Property
7 signs you are ready to downsize the home and take life a little easier
4 June
There comes a time when the family home that once felt full of noise, movement and memories can start to feel a little too big, too quiet, too expensive or simply too much work. Downsizing is not just about moving into a smaller home. For many...[Read More]
Interest rate impact hits housing approval levels
4 June
Rising interest rates have been blamed for a downturn in housing approvals, but tax changes in the federal budget could lead to an uptick. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the total number of dwellings approved in April fell...[Read More]
Labor shrugs off claim tax shift will sink house prices
3 June
Contentious changes to taxes on property investments won’t be the main driver of expected falls in prices, the housing minister says. As auction clearance rates hit lows not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, Clare O’Neil said it was unclear how...[Read More]
Falling fuel prices bolster hopes for RBA rate reprieve
28 May
A softer-than-expected inflation result will give the Reserve Bank a little more space to leave interest rates on hold, but another hike is not off the cards yet. Australia’s annual headline inflation rate fell to 4.2 per cent in April, from 4.6...[Read More]
Budget measures could cut house prices by 10 per cent
28 May
The budget’s tax whack on property investors will accelerate a housing slowdown caused by interest rate hikes, potentially causing the biggest downturn in more than 40 years. Home price growth was already slowing nationwide, with outright falls in...[Read More]
Jobless jump, Iran war shoot down fears of rate rise
28 May
The likelihood of a rate hike in June has shrunk after a surprise jump in the unemployment rate showed the Iran war is having a material impact on Australia’s economy. While bad news for workers, the rise in the jobless rate from 4.3 per cent to...[Read More]
Labor happy with softer housing market since budget
27 May
Softer auction rates are a sign tax changes in the federal budget are making things easier for first home buyers, the housing minister says, as Labor weathered another day of criticism from investors and entrepreneurs. Auction clearance rates held...[Read More]
Commercial property vs residential property: Understanding the key differences before you invest
21 May
For many Australians, property investment begins with residential property. It feels familiar. Most people understand houses, units, tenants, suburbs, rents and mortgages because they have lived in homes themselves. Commercial property...[Read More]
Mixed results from first post-budget auction weekend
21 May
All eyes were on the auction market to see the response to negative gearing and capital gains tax changes in the first weekend after the federal budget. The results were mixed. The volume of homes that went to auction across the capital cities fell...[Read More]
Rates revelation: why RBA dissenter voted against hike
21 May
The Reserve Bank’s lone dissenter against a rate rise argued interest rates were already high enough to get inflation back under control, before being overruled by the rest of the central bank’s board. Minutes of the May 5 meeting, released on...[Read More]
Middle ring could be ‘hollowed out’ by tax overhaul
20 May
Rental supplies in the middle ring of Australian capital cities could be hollowed out by changes to investor tax concessions in the federal budget. Real estate agents expect investor interest in established properties to crater after Tuesday’s...[Read More]
Land levy planned despite anti-‘forever tax’ pledge
20 May
Property owners in Australia’s most populous state could pay an annual levy of up to $600 under a proposal to change the way emergency services are funded. NSW is the only mainland state that funds emergency services by taxing property insurance...[Read More]
How housing became a generational budget battleground
20 May
Young homeowner Mika likes Jim Chalmers’ housing policies but the treasurer’s preferred choice of coffee is a problem. “Does anyone know how to make a long black?” she asks media and ministerial staff waiting in her small Canberra apartment...[Read More]
Budget time is review time: why professional advice matters
14 May
The Federal Budget is more than a political announcement. For many Australians, it is an important reminder to stop, review and ask a simple question: are my financial, lifestyle and tax strategies still working in my favour? Budget changes can...[Read More]
Budget spending stokes fears of further rate rise pain
14 May
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is defending an extra $18 billion in government spending next financial year despite warnings it will make the Reserve Bank’s fight against inflation harder. The federal budget on Tuesday revealed government spending will...[Read More]