Housing prices up: insurers go to war

Original article by Greg Brown, Jack Quail
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 26-Aug-25

Modelling produced by Lateral Economics suggests that the federal government’s proposed expansion of the home guarantee scheme will adversely affect the first-home buyers it aims to help. The government will allow such people to buy a home with a deposit of just five per cent, and without the need for lenders mortgage insurance. The report, which was produced on behalf of the Insurance Council of Australia, concludes that the policy will result in house prices rising by between 3.5 per cent and 6.6 per cent nationally within its first year. ICA CEO Andrew Hall says house prices will rise by more than the cost of lenders mortgage insurance.

CORPORATES
LATERAL ECONOMICS, INSURANCE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

LVR loans aren’t bad: Genworth

Original article by Alice Uribe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 4-May-17

Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia has posted a statutory net profit of $A52.2m for the March 2017 quarter, down from $A67.3m for the same period in 2016. Meanwhile, CEO Georgette Nicholas notes that mortgages with high loan-to-value ratios can be appropriate, provided there is sufficient oversight. Nicholas adds that loans with high LVRs are often essential for first-home buyers, and she warns that a crackdown on such loans may prompt people to seek higher-risk loans.

CORPORATES
GENWORTH MORTGAGE INSURANCE AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX GMA, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY