Good news on the unemployment front keeps coming, demonstrating Australia’s economic resilience. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February is just 4% – a fall of 0.2% on the January number, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). It’s the lowest figure since August 2008 and only the third time unemployment has been 4%…
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How the Federal Budget could impact your business Measures to ease cost-of-living pressures and increase economic confidence were centrepieces of an $8.6 billion spending program in the recent Federal Budget, handed down on the eve of the election campaign by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. The big headline-grabbers were a 22.1c cut in fuel excise until September…
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First-home buyers have had a boost in the recent Federal Budget as housing affordability takes the spotlight in the upcoming election campaign. The Home Guarantee Scheme, which guarantees mortgages for first-time buyers and single parents, has been increased by 50,000 places and extended beyond its original June closure. The First Home Guarantee enables first-time buyers…
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One of the first and biggest decisions you need to make when you’re applying for a home loan is whether you want a fixed or variable interest rate. Your decision can depend on several factors, such as your financial goals, whether rates are predicted to rise or fall, and the purpose of your loan. With…
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Nobody is showing more confidence in the immediate future of property than investors. The latest data shows a 6.1% rise in the value of housing loans made to investors in January according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A total of $11 billion was loaned to investors – that’s a new record and the…
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The difference in the average price of a house and an apartment has never been bigger according to CoreLogic – but that situation may not last. This means that if you’ve been considering purchasing an apartment, now could be a good time to act. With three capital cities now boasting $1 million-plus average house prices,…
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There are a lot of events that have impacted Australia’s economy in 2022 – we’ve all seen the cost of living increasing, plus the uncertainty brought about by the prospect of an interest rate hike or the widespread consequences of war in Europe. However, according to Chief Economist at Ray White, Nerida Conisbee, these are…
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The size of your credit card debt won’t be high on your list of concerns when you begin to plan to buy your first property. But while it can have a fundamental impact on the size of a mortgage you’ll be offered. You’ll have to declare to a lender all your outgoings and debts. The…
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With so much talk focusing on the prospect of rising interest rates, you may be wondering whether you should lock-in a fixed-rate deal before the Reserve Bank makes its move. Speculation that rates will rise later this year is no reason for sleepless nights, but it’s a great reason to find out whether a fixed-rate…
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First-time buyers are often confused by some of the terminology and language used by real estate agents, mortgage brokers and lenders. When you’re preparing to make one of the biggest purchases in your life, working out all the jargon that goes with property-buying can get overlooked. But it can be the difference when it comes…
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