Two themes came through in the news towards the end of last year: that the property market had peaked; and that the Reserve Bank would be forced to raise interest rates. Both may be true – but nowhere near as much as the doom-mongers fear. With growth rates of around 25 per cent last year, it’s hard to imagine prices …
The property market find itself at a crossroads. Banks are being forced to be more conservative with their lending which should cool demand. At the same time, Reserve Bank policy is likely to maintain its low interest rate policy which has been one of the key drivers of this period of growth. Which way the market will go remains to …
Author: Graeme Salt It’s going to get harder to get a mortgage – but not that much harder and not immediately! That was the conclusion of three speeches from bankers this week. But eventually, it will become tougher to get a loan. The first speech warning us that changes could be afoot came from Michele Bullock, Assistant Governor of the …
We live in crazy times – and yet one constant has been the strength of the Australian property market. As we inch toward the end of this Covid pandemic, will this growth spurt come to an end? In 2021, the Australian property market is likely to have grown by around 20 per cent – much of this has been driven …
Investors are returning to the property market – but a boil-over seems a long way off. Recent figures from Corelogic shows investors as the fastest growth segment, increasingly outmuscling First Home Buyers. For the fifth month in a row First Home Buyers’ market share dropped. But owner occupiers remained the largest market segment at 52.5 per cent. But, while the …
Want to lose that home? Then get the cheapest loan. It sounds hard to believe, but you could lose out if you opt for the lowest interest rate. Recently, Origin brokers have expressed concern that some of the banks are taking about a month to even look at an application! Imagine if you were relying on one of these banks …
Australia-wide, we are seeing price growth. But those rushing in may well regret it. Most experts see price rises continuing for some time. But some, such as the boss of CBA, think the rate of these price rises will moderate. And, because currently 75 per cent of mortgage applications are from owner-occupiers, it’s hard to see the market being subject …
Are we seeing a rebalancing of the Australian property market? This growth period has primarily been driven by owner occupiers, but recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that maybe owner occupiers are pulling back while investors are starting to dip their toe in the market. And owner-occupier lending pulled back by 1.8 per cent to $21.7 billion …
By Graeme Salt Properties are moving quicker and buyers are becoming increasingly realistic about price expectations Research from REA Group shows the average number of days properties are listed for sale on realestate.com.au hit record lows in every state in March 2021. The average days on the site was 48 in March 2021, down from an average of 71 days …
Last month saw bumper returns in the housing market, prompting some to ask whether the government will intervene to cool things down as has recently happened in NZ But those who are expecting a clamp-down don’t understand how lending works nor how a rising property market is key to the Reserve Bank’s plans for our economy’s growth. Sydney property recently …