The Hobart property market has well and truly decelerated with both a reduction in price growth and activity. Price growth for the quarter ending October for units was only 0.7 per cent and for houses 1.4 per cent, well below previous periods. Some capital growth was still projected next year, especially as Hobart was such…
One of the questions I’m frequently asked when it comes to people seeking property investment advice is, ‘Should I buy a house or an apartment?’ Many beginning investors are under the impression that houses make a better investment because they’ve read or heard that the land component of property increases in value, while the building…
Are we drowning in household debt? Should we be worried about the rising level of Australian household debt? Well if you read the mainstream medias we should be. They keep reminding us that household debt in Australia has risen substantially relative to income over the past few decades and is now at a high level…
Now, more than ever, people are time poor and, as buyers, prioritise convenience, lifestyle and amenities as part of their real estate requirements. Time and again we are seeing previously affordable suburbs skyrocket in median property prices and, while proximity to the city remains a strong draw card, home buyers and investors are regularly buying properties based…
Is buying your dream home really less affordable than 25 years ago? Maybe not! While the proportion of household income required to afford a typical mortgage has risen over the long term, affordability has improved with lower mortgage rates. Aussie’s 25 year market trends report shows that serviceability rates have improved since 2008, when the average household…
How much of a premium would you be prepared to pay to live in a school zone? Melbourne school catchment zones can add instant appeal to your property and clearly some people are prepared to pay a lot according to REIV data showing that homes located within the catchment area for some of Melbourne’s best public…
Here are some facts on capital city house price growth over the last decade Two tables this missive. The first looks at median detached house values by capital city and the second looks at house values by general location within our five major capitals. Capital cities Capital city Median house values % change (pa) House…
Did you know that units outperformed houses in 2017? Probably not quite a result to fit the prevailing narrative! But the combined capital city unit price rose by +5.1 per cent in 2017, comfortably outperforming house prices at +4 per cent (with the usual lengthy disclaimers about methodology, margins for error, and mile-wide variations across…
More than 860,000 Australian households are estimated to be now in mortgage stress with more than 20,000 of these in severe stress. Digital Finance Analytics says this equates to 26.4% of households, up from 25.8% last month. DFA suggest more than 30,000 households in the nation’s wealthiest suburbs are facing financial stress, with hundreds risking…
Then, after a while, you could move into a bigger and better property with the help of equity growth in your entry-level home, any additional savings you managed to accumulate and through increased borrowing power and affordability as your family income improved. Those were the days! My wife and I used this strategy we…