In a move designed to tackle housing affordability, Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched a new, multi-billion-dollar agency, Build Canada Homes, to increase the supply of affordable family properties. Build Canada Homes will directly intervene in the housing market by partnering with the private sector. The new strategy aims to increase the supply of affordable…
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With the strongest September sales numbers for four years, the real estate market has started its fall season with a sense of optimism. While many headlines have pointed to deals dipping 1.7% compared with August, the reality is that our market is susceptible to the occasional surprise. Lower sales numbers were recorded in the key…
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For a property market in which buyers are staying away in the belief prices may fall further, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest it’s time to stop standing on the sidelines. A new survey from the industry researcher Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) says so-called “mum and dad” investors are back, quickly becoming 25% of all buyers.…
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The significant 0.5% reduction in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) last month is now expected to spur on the New Zealand property market as buyers continue their cautious approach. The rate is now just 2.5%, down from 5.5% in July of 2024. And this stimulus is expected to fuel not just the property sector but…
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If you’re a first homebuyer, scouring the spring market seeking a mix of value and investment, you might be wondering whether the Government has done you a favour by offering to underwrite up to 15% of your home loan. The seemingly generous scheme, called the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS), allows first-time buyers to purchase with…
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First homebuyers have added impetus to make a deal before the end of the year with new data showing that rents are on the rise again. The average rent is now $702 a week in Australia’s capital cities, which is 25% above the five-year average. Regional rents, while less expensive, are still not cheap. The…
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Debate about whether it’s better to buy a new home or an established property is as old as the real estate sector itself. New homes have an inherent value because they should have fewer maintenance costs and challenges, although that’s not always the case. They should also benefit from modern design and convenience. With older…
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If you’re an Eastern states investor, you’d be forgiven for thinking most properties are sold at auction. Yet, that’s far from the truth. Two of the nation’s fastest growing markets – Adelaide and Perth – don’t “do” auctions. In the last week of September, for example, there were just three auctions in the whole of…
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The rental shortage that caused such an outcry in the aftermath of Covid is back with the national vacancy rate at just 1.47%. Scarcity of rental properties is forcing many Australians to look for new, longer term leases for fear they are going to have their current ones terminated by landlords seeking higher rents. A…
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In a new landmark survey, industry leaders and investors have raised significant concern about the burden of real estate tax increases being imposed by state governments and local councils. A third of all members of the Property Council of Australia (32%) put taxes and charges at the top of their concerns in the sixth annual…
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