26 June 2009
Weekly Property Report
Recently the International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded its growth forecasts for the Australian economy, stating “this is because of strong commodity exports, a flexible exchange rate, a healthy banking sector, and a timely and significant macro policy response”. The IMF expects Australia’s GDP to contract by a modest 0....

22 June 2009
Weekly Property Report
This week’s biggest property related story was probably BIS Shrapnel’s release of their three year forecasts for property prices. Within the release they forecasted that capital city price growth over the next three years would range from 11% in Darwin to 19% in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. Their forecasts have come in for m...

11 June 2009
Weekly Property Report
Housing finance commitments data released this week found that first home buyers as a percentage of all owner occupied finance commitments increased to 28%, the highest on record. The interesting detail to note within the statistics is that in each state and territory the actual number of finance commitments for first home buyers fell, except in Victoria where they recorded an increase of 0.9%. Th...

04 June 2009
Weekly Property Report
Industry Market Wrap ...

29 May 2009
Home prices surge over 2009
Monthly house prices New data shows that home prices have surged in the first four months of 2009. The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Australian Home Value Index – the largest property database in Australia – rose by 2.8 per cent in just the first four months of 2009. Darwin has led the way over the first four months of 2009, up 5.3 per cent with Melbourne home p...

22 May 2009
Weekly Property Report
The HIA-CBA First Home Buyer Affordability Report released this week found that first home buyer affordability improved by 14.6% during the first quarter of 2009 and now sits at a seven year high. These results are unsurprising given the impact of the First Home Buyers Grant Boost coupled with the lowest interest rates in more than 45 yea...

14 May 2009
Weekly Property Report
The big news this week was the announcement of the Federal Budget. In its most basic form, the budget is likely to provide some clarity to potential buyers about how the government will treat them in the new financial year. Leading up to the budget there was a great deal of speculation about the future of the boost to the First Home Buyers...

07 May 2009
Weekly Property Report
Following the Reserve Bank Board meeting this Tuesday, the official cash rate has remained unchanged at 3 percent. The question now is does this signal the end of rate cuts? Rhetoric emanating from the United States this week suggests that economic conditions may be improving with the head of the US Central Bank Ben Bernanke suggesting the...

01 May 2009
Weekly Property Report
The Reserve Bank meets again next Tuesday to decide whether interest rates will be changed. The ASX cash rate futures are suggesting a 45% chance that the official cash rate will fall another 25 basis points. If the financial markets are correct (and most economists seem to agree) the official cash rate is likely to remain unchanged in May...

23 April 2009
Weekly Property Report
In a speech given this week RBA governor Glenn Stevens declared that long-term growth prospects for the economy were sound in the face of the deep global downturn. He also suggested that Australia was well placed to capitalise when the eventual recovery emerged. Demonstrating the contrast in views the International Monetary Fund this week ...