Invest
Hot Property: Biggest headlines this week 1 - Aug 2020
With September just around the corner, the metaphorical economic cliff everyone was worried about seems more like a long, drawn-out slope: Here are the biggest property stories from this week.

Hot Property: Biggest headlines this week 1 - Aug 2020
With September just around the corner, the metaphorical economic cliff everyone was worried about seems more like a long, drawn-out slope: Here are the biggest property stories from this week.

Welcome to nestegg’s weekly round-up of the bricks-and-mortar stories that we think will be most relevant to you, whether as a first-home buyer, a seasoned investor or anyone in between!
To compile this list, not only are we taking a look at the week’s most-read stories and the news that matters, but we are also curating it to include stories from our sister platforms that could have an impact on your buying, selling or investment journey, no matter where you find yourself on the property ladder.
There’s a new way for retirees to top up their super through the downsizer contribution without having to move out of their home – and it’s got the approval of the ATO.
McGrath highlighted its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was $3.7 million for the year – a $10.1 million turnaround from underlying EBITDA loss of $6.4 million last financial year.
Calling the turnaround “significant”, the real estate giant posted an 11 per cent lift in revenue to $91.69 million for the year – a 31 per cent rise in sales per agent for the period, achieved despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last quarter.
Low vacancy rates and inventory can still lead to portfolio growth in a COVID-19 world, according to Arjun Paliwal.
“To the surprise of many, many suburbs across Australia are actually going through high levels of rental and price competition with low inventory levels and below 1.5 per cent vacancy rates.”
According to Raine & Horne, there has been considerable attention being drawn to NSW’s Central Coast in recent times.
It’s flagged four areas as attracting the most attention.
CoreLogic’s quarterly property update has revealed that Australia’s dwelling market fell by just 0.8 per cent over the June quarter, despite some economists saying the $7 trillion asset class could fall by as much as 20 per cent.
The capital cities saw a 1.1 per cent reduction in house prices while, regionally, properties grew by 0.3 per cent during the quarter.
A mortgage broker has cautioned against pressing ahead in pursuit of bargain property finds as an investor.
Tasmania-based lender MyState Bank has confirmed that it is closing its four Central Queensland branches and two branches in Tasmania following a steep decline in in-person transactions and strong performance in the digital and broker channels.
In announcing its FY20 full-year results, MyState Bank revealed that two-thirds of its customers are now using internet banking.
An ABS survey has found a growing proportion of Australians using their personal government stimulus payments (such as JobKeeper) to pay their bills and mortgages.
While around 14 per cent of all people receiving payments were using it to pay their mortgage/rent, a growing proportion of people said that this was the “main” use of their payment.
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Which capital cities are most attractive to property investors?
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Property
Which capital cities are most attractive to property investors?
A new survey has suggested that investor attention is shifting away from Australia’s two largest capital cities. ...Read more

Property
Market uncertainty fails to discourage foreign property investors
While interest from foreign investors in Australian property has remained strong, HLB Mann Judd warned that tax increases could see demand shift to other markets. ...Read more

Property
Regional renters forced to spend more of their income than ever before
Renters in regional areas are spending nearly as much on rent as home owners are spending on mortgage repayments. ...Read more

Property
Aussie home buyers now need to save for over 11 years for a deposit
Since early 2020, the time needed to save for a deposit has increased by more than two years. ...Read more

Property
HSBC forecasts 2023 house price decline of up to 10%
The firm had previously predicted a modest rise for house prices next year. ...Read more

Property
Perth house prices continue climbing to a record high
While growth may have come to an end in Sydney and Melbourne, Perth house prices are still on the rise. ...Read more

Property
Stamp duty significantly slowing path to purchase for FHB
Saving for a home takes years for the typical first-time buyer. In Australia’s largest cities, as much as two years are spent simply building up the funds to pay the cost of stamp duty, according to...Read more

Property
House values dragged down in latest index
A new set of figures outlining the present state of Australia’s residential property market has been released, indicating a bleak outlook for growth in metropolitan areas as the Reserve Bank of Aust...Read more