Housing affordability set to worsen despite falling house prices

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 24-Nov-22

The latest ANZ/CoreLogic Housing Affordability report shows that rising interest rates saw the cost of servicing a mortgage surge in the September quarter. The proportion of income needed to repay a new mortgage rose by 4.4 percentage points nationwide, to 43.3 per cent. This metric rose to a record high of 51.1 per cent in Sydney, while it increased by 4.3 per cent to 42.4 per cent in Melbourne. Eliza Owen of CoreLogic says mortgage serviceability is likely to worsen given that further increases in the cash rate are expected.

CORPORATES
CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ

Brisbane house prices set to fall 15pc: ME Bank

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 28-Oct-22

ME Bank now expects dwelling prices across Australia’s capital cities to fall by a larger margin than it had forecast in June. House prices in most capital cities have fallen sharply since the Reserve Bank started tightening monetary policy in May. ME Bank’s chief economist Peter Munckton says Brisbane house prices in particular have fallen more quickly than expected in recent months. ME Bank expects house prices in the Queensland capital to fall by 15 per cent from peak to trough, compared with its June forecast of an eight per cent decline.

CORPORATES
ME BANK, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Inner-city suburbs fall to pre-COVID levels

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 35 : 24-Aug-22

CoreLogic has identified 11 inner suburbs of Sydney in which the median house price is now lower than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is headed by Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, where the median price has fallen by 6.7 per cent and 6.5 per cent respectively since March 2020. The median house price in 46 inner suburbs of Melbourne has also fallen since the onset of the pandemic. This includes a 14.2 per cent decline in South Melbourne and a 12.3 per cent fall in St Kilda. Eliza Owen of CoreLogic says prices in more suburbs are likely to fall below pre-COVID levels as the housing market downturn gathers pace.

CORPORATES
CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

One in five mortgagors will struggle to pay 3pc rate rise

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 & 30 : 10-Aug-22

Comparison site Finder estimates that the average mortgage interest rate would rise to 5.85 per cent if the cash rate reaches 2.5 per cent. Finder’s Richard Whitten says recent home buyers in particular will struggle to make mortgage repayments if the cash rate continues to rise. A survey by Finder has found that one in five people with a mortgage would find it hard to make repayments if their interest rate increased by three per cent, while many would consider selling their home. SQM Research MD Louise Christopher cautions that selling in a downturn would be an added challenge for distressed home owners.

CORPORATES
FINDER.COM.AU, SQM RESEARCH PTY LTD

House prices going south at record rate

Original article by Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 & 32 : 16-Jun-22

Investment bank Jarden is bearish about the outlook for Australia’s housing market. The firm says house prices could fall by 15-20 per cent from peak to trough, including a decline of around five per cent by the end of 2022. Chief economist Carlos Cacho says the prospect of higher interest rates will accelerate the downturn in the housing market, and he warns that Melbourne and Sydney are likely to experience an even large decline in dwelling prices. Cacho also anticipants a sharp decline in building approvals.

CORPORATES
JARDEN AND COMPANY

Housing market hits record $9.9 trillion

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 39 : 16-Mar-22

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that the total value of the nation’s housing stock rose to a new high of $9.9 trillion in the December quarter. This is $512.6 billion higher than in the previous three months, with growth of 4.7 per cent in national dwelling values. Brisbane recorded 9.6 per cent growth in housing values during the December quarter, while Adelaide and Melbourne recorded growth of 6.8 per cent and 3.9 per cent respectively; however, growth in Sydney slowed to 4.1 per cent. Meanwhile, dwelling prices rose by 23.7 per nationally in the year to December.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Warning of city unit shortage as migrants return

Original article by Mackenzie Scott
The Australian – Page: Online : 7-Jan-22

Housing Industry Association chief economist Tim Reardon suggests the lack of recent new development of city apartments will become evident in 2022 as Australia’s national borders reopen and migrants and international students return. Australian Bureau of Statistic figures reveal that just 76,000 townhouses and apartments were approved in the year to October, some 12 per cent below the decade average. Residential housing development has been more popular than higher-density living options like apartments and townhouses during the pandemic, due to the health aspects associated with residential housing and strong housing stimulus packages.

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Big cities tipped to lead fall in prices

Original article by Ben Wilmot
The Australian – Page: 3 : 25-Nov-21

SQM Research has forecast that growth in residential property prices will slow in the first quarter of 2022 before falling in the second half of the year. SQM Research MD Louis Christopher says there are signs that the national housing market is nearing its peak, adding that the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority could further intervene in the mortgage market as soon as December. SQM Research has also forecast that Sydney and Melbourne will record the biggest fall in house prices.

CORPORATES
SQM RESEARCH PTY LTD

Rental affordability crisis looms as borders reopen

Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 & 34 : 24-Nov-21

A report from JLL warns that demand for rental housing in Australia will exceed supply in the medium-term, as state and international borders reopen in the wake of the pandemic. Leigh Warner of JLL says there has been a lot of focus on housing affordability, but rental affordability is set to become a major issue. Demand for apartments in particular is expected to exceed supply in the next few years, with a seven per cent decline in pipeline of new projects during the September quarter.

CORPORATES
JONES LANG LASALLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Housing boom enters twilight

Original article by Valerina Changarathil
The Australian – Page: 3 : 23-Nov-21

The Commonwealth Bank expects seven per cent growth in house prices in Australia’s capital cities in 2022. However, head of Australian economics Gareth Aird says the nation’s residential property boom is nearing its end, and he forecasts that house prices will fall by 10 per cent in 2023. However, he notes that this will merely see house prices return to current levels. Prices in Sydney and Hobart are tipped to decline by 12 per cent, while the housing markets in Melbourne and Canberra are forecast to fall by around 10 per cent. The ANZ Bank recently forecast that house prices will fall by four per cent in 2023.

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ