A $42 billion value gap driven by flood risk
By Graeme Salt According to new research by PropTrack at least 70 per cent of homes in flood zones have experienced a reduction in property value as a result of flood risk. On average, this equates to a $37,000 drop in property values across all dwellings. Collectively this equates to a loss of $42.2bn in […]
No cuts for ‘foreseeable future’
By Graeme Salt Today, the Reserve Bank Governor said, “it does look like additional cuts are not needed”. She also stated that the Reserve Bank Board was not expecting inflation to come back below three for another 12 months. With no cuts expected for “the foreseeable future” this means rates are either going to hold […]
Will your home’s environmental performance impact its value?
By Graeme Salt Recent analysis by Cotality shows that investing in a home’s sustainability makes financial sense. Its “Watt’s it Worth” report found that adding one star to a home’s energy efficiency rating adds around $10,000 in value, while installing solar panels lifts value by more than double that ($23,100). The federal government is moving […]
Graeme’s 2026 Predictions
By Graeme Salt This year, property prices have grown by around 8.5 per cent. Growth is still predicted in 2026 – though at the more moderate rate of five to seven per cent. In last year’s annual review, I predicted that 2025 would be a year in two halves – with prices growing strongly in […]
How AI can help you buy a place
By Graeme Salt Artificial Intelligence (AI) is supposed to revolutionise many things – but will it help you buy a place? Many experts talk about AI having a huge impact on professional activities – particularly with the more junior ranks. The sorts of roles often mentioned include activities like book-keeping and para-planners. But could it […]
Do you need bridging finance?
By Graeme Salt Bridging finance is almost a dirty word in Australia. Many of us, or our parents, are scarred by the 1990’s when they were stuck holding their old home as well as their new home and paying 18 per cent of the loans! Thankfully there are now many lenders who are offering competitive […]
What if this is as good as it gets?
By Graeme Salt What if there are no more mortgage interest rates to come? Underlying inflation increased to three per cent in the year to September, which was well above economists’ expectations of 2.7 per cent. As a result, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept interest rates on hold this month at 3.6 per […]
Investors back in market
By Graeme Salt Investors are showing increased confidence in the property market and are increasingly looking to buy property. New figures from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) show that, for the first time in a decade, the growth in investor finance is now higher than for owner-occupied properties. And, according to the latest Westpac […]
Prepare for take-off
By Graeme Salt Prices for first home-buyer properties are about to take off due to recent announcements from the federal government. Following of the from its election commitment, the Labor Party has announced an expansion of the first home buyers’ scheme – beginning this October. These changes see an expansion of the scheme and the […]
Is Covid still driving the property market?
By Graeme Salt Australians have coped with 4.25 per cent rate rises between 2022 and 2024 – which may indicate resilience of the household budget, the economy and the property market. Much of this is due to buffers built up during the pandemic according to new research. During 2020-2021, household savings shot up to around […]