After three consecutive rate hikes, Australia’s largest bank is now saying the RBA is most likely done tightening – and that’s worth paying attention to. CBA economists expect the cash rate to remain on hold for the rest of 2026, following the RBA’s decision in May to lift rates to 4.35%. CBA Head of Australian…
Australia’s rental crisis is getting worse, inflation is proving stubborn, and auction markets are starting to tell us buyers are becoming more cautious. So what does that mean for property investors, homeowners and anyone trying to make sense of the market? My Housing Market’s latest rental report shows vacancy rates remain extremely tight across most…
I was recently asked to distil my property investment philosophy into a few simple rules. Now that’s a big ask… Distil all the mistakes I’ve made and seen others make, as well as all the lessons I’ve learned and those of the many successes investors I’ve worked with into a view of simple rules. Anyway…here’s…
For the past few years, buying property has felt like an uphill battle. Limited stock, fierce competition, rising interest rates, and investor demand have made it difficult for everyday Australians to secure the right home at the right price. But something has changed. Right now, a unique combination of market conditions has created what could…
SQM Research’s Weekly Asking Prices Index for the week ending 26 May 2026 showed prices stalling nationally, with the major capital cities now in monthly decline. Nationally, house asking prices were unchanged over the month, while unit asking prices increased 0.7%. Combined dwelling asking prices rose a marginal 0.1%, leaving prices 10.4% higher year-on-year. However,…
Cotality’s national Home Value Index was flat in May, with the housing cycle continuing to weaken across most markets. Beneath the flat national result, Sydney and Melbourne are leading the downturn, with dwelling values falling by 0.9% and 0.8% respectively in May, to be 2.1% and 2.9% below their cyclical highs in November last year….
Capital city home prices have generally fallen over May reflecting the impact on affordability and confidence of this year’s three consecutive increases in official interest rates. The national capital city median house price fell by 0.8% over the May quarter to $1,287,476 compared to the April quarter, according to the latest data from My Housing…
Australia’s property market may not be heading for a dramatic downturn, but the latest auction results are a timely reminder that higher interest rates, affordability pressures and shifting buyer sentiment are beginning to reshape market dynamics. According to Domain, auction clearance rates over the past five weeks are at levels not seen since the 2022…
The Federal budget on May 12 changed the rules for property investors in ways that most people are still working through, and Westpac’s economics team has now put some concrete numbers around the likely market impact. If you’ve been wondering how to think about the combination of the tax changes and rising interest rates, I’ll…
It feels like the year has barely begun, and already our housing markets are under pressure. An interest rate rise. Talk of tax reform. Political instability here and overseas. If you only listened to the headlines, you’d think the foundations of Australia’s property market were starting to crack. They’re not. In fact, we’ve just been…
