Invest
Property investors resilient in the face of tighter restrictions
July saw a small increase in lending to property investors despite moves made by APRA earlier in the year to clamp down on such lending.

Property investors resilient in the face of tighter restrictions
July saw a small increase in lending to property investors despite moves made by APRA earlier in the year to clamp down on such lending.

Investor lending rose 1.6 per cent over July despite tougher restrictions, according to data from RateCity, which the company’s money editor Sally Tindall said showed resilience on the part of investors.
“The APRA intervention initially took the steam out of the property market, but the latest figures confirm buyers are choosing to wear the rate hikes,” Ms Tindall said.
“APRA has been focused on deterring investor growth over two years now with limited success. If they’re serious about reducing the dominance of investors, APRA may have to introduce a bigger stick to fend them off.”
According to RateCity data, the percentage of fixed rate loans is at its highest percentage since November 2013 at 17.5 per cent in June 2017.
“This is a clear reaction to the out-of-cycle rate hikes from the banks as borrowers move to protect themselves from future increases,” Ms Tindall said.
Further RateCity data shows fixed rates bottomed out at 12.5 per cent in November 2016. After half a year, borrowers are now confirming this bottom has passed.
“With the spring real estate market just around the corner and auction rates continuing to make modest improvements, it will be interesting to see whether it will be game on again for the spring property market,” Ms Tindall added.

Property
House price surge to cause ‘social and political problems’: ANZ
Rising house prices spurred on by low interest rates are “raising eyebrows” and could create “real social and political problems”, ANZ’s CEO has warned. ...Read more

Property
How important is a buyer’s agent in a rising market?
In a hotly contested seller’s market, investors are being alerted to the importance of a good buyer’s agent. ...Read more

Property
First home buyers guide: Grants and assistance in each state and territory
The federal and local governments have launched several grants and assistance programs to help their citizens achieve the great Australian dream of owning a home. ...Read more

Property
Transition period announced ahead of tenancy moratorium end
With the end of the moratorium on evictions in sight, the NSW government has announced a new measure aimed to assist the residential tenancy market transition back to pre-COVID conditions. ...Read more

Property
First home buyers brace for strengthening headwinds
While Australian first home buyers dominated the market in 2020, increasing their market share by 50.4 per cent in the past year, they're likely to face strengthening headwinds as prices soar. ...Read more

Property
Australia’s most popular rental suburbs revealed
Tenants should brace themselves for rental price hikes as tightening vacancy rates continue across the country, new research has revealed. ...Read more

Property
Australian home values rise at fastest rate in 17 years
Overall, Australian home values surged 2.1 per cent higher in February, the largest month-on-month change in CoreLogic’s national home value index since August 2003. ...Read more

Property
Housing finance records continue to tumble
Australian housing loan commitment has reached another record high in January, rising by 10.5 per cent in the last month alone, official figures show. ...Read more

Property
House price surge to cause ‘social and political problems’: ANZ
Rising house prices spurred on by low interest rates are “raising eyebrows” and could create “real social and political problems”, ANZ’s CEO has warned. ...Read more

Property
How important is a buyer’s agent in a rising market?
In a hotly contested seller’s market, investors are being alerted to the importance of a good buyer’s agent. ...Read more

Property
First home buyers guide: Grants and assistance in each state and territory
The federal and local governments have launched several grants and assistance programs to help their citizens achieve the great Australian dream of owning a home. ...Read more

Property
Transition period announced ahead of tenancy moratorium end
With the end of the moratorium on evictions in sight, the NSW government has announced a new measure aimed to assist the residential tenancy market transition back to pre-COVID conditions. ...Read more

Property
First home buyers brace for strengthening headwinds
While Australian first home buyers dominated the market in 2020, increasing their market share by 50.4 per cent in the past year, they're likely to face strengthening headwinds as prices soar. ...Read more

Property
Australia’s most popular rental suburbs revealed
Tenants should brace themselves for rental price hikes as tightening vacancy rates continue across the country, new research has revealed. ...Read more

Property
Australian home values rise at fastest rate in 17 years
Overall, Australian home values surged 2.1 per cent higher in February, the largest month-on-month change in CoreLogic’s national home value index since August 2003. ...Read more

Property
Housing finance records continue to tumble
Australian housing loan commitment has reached another record high in January, rising by 10.5 per cent in the last month alone, official figures show. ...Read more