Many people struggle with working out how to invest their money. Do they upgrade their home, contribute more to super, buy an investment property, invest in the share market, or something else? In fact, this common challenge was the reason that I decided to write my book, Investopoly. I knew that if people understood the…
Let’s be honest – if Australian politicians really wanted housing to be affordable, it would be by now. They’ve had decades to fix it. There have been inquiries, commissions, roundtables, and countless election promises. Billions have been thrown at “affordability schemes.” And yet, what do we have to show for it? Record-high property prices, with…
SQM Research released its latest data on residential property vacancy rates. Australia’s national residential vacancy rate fell to 1.2% in January 2026, down from 1.4% in December The total number of residential vacancies declined to 37,630 dwellings, reflecting a post-holiday tightening in rental conditions as seasonal listings were absorbed. The January result reverses much of…
Australian rents have surged almost three times faster than wages over the past five years, pushing rental affordability to record lows and stretching household budgets across the country, according to Cotality’s latest Chart Pack. Cotality’s analysis shows national rents have jumped 43.9% over the five years to September 2025, compared with a 17.5% rise in…
What really drives property prices in Australia? Ask 10 people and you’ll get 12 opinions, most shaped by headlines, hip-pocket pressure, or political spin. But property markets don’t run on noise. They’re powered by a complex web of economic levers, social trends, and psychological triggers. We are now at the beginning of a new year…
If you listen to the public conversation about property, you’d think Australia’s housing market is a tug-of-war between Baby Boomers and Millennials. Boomers are blamed for owning everything. Millennials are portrayed as locked out and angry about it. But that framing misses the generation that has already done exceptionally well from property, and is now…
When the Reserve Bank raises interest rates the impact isn’t limited to loan repayments, because, to be blunt, it doesn’t change loan repayments or affordability that much. However, it does affect buyer and seller confidence which cools our housing markets in the short term. So what’s this rate rise going to do to our housing…
Warren Buffett reigns supreme as the greatest investor in history, with a personal fortune of around US$132 billion. Many years ago I learned that if you want to succeed in business or investing and get rich, it pays to study Buffett. And the great news is Buffett is happy to share his knowledge. Over the…
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…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 27 January 2026 showed mixed price movements across capital cities, though annual growth remains strong. Nationally, asking prices eased slightly over the month for houses (-0.3%), while unit prices rose 1.3%, with combined dwellings broadly flat (-0.1%) but 11.4% higher year-on-year. Sydney house asking prices…
