The number of distressed sales – where sellers put their homes on the market because they can’t afford mortgage repayments – is falling around the country, even despite worsening inflation and interest rate pressures. A new Domain report shows that the number of distressed listings has declined in each capital city between January 2021 and…
The flow of new listings added to the Australian housing market has been rising since mid-June, in contrast to the usual seasonal trend where new vendor activity would be trending lower through the colder months. Historically, based on the pre-COVID decade average, new listings added to the national housing market drop by 5.2% between autumn…
The tenancy regulatory landscape is constantly evolving – and it’s important that landlords and agents keep on top of changes to ensure that they meet their obligations. Of course, meeting legal obligations is a condition of landlord insurance coverage. Changes to legislation can also have a flow-on effect on landlord insurance, so that’s why we’re…
Yes, you read it right, 1.2 million homes in the next five years. The headlines have been filled with the Australian Labor Party’s ambitious plan, but if you look closely, the numbers just don’t add up. The Grand Mirage Firstly, let’s clear the misconception: the government isn’t going to lay down the bricks and mortar…
What should you do in the current “interesting” property markets? Is it time to be fearful or is it the right time to be greedy? I know many investors are confused with the many mixed messages the media and many commentators are delivering. On the one hand, the property market bottomed early this year…
There’s lots of talk about mortgage stress and the risk of loan defaults, but a recent study showed that certain outer suburbs are twice as likely to have loan arrears. Homeowners in Sydney’s southwest, Perth’s northwest, and Melbourne’s northwest suburbs are the most financially stressed across the country, with the highest number of households at…
In the wake of Australia’s ongoing rental housing affordability crisis, policymakers have mooted a series of interventions, including a freeze on rents and various forms of rent controls. Of course, we know that one political party particularly of a particular colour is pushing for rental freezes. While this might seem attractive solutions to the immediate…
Who do you ask for property advice – whether it’s for your next home or a property investment? Let me tell you who not to listen to – don’t take advice from reality TV shows! In fact working with inexperienced or unqualified self-styled “property experts” can result in buyers purchasing a dud for an overinflated…
Wesptac Bank has recently upgraded its forecast for our housing market. Westpac now expects prices to rise 7% nationally in 2023 but the pace is expected to slow in 2024 as affordability becomes extremely stretched. Now that’s a turnaround because in April this year Westpac had forecast prices to track flat overall nationally this year, followed…
Three of the big banks, CBA, Westpac and ANZ, believe the cash rate has already peaked at 4.10 per cent, with only NAB expecting one more hike later this year. CBA, Westpac and NAB economic teams updated their cash rate forecasts on the back of yesterday’s RBA Board meeting, with changes to both the expected…
