Australian Real Estate News
Softer house prices to spark home sales - 05/02/2009
House prices fell by a modest 0.8% in the December quarter, with those in all capital cities except Adelaide and Darwin lower than a year ago, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics...
Government aid, rate cuts cushion Melbourne properties - 05/02/2009
Melbourne property prices fell more slowly than expected in the December quarter, thanks to lower rates and the First Home Owner Grant boost...
Lehman unloads mansion for $100 - 05/02/2009
While Florida real estate prices have sloped downwards lately, one particular markdown in November went beyond them all - and the person who sold it raised more than a few eyebrows...
High yields to tempt property investors back into the market - 21/01/2009
While many experts are predicting property values to remain relatively flat, rental yields are expected to strengthen further during the current housing shortage...
WA rents jump 6% in December - 21/01/2009
Investors in WA saw their rental income surge after the median house rent climbed by 6% to $370 in the December quarter, according to the latest report from the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA)...
Housing affordability eases while rents continue to soar - 04/12/2008
Housing affordability across Australia has finally turned the corner thanks to the positive impact of the first rate cut in September...
Australia's population soars to new record - 04/12/2008
Australia's booming population is showing no sign of slowing, with overall growth surging by 1.7% to 21.37 million over the year - its fastest pace in 19 years...
Construction levels hit record highs across Australia - 28/11/2008
Investors should focus their attention on South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland following new data that shows construction levels reached record highs in the September quarter...
FHOG to boost mortgage competition - 24/11/2008
Recent rate cuts and the boost to the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) are drumming up a surge in mortgage enquiries, with one lender recording an 80% increase in enquiries since mid-October...
NSW property investors hit by higher fees - 24/11/2008
The troubled NSW state government has announced that it will ramp up property transaction fees in its mini-budget this week, in a move that the industry body says will have "a direct and negative" impact on the property market...
Housing prices weather financial storm - 07/11/2008
Despite the slowing economy, Australia's property prices held themselves up according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics House Price Index for the September Quarter...
Optimism returns to office property sector - 24/10/2008
Signs of optimism have emerged in the office property market, with experts tipping solid medium-term growth in Perth and Adelaide...
Have we reached the bottom of the property cycle? - 10/10/2008
The bad news: property values remain stagnant. The good news: things can only get better from here for national prices...
$4bn cash injection to pressure banks to pass on rate cuts - 03/10/2008
Australian consumers will be the big winners benefiting from the federal government's move to inject $4bn into the non-bank mortgage market...
New housing affordability fund to help out homebuyers - 24/09/2008
A new $512m Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) launched by the Housing Industry Association (HIA) is expected to inject the much–needed boost for struggling property buyers through lower purchase costs of a new dwelling...
Housing shortage to get much worse - 24/09/2008
Australia’s housing shortage is likely to get much worse before it gets any better...
Perth office market tightest in the world - 24/09/2008
Perth still holds the title of the tightest CBD office market in the world, according to new global office market research...
Adelaide units grew the fastest but still affordable - 24/09/2008
Units in Adelaide showed the most growth nationally over the past 12 months, according to a new study by RP Data...
Sydney apartment market hot to trot - 24/09/2008
Inflated rental returns are prompting real estate investors to return to the Sydney apartment market...
How to beat affordability blues by investing in property - 24/09/2008
People who put off buying property because they are fearful of financial constraints and interest rate pressures risk leaving it too long to get a foothold in the market...
Rental yields to jump another 10% in 2009 - 19/08/2008
The stage is set for a recovery in the Australia's housing market fuelled by extremely tight rental market and chronic undersupply according to an economist...
Apartments lift new home sales - 19/08/2008
New home sales rebounded by 4% in June after boosted by a healthy jump in sales for unit and apartments according to the latest data from the Housing Industry Association...
Demand for Australia's property market exceptionally high - 19/08/2008
While the property market is currently viewed with pervasive gloomy outlook...
Market recovery predicted before end of the year - 19/08/2008
The prevailing tough economic conditions will not hold back the impending recovery in the housing market according to Archicentre...
Buyers urged to focus on fundamentals not broad property data - 19/08/2008
Indiscriminate use of property data in particular median and average figures depicting the Australian residential market as being in the state of doom...
Australian banks highly profitable: RBA - 19/08/2008
Despite claims of losses brought by the sub prime crisis, major banks in Australia remain highly profitable...
Perth house prices drop $30,000 in six months - 18/07/2008
The median house price in Perth has dropped $14,000 since March and $30,000 since the beginning of the year...
Construction prices set to increase as steel prices soar - 18/07/2008
Consumers should expect to pay more to build their own homes as price spikes in building materials continue to drive up the cost of building...
Government handouts to homebuyers to add 0.5% to house price - 09/07/2008
The generous stamp duty concession and bonuses to homebuyers recently announced by state governments could boost...
Tenancy bonds inadequate, fail to protect landlords - 09/07/2008
Residential tenancy bonds are inadequate at protecting landlords, according to new statistics, which show...
Mining towns achieve highest yields - 23/06/2008
Strong overseas demand for commodities is fuelling sharp rises in rental yields...
Court grants compulsory land acquisition to Parramatta Civic Place - 23/06/2008
The NSW Court of Appeal has overturned a Land and Environment Court decision...
Yields rise as property values cool - 10/06/2008
Investors are reaping the rewards of improving rental returns amid the tightening rental market and falling property values...
Regional Australians struggling more than city counterparts - 10/06/2008
Australians living in rural and regional areas are more likely to be struggling to meet their mortgage repayments than their capital city counterparts...
Land tax up, but drop in overall tax burden for property - 10/06/2008
The overall share of state taxes paid by the property industry will go down for the first time in almost a decade...
Hervey Bay foreshore gets $800m facelift - 10/06/2008
The foreshore of Hervey Bay is set to undergo a massive facelift...
Fixed rate loans demand at two-year low - 03/06/2008
More Australian borrowers are prepared to bet on variable mortgages, a leading mortgage broker says...
Home buyers tipped to escape rate rise - 03/06/2008
Home buyers are unanimously tipped to be spared more interest rate pain next week as signs that domestic demand is slowing allows the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to leave rates on hold...
RBA figures show economy is slowing - 03/06/2008
There are further signs the economy is slowing with new figures from the central bank pointing to a dramatic fall in growth of consumer borrowing...
Don't waste tax return, says CU boss - 03/06/2008
The lucky people who receive a tax return should use the money wisely and not spend it on frivolous items, the nation's largest credit union says...
Fastest-growing rental properties in NSW - 19/05/2008
Property investors in Sydney are reaping the rewards of the tight residential rental market...
Investor housing at record new low - 08/05/2008
Interest rate hikes and the higher costs of living are weakening levels of borrowing, with investor housing growing by 9.5% in annual terms...
New house sales slump two months in a row - 08/05/2008
New home sales are on the decline nationwide, according to the latest report from the Housing Industry Association ...
Sydney CBD office space a super investment - 29/04/2008
Investors with self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) looking to diversify into property investment now have direct access to prime...
National regulation plans for property spruikers - 29/04/2008
The federal government has outlined plans to consider federal regulation of property investment spruikers, in an attempt to...
Mortgage repayments to jump by 50% for some homeowners - 21/04/2008
Large numbers of Australian homeowners face the prospect of up to 50% increases in their mortgage repayments this year, warns property group Raine & Horne........
Buyers seek cheaper properties, but prices still set to rise - 21/04/2008
Homebuyers are going down-market, buying significantly cheaper properties as the threat of further rate rises continues to weigh on sentiment, new data has showed........
Brisbane western bypass ruled out - 14/04/2008
The Queensland State Government has ruled out building a road bypass west of Brisbane, and will instead investigate a range of projects including.......
Risk of interest rate hikes due to reduce mortgage competition - 14/04/2008
Australian consumers are at risk of further interest rate rises as a result of reduced competition in the mortgage market, if steps are not made to secure funding for home-loan providers.......
One more rate rise likely, warn economists - 07/04/2008
The Reserve Bank Board met again this week to decide interest rate settings, and while the Reserve Bank left rates as is, some are warning of more rate hikes to come this year.......
SA property buyers slugged $800m in excess property stamp duty - 07/04/2008
First homebuyers need to be considered in this year’s SA State Budget by way of stamp duty relief, according to the Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA), who revealed that in the last five years, stamp duty on property has yielded $849m over original budget estimates.........
Rates remain at 12-year high - 07/04/2008
The Reserve Bank has left the official cash rate at a 12-year high of 7.25%, with mounting evidence to suggest that previous rate hikes are working to slow growth and stem inflationary pressures.....
War on inflation might be going too far: economist - 01/04/2008
While the outlook for the economy remains reasonable, the risk of a hard landing in 2009 is rising as the Reserve Bank of Australia gets tougher against inflation, according to a leading economist......
Australia has no 'affordable' property market - 01/04/2008
Australia and New Zealand are experiencing the most severe affordability crisis among English-speaking countries, according to a report by Demographia........
NAB, Adelaide Bank raise rates above RBA increase - 10/03/2008
National Australia Bank (NAB) yesterday became the first big bank to lift interest rates higher than the Reserve Bank's 0.25 percentage point increase, lifting its standard home loan rate by 0.29%.....
Rudd unveils incentives for property investors - 10/03/2008
Property investors received a boost this week with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's announcement of significant expansions to the proposed National Rental Affordability Scheme.......
Homebuyers "unaware" of green properties - 03/03/2008
Despite claims of the growing popularity of eco-friendly housing, a large number of first homebuyers.....
Australia to use tax credits to lift housing investment: report - 03/03/2008
The Rudd government will offer corporate investors a tax credit of $6,000 per dwelling to entice......
Sydney's Macarthur region tipped to boom - 25/02/2008
A new report has tipped the sprawling catchment of Macarthur in Sydney's west as the next big property hotspot, with research.....
Tenants urged to be patient during Perth's annual rental crush - 25/02/2008
The Real Estate Institute for Western Australia, REIWA, is urging prospective tenants to be patient as real estate agencies struggle to keep up......
Record number of mortgage holders refinance - 18/02/2008
A record number of mortgage holders are refinancing to try to get the best deal available, according to data from Australia’s largest mortgage broker, AFG.....
NSW council's $620m budget surplus glut - 18/02/2008
More than $620m in development levies has been left unspent by local councils in Sydney, according to new figures compiled by the Property Council of Australia......
Retirees lack knowledge of reverse mortgages - 12/02/2008
Retirees need to understand the long-term impact of a reverse mortgage before signing on the dotted line, Queensland’s Fair Trading Commissioner has warned.....
Strong 2008 tipped for most markets - 12/02/2008
The institute's 2008 Real Estate Market Outlook says 2007 was a vintage year for homeowners, with prices climbing in most parts of Australia. Investors also benefited from improving yields thanks to tight rental markets, the report notes.....
Investors confident of price climbs - 12/02/2008
Seventy per cent of property investors believe prices will increase in their market during 2008, a survey has found......
Fringe benefits - 04/02/2008
Much discussed but seldom clarified, the fringe is a surprisingly difficult thing to define.....
Adelaide market boom tipped - 04/02/2008
Confidence is building up in Adelaide's real estate market as prices, rental demand and investment returns continue to flourish......
Renovation cost guide to save investors thousands - 30/01/2008
Renovation quotes can vary by up to 70%, according to a new report commissioned by building advisory service Archicentre, which has recently released a 'cost guide' with typical price ranges for various common renovation projects.....
Inflation rampages, rate hike very likely - 30/01/2008
The Consumer Price Index rose by 3% nationally in the December quarter, prompting leading economists to predict an almost-certain February interest rate rise from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).....
Housing market peak predicted for 2008 - 30/01/2008
The first half of 2008 will see the Australian property market reach a peak due to official interest rate hikes, tightening credits markets and the uncertain future of the economic and business sectors, according to RP Data....
REIWA calls for stamp duty cuts - 21/01/2008
With stamp duty on residential homes blowing out by 31% in the last financial year, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) has called on government to make changes....
Big Four banks profit from sub-prime crisis - 21/01/2008
The Big Four banks regained market shares for the fifth month in a row to achieve a record number of loans, according to the December 2007 Smartline Quarter Trends Report.....
Adelaide boundary extended by 2,000 hectares - 21/01/2008
The South Australia state government has formally adopted a new urban boundary for Adelaide, with slightly more than 2,000 hectares of additional land now included within the adjusted boundary.....
Why Melbourne's properties will keep on rising - 11/01/2008
The television and newspaper media deserve a lot of criticism for the way they journalise...
Interest rate hike has no lasting impact on property markets - 10/01/2008
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has lifted the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 6.75% -
an 11 year high following the strong inflation...
Super investors warned of property pitfalls - 09/01/2008
Self-managed superannuation investors face financial ruin when adding real estate to their portfolios,
according to residential property research firm Braxton Chase...
Climate change and the property market
- 03/01/2008
Australia is a land exposed to the elements and with climate change a hot topic for global debate,
property investors should keep up to speed on ...
The 6 key drivers of property prices
- 02/01/2008
Learning to know what precedes property price increases can be challenging for ...
