenty years has been rewritten. And somewhere between the government’s press conference and the Treasury modelling, a trillion dollars in debt got added to the tab for a generation that hasn’t even been asked if they’re willing…
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. Every month, investors, homeowners, and…
