The Blog

The housing wealth gap between younger and older Australians is undeniably growing. Our newly published study attempts to find out how much it has grown by estimating the gap in the home equity of older people (Australians in their 50s) and younger people (Australians in their 30s) in 1997–98 and 2017–18.     Adjusted for […]

Have you ever thought of doing up an old property to on-sell and make a quick profit? Of course, this concept is often taught at property seminars and has recently been popularised by reality television shows like “The Block”. But can you really flip houses for a living?     If you’re after a quick buck […]

After a record-smashing Australian Open, tennis is enjoying a resurgence of popularity throughout the country, and homes with their own tennis courts are proving the big winners. The first Grand Slam of the year saw well over 800,000 people physically come through the gates and millions more watch on TV, while tennis participation rates have […]

Real estate veteran John McGrath says the housing price slump is nearing its end and a combination of natural pent-up demand and the return of cashed-up expats will boost the property market. “While the economic climate and impact of further interest rate rises is difficult to predict, we think we are either at, or approaching, […]

If you’re a first-time investor or it’s been a long time since you last bought property, the property hunt can be a daunting prospect. Like any other major purchase, solid preparation helps to ensure a smoother journey. “Think of it like travelling to a foreign place – most of us like to know what we’re […]

One of them is Sarah Lyons*, who had been happily renting her Melbourne apartment for three years until last November, when the rent was hiked beyond what she could justify. “My rent increased by 30%, which I thought was ridiculous,” Ms Lyons. “I just couldn’t see the benefits of paying $500 per week for a […]

PropTrack’s Property Market Outlook Report, released today, predicts some cities will see sharper price falls than others, with a few capitals likely to hold up relatively well. Cameron Kusher, director of economic research at PropTrack and the report’s author, based his forecast on expectations the Reserve Bank will lift interest rates two more times by a total of […]

Interest rates have risen sharply in recent months, which has influenced the ability of borrowers to pay their mortgages. While some borrowers built up buffers over the last couple of years in the form of early repayments and substantial savings while rates were at a historic low, others were not so lucky. Many borrowers who […]

Wouldn’t it be great to know how our property markets are going to perform this year? However my many years as a property investor have taught me not to try too hard to predict our markets year by year, but instead to take a long-term view, then allow for cycles around this long-term trend and […]

Key takeaways 2023 is likely to be the year that our real estate markets reset and a new property cycle begins. But we’re not in for a property boom any time soon, and moving forward affordability will remain a big issue meaning our capital growth will be very fragmented depending upon local factors. The ability […]

Our property markets have cooled from their peak, but housing affordability still plagues would-be first-home buyers. Buyer borrowing capacity is shrinking with every Reserve Bank interest rate hike, which, combined with concern about where the market is heading has replaced buyer FOMO (fear of missing out) with a fear of buying too soon. The question […]

Key takeaways The housing wealth gap between younger and older Australians is undeniably growing. Two things have widened the divide: 1. The first relates to home ownership. While ownership rates for both groups have fallen, the decline has been steeper among the young (from 52% to 40%) than the old (80% to 69%). 2. The […]

Weaker prices, more modest interest rate rises on the horizon and a flurry of homes coming up for sale have dramatically turned Sydney into a buyers’ market for the first time in three years. And while housing experts might be divided on many topics, they’re united on this: now is the time to buy before […]

Home buyers have been splashing out: a swimming pool can add hundreds of thousands of dollars in value to a home, agents say. Pools are in hot demand among young families looking to upgrade their homes since the pandemic hit, but they are not for every buyer type or suited to all properties.   Swimming […]

No one’s doubting that consecutive interest rate rises, cost of living increases and stagnant wage growth is a crippling combination for homeowners. The rapid increase in interest rates since May has triggered a wave of refinancing as Australians on fixed-rate home loans start to revisit their finances. It’s tough. Analysis by Domain Home Loans shows […]

Half as many first-home buyers are circling the market in search of a place to call their own right now, which means it could be a great time to pounce for those with a deposit. The latest ABS Lending Indicators data reveals that the number of first-home buyers fell 3.2 per cent to 8576, a […]

Savvy property investors are likely to re-enter the market in 2023 after a year in which many quit because of fast-rising interest rates and high prices, experts predict. With the majority of cash rate hikes now likely behind us, as well as declining prices, high rents, tight vacancy rates and the return of migration, the […]

A recent decision to block foreign buyers from purchasing residential properties in Canada has spurred calls for Australia to follow suit. Canada and Australia have experienced similar surges in property prices over the past year, with cities like Vancouver and Toronto recording rises similar to Sydney and Melbourne. The move to ban foreign buyers purchasing […]

Although it’s not the top priority, 38 per cent of first home buyers (FHBs) said that having space for their pets was extremely important in regard to purchasing their first property, while 23 per cent ranked proximity to family as extremely important. According to CommBank research, the top priorities for FHBs when it comes to […]

The wider introduction of hybrid working conditions and more Australian workers heading back to the office have contributed to a changing trend in housing-demand locations  — from metro to outer regions and now back again — latest research from PEXA and city-planning think tank Urbis has found. The research collaboration, titled How Has the Pandemic Changed Demand for […]