Bank of mum and dad the biggest factor in young Australians entering property market, research finds

Original article by Abhranil Hazra
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 22-Mar-23

Research undertaken by the Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute shows that financial assistance from their family has become crucial for many younger Australians to buy their own home. The research found that some 40 per cent of Australians in the 25-34 age group expect to rely on money from their parents to help them to buy a home. Lead researcher Laurence Troy says people without access to such financial support could potentially be locked out of home ownership. The survey also found that unstable and low incomes are a major hurdle to saving for a house deposit.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN HOUSING AND URBAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE

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

Homeowners rush to refinance their loans

Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Oct-22

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that a record $19bn worth of home loans were refinanced in August. This is five per cent higher than in July, and 10 per cent higher than a year ago. Owner-occupiers refinanced some $12.8bn worth of home loans, while property investors refinanced $6.1bn worth of loans. The figures also show that new mortgage loan commitments fell 3.4 per cent to $27.4bn in August; there has been a 15 per cent decline in housing loan commitments since the Reserve Bank started increasing the cash rate in May.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Solo buyers a growing force in the housing market

Original article by Nila Sweeney
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 24-Jun-21

Solo first home buyers accounted for 38 per cent of ME Bank’s home loan applications in 2020, up three per cent on the previous year. Single women accounted for 49 per cent of all solo home loan applications, down one per cent on the previous year. ME Bank also reported that single men made their first home loan application at the average of 32 in 2020, down from an average age of 35 in 2018. Single woman took out their first home loan application at the average age of 34 in 2020, also down from an average age of 35 in 2018.

CORPORATES
ME BANK

Housing boom to lift economy

Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 12-Feb-20

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that there was 4.4 per cent growth in new home loan approvals in December. This was the biggest monthly increase since September 2016, and well above economists’ expectations of 1.6 per cent growth. Mortgage approvals increased by 14 per cent year-on-year. Factors such as the three official interest rate cuts in 2019 and a relaxation of lending restrictions in April have contributed to increased demand for home loans, with owner-occupiers accounting for much of the growth.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

First-home buyers surge back for a foothold as market rises

Original article by Nila Sweeney, Larry Schlesinger
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 29 : 7-Nov-19

Real estate developers note that their recent land releases in new housing estates have attracted strong demand among people who are buying their first home. Nigel Edgar of Frasers Property says first-home buyers now account for 35-45 per cent of its sales, compared with just 15 per cent when the residential market was at its peak in 2017. Likewise, Luke Fryer of Metricon says sales to first-home buyers increased by 25 per cent in the three months to September. Off-the-plan apartments are also attracting interest among first-home buyers.

CORPORATES
FRASERS PROPERTY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, METRICON HOMES, HIGHLAND PROPERTY GROUP, VIRGATE, WOLFDENE, BIS OXFORD ECONOMICS PTY LTD, JINDING DEVELOPMENTS

Buyers told to chance the market

Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Jul-19

The federal government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is slated to commence on 1 January, and it will initially be restricted to 10,000 borrowers. Housing Minister Michael Sukkar says the government may be open to expanding the scheme if it is popular. He adds that if possible, prospective buyers should step into the housing market now rather than waiting for the scheme to begin, as there are signs that the market is improving. Sukkar is confident that unlike first-home buyers’ grants, the scheme will not have a distortionary impact on the housing market.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL HOUSING FINANCE AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA

Housing loan growth at decade low as squeeze hits

Original article by Nick Lenaghan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 12-Jul-19

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that housing finance approvals declined by 2.4 per cent in May 2019 and 20.9 per cent in the year to May. Lending to owner occupiers was down 2.7 per cent in May and 18 per cent over the year, while lending to investors fell by 1.7 per cent and 27.8 per cent respectively. However, the monthly figures also show that there was 0.8 per cent growth in housing finance for owner-occupiers who were buying their first home.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, DOMAIN HOLDINGS AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX DHA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, COUNCIL OF FINANCIAL REGULATORS

Affordability issue persists in spite of falls

Original article by Su-Lin Tan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 33 : 7-Dec-18

The proportion of income needed to meet mortgage repayments fell by 0.8 per cent Australia-wide in the September quarter, according to the latest Adelaide Bank/REIA Housing Affordability Report. However, despite falling house prices, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, housing affordability is down when compared to 2017. UBS has suggested that a looming credit crunch and more stringent lending conditions could restrict future buyers to loans that are no more than six times their household income; this means housing affordability may not improve even if house prices continue to fall.

CORPORATES
UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY, THE REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, ADELAIDE BANK

House price tumble steeper than tipped

Original article by Robyn Ironside
The Australian – Page: 2 : 7-Jun-18

The ANZ Bank’s latest housing market report notes that the national auction clearance rate averaged 58 per cent in May, compared with 66 per cent in February. ANZ warns that the downturn means house prices may not rebound as strongly as the bank had previously forecast. ANZ now expects the downturn in house prices to be larger than forecast, noting that the slowdown has gathered pace in recent months. Housing Industry ­Association data also highlights the decline in sales of new homes in 2018.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED