Our commentary on issues important to home owners, investors and borrowers
In news this month, tighter credit conditions are still having a broad dampening effect on buyer activity. This isn’t just with investors, there has also been a considerable decline nationally in owner-occupier lending, according to CoreLogic.
consumers are displaying cautious attitudes towards the property market thanks to the upcoming federal election and potential changes to taxation policy.
Read MoreThe Australian property market peaked in mid 2017. Since then prices have fallen by 6% on average nationally. Prices are down 13% in Sydney and 10% in Melbourne. These falls are the largest since the 1980s, albeit off the back of a large growth spurt which commenced in 2013. Overall, Justin Fabo of Macquarie expects the overall drop may be around 20% in Sydney but that it is very difficult to predict its timing. He says that it is too early to say whether recent improvements in auction clearance rates point to a bottoming in the market.
He says that although the level of housing approvals has dropped dramatically it will be 3 to 4 years before net migration turns the demand/supply balance to lead to a strong recovery in prices.
Read MoreIn news this month, the demand for mortgages continues to weaken. Cameron Kusher of CoreLogic has speculated that if the fall in house prices is to be attenuated then we could see the RBA cut rates and APRA relax its tightening of lending conditions. Westpac’s chief economist Bill Evans is now predicting 2 rate cuts before the end of this year.
Read MoreAs we start a new year, consumer confidence continues to decrease, with -4.7 per cent on the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank Consumer Sentiment Index.
Read MoreHousing finance data released in November by The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has shown a further weakening of demand for mortgages in September 2018.
Read MoreAs property prices in Sydney have soared so have the revenues flowing to the State government as it rakes in record levels of tax revenue through the stamp duty on property transfers. This stamp duty, approximately 4% of each property transfer, is a significant impost which increases the savings threshold for first home buyers and acts as a brake on mobility in the property market.
Read MoreLoanscape is your information resource about lending and property.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q3/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families have started to recover after the sharp decline over the past 2 years. Lower income borrowers continue to be disproportionately impacted by interest rate increases: the family income required to qualify for the average size loan in Australia is 37% higher than 2 years ago.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q2/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families have stabilised after the sharp decline over the past 2 years. Lower income borrowers continue to be disproportionately impacted by interest rate increases: the family income required to qualify for the average size loan in Australia is 35% higher than 2 years ago.
Combined dwelling values have re-accelerated across the nation in February, with all mainland capitals soaring in value. It probably comes as no surprise that Perth claimed the top spot by gaining a whopping 1.8% for the month
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q1/2024. It shows that the borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families continue to decline. The more modest decline in the size of average loans being taken confirms that lower income borrowers are being disproportionately impacted by interest rate hikes: the family income required to qualify for the average loan in Australia is now 32% higher than 18 months ago.
The end of the year is fast approaching, with most capitals experiencing a strong recovery on dwelling values from the downturn that culminated at the start of 2023.
The recovery is mainly due to an influx of immigration and constricted supply, which the Government is trying to remedy with its ambitious goal of building 1.2 million homes by 2029 through HAFF.
Loanscape has today released its Borrowing Capacity Index for Q4/2024. It confirms the forecast trend that borrowing capacities of Australian individuals and families are recovering from their low levels which coincided with the last of the recent increases to borrowing rates initiated by the Reserve Bank of Australia.