Australia’s top economists are divided about how to tackle ballooning inflation of 6.1% that’s forecast to climb to a three-decade high of 7.75% by the end of the year. Three of the 48 leading economists surveyed by the Economic Society of Australia and The Conversation say Australia should be able to tolerate an inflation rate…
Australia’s housing market has begun cooling from its peak, with rising interest rates, increasing inflation, higher construction costs, low vacancy rates, and increasing rental prices weighing on the market. There is a lot of discussion about how these various factors are affecting the housing market, but what about the apartment market? Analysis by Charter Keck…
Some investors have been spooked by the RBA hiking interest rates over the past months, particularly since it has spent the past two years telling us that rates would not rise until 2024. Higher interest rates at the same time as rising prices (inflation) are a two-fold blow to household budgets. Where are interest rates…
We all want to buy our new home or investment property at the lowest price possible. Or at least get good value for our money. And of course, the vendor wants the most he can get for his property, especially in today’s market where property values are strong. Yet you now know that the asking…
Is it time to lock in some or all of your loans into fixed rates? Or is it too late? Interest rates were at historic lows and clearly are on the way up now. The Reserve Bank has made it clear they’re going to increase the official cash rate a few more times till they…
As household balance sheets become more thinly stretched due to rising interest rates and high prices for essential goods such as fuel and food, there is a renewed level of focus on how mortgagors (i.e. homeowners with mortgage debt) are traversing the changing environment. Policymakers and lenders will be watchful for any signs of distress…
As he had promised to do almost since the day he became treasurer, Jim Chalmers has presented a gloomy set of forecasts for the Australian economy in his first formal economic statement to the new parliament on Thursday. Inflation is now forecast to peak at 7.75% in the December quarter of this year. That’s higher…
Will there be another double hike in interest rates from the RBA next week? With annual inflation rising to 6.1 per cent today, this is almost certain. In fact, if the RBA increases the cash rate by 0.50 percentage points on Tuesday, the average owner-occupier with $500,000 debt and 25 years remaining will see their…
The property market is going to crash! How many times have we heard that one recently? Inflation is rampant and the RBA is hell bent on getting it under control meaning rising interest rates will strangle our housing markets. Well, that’s what mini so-called experts in the media is telling us, isn’t it? Even our…
Australia’s housing market downturn is gathering momentum as consecutive rate hikes, rising inflation and weaker consumer confidence place additional pressure on values. CoreLogic’s data shows that 41.9% of house and unit markets analysed in the June quarter declined in value, a significant increase from Quarter 1 when 23.6% of markets recorded a fall in values. Using…
