It’s no secret that Australia’s major cities are facing a housing crisis. With affordability at an all-time low and the dream of homeownership becoming more elusive for many, there’s one crucial piece missing from our housing puzzle – the “missing middle.” This term refers to medium-density housing options like townhouses, duplexes, and low-rise apartments, which…
Australian home sellers continue to see rising rates of profitability and dollar value returns despite slowing market conditions, declining capital growth and lower clearance rates. CoreLogic’s latest Pain & Gain report (September Quarter 2024) analysed 95,000 resales over the period, showing the median nominal gain reached a series high of $295,000 since the series started in…
Why are we blaming international students for Australia’s housing crisis? In recent years, as housing affordability has worsened across Australia, international students have been thrust into the spotlight as a scapegoat. It’s an argument that’s tempting in its simplicity: more students mean more demand, which pushes up rents. But the reality? It’s a lot more…
Australia’s middle class is no longer the robust backbone it once was. Over the past few decades, it has been hollowed out, squeezed by economic forces, structural changes, and policy decisions. What was once a bell curve society—dominated by a thriving middle class—is now becoming a U-shaped structure, with more people slipping into the lower…
Are we still the “lucky country,” or are we seeing a steady erosion of our living standards? According to Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP Investments, the answer might not be so clear-cut. In a recent Oliver’s Insight, he warns that “falling real wages and a surge in tax and…
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s new $4.3 million cliffside “holiday home” may have raised the ire of voters, but he isn’t the only politician with an enviable property portfolio. With nearly half of Australia’s federal politicians owning multiple properties, many Aussies are questioning whether those tasked with solving the housing crisis are instead profiting from it….
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…
Over the past month leading up to 12 December 2024, rental prices across Australia’s capital city asking rents showed varied trends. In Sydney, combined rents decreased by 0.9% to $830 a week, reflecting a softening in rental demand. Melbourne saw a modest rise of 0.3%, with combined rents now at $629, driven primarily by an…
It seems that the Australian dream of homeownership slipping away for first-home buyers. For many Australians, the dream of homeownership is a symbol of stability and success. But in 2024, that dream is becoming increasingly elusive for first-home buyers. According to Canstar’s First Home Buyer Survey 2024, the average savings rate for first home buyers…
The sky is falling! The experts have started switching their property market predictions from boom to gloom, pointing to the current market slowdown as the first sign of an imminent collapse which threatens to bring down prices everywhere. I want to explain why they are completely wrong. These doom and gloom forecasts are guilty of…
