Property
Calm before storm: RBA braces for spikes and hikes
26 March
A slight easing in Australia’s headline inflation rate before the Iran war will do little to ease the Reserve Bank’s fears, as economists expect price growth to bounce back with a vengeance in March. Consumer prices rose 3.7 per cent in the 12...[Read More]
Three more rate hikes tipped as prices begin to rise
26 March
Mortgage holders could face as many as three interest rate hikes by Christmas, according to money markets, as concerns mount over the Iran war’s impact on inflation. Rates traders upped their predictions on Friday, pricing in almost 75 more basis...[Read More]
Confidence tanks as fuel spike flows to building costs
25 March
Australian consumers are the least confident they’ve been since records began, as high oil prices threaten to worsen the housing crisis by pushing up building costs. Motorists have already been feeling under the pump from petrol price...[Read More]
Australia falling well behind national housing target
25 March
No state or territory is on track to meet its housing accord targets, despite a slew of initiatives to boost supply and improve affordability. Only 219,000 new homes were built in the first five quarters of the agreement, well shy of the required...[Read More]
What to consider when buying an investment property
19 March
Property investment has long been seen as a way to build wealth over time. For many investors, the goal is twofold: to benefit from the long-term growth in the property’s value while also generating rental income along the way. While the idea may...[Read More]
Top bank wary of economic darkness ‘we have to have’
19 March
The Reserve Bank does not want to send Australia into a recession but its options to avoid one might be running out. Governor Michele Bullock has old reporters a recession could be a possibility if inflation proves too hard to get down, after the...[Read More]
Collateral damage: war threatens to blow up inflation
19 March
The Reserve Bank of Australia has hiked interest rates for the second straight month, warning of more pain the longer the war in the Middle East drags on. In a split five-four decision on Tuesday – the tightest since the central bank started...[Read More]
‘Made me feel ill’: relief for househunting headache
18 March
Burning thousands of dollars on building and pest inspections could soon become a thing of the past for cash-strapped homebuyers in one state. The burden of pre-sale building and pest inspections would shift from prospective buyers to sellers under...[Read More]
Iran conflict raises spectre of triple RBA rate hike
12 March
Three of Australia’s four major banks predict the Reserve Bank will hike interest rates for the second month in a row as fears that war in the Middle East will worsen inflation fuelled a drastic turnaround in markets. Westpac, NAB and Commonwealth...[Read More]
Not migrants: research pinpoints housing crisis culprit
12 March
Restricting Australia’s migrant intake is not a silver bullet that will fix the nation’s housing crisis, an influential think tank has warned, challenging an argument often put forward by coalition MPs. Australia’s shortage of homes is not an...[Read More]
Energy rating report card urged for all Aussie homes
11 March
All Australian homes should receive a score out of 10 for energy efficiency before they can be sold or rented, experts say, as part of an expansion to a national assessment program. The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, which is used to rate...[Read More]
Major cities flounder in ‘two-speed’ housing market
5 March
Home prices in Australia’s biggest cities are treading water while smaller capitals notch record growth as new data suggests the cycle has become a tale of two vastly different markets. Two months into 2026, home values in Sydney and Melbourne...[Read More]
Rate hike odds spike for ‘live’ March RBA meeting
5 March
Traders upped their bets for a Reserve Bank rate hike in March to a one-in-three chance after the central bank’s governor said the meeting would be “live”. While Michele Bullock was careful not to signpost the RBA’s decision on March 17, her...[Read More]
Good news is bad news: GDP growth fuels inflation fears
5 March
Higher spending on defence, data centres and Black Friday sales has helped the economy grow at its fastest pace in almost three years, boosting living standards but raising fears of more interest rate hikes. Gross domestic product expanded 0.8 per...[Read More]
Minister won’t rule out tax change as Greens up demands
5 March
Young people see the housing market as being stacked against them, Australia’s housing minister says, as the Greens call for drastic changes to property tax concessions. Clare O’Neil continues to play a straight bat to suggestions the government...[Read More]