Australian home value declines hit record lows
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Australian home value declines hit record lows

Australian homeowners brace as we may not have reached the bottom of the cycle yet

By Robyn Willis
Mon, Jan 9, 2023 10:39amGrey Clock < 1 min

Australian home values have hit a record low, data from CoreLogic has just revealed.

The CoreLogic Daily Home Value Index showed a -8.4 percent decline on January 7 after a high on May 7 2022, exceeding the previous record of peak-to-trough declines of -8.38 percent between October 2017 and June 2019.

Australian homeowners may be in for further declines, with more falls expected.

CoreLogic says last year’s consecutive rate rises following on from a 300 basis point increase in the cash rate are responsible for the sharp fall as borrowers struggle to finance home purchases.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has increased the cash rate in an attempt to draw down inflation in 2023.

Increasing strain on households, CoreLogic notes that right now Australians are carrying more debt than through historic periods of rate rises. In addition, post lockdown spending and higher inflationary pressures may have resulted in less household savings which could be used as a home deposit.

The three largest capitals have experienced the greatest falls, with Sydney seeing a peak-to-trough decline of -13 percent, followed by Brisbane on -10 percent and Melbourne at -8.6 percent. To put the falls in perspective, the significant drops follow an unprecedented national home value rise of 28.9 percent between September 2020 and May 2022. At the end of last year, CoreLogic data shows that home values were still 16 percent higher than they were five years ago.



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First time buyers determined to enter the Australian property market are taking creative approaches as interest rates steady

By Bronwyn Allen
Thu, Mar 28, 2024 2 min

Aspiring first home buyers are increasingly pooling their resources, adopting new strategies and making compromises to get themselves onto the property ladder, according to research from Westpac. About 56 percent of buyers surveyed are planning to buy their first property jointly with their partner compared to 40 percent three years ago. Three in four buyers say they are willing to compromise on location, up nine percent from three years ago, and 47 percent are willing to pay lenders mortgage insurance to buy their first home sooner.

Additionally, one in two first home hopefuls are considering ‘rentvesting’, whereby they purchase an investment property first ahead of a home for themselves. In this scenario, buyers typically continue renting in expensive lifestyle locations where they want to live and buy an investment property in more affordable locations, often on the outskirts of major cities or in regional areas.

The 2024 Westpac Home Ownership Report, released this month, is based on a survey of 2,015 Australians conducted in January. The report revealed increasing intentions to buy among all types of buyers, with 44 percent intending to buy in the next five years, up from 35 percent in July 2023. This may reflect expectations that interest rates have peaked, with the Reserve Bank keeping rates on hold since December.

Among first home buyers specifically, there was a slight decline in purchasing intention over the next five years, with 86 percent delaying buying a home due to cost-of-living pressures. The survey also found that more people are planning to buy an investment property, which is reflected in recent finance data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing a 20 percent increase in the value of investor loans issued over the past year. Additionally, more people are planning to upsize their homes or renovate their existing homes.

Westpac managing director of mortgages Damien MacRae said first home buyers “are becoming more ruthless with their goals”. “They understand it’s a big task, but they are determined to break into the market and are willing to compromise to get there,” Mr MacRae said.

Buyers still prefer houses, but there has been a five percent decline in this preference since 2021 and a seven percent increase for apartments. Preference for a townhouse, or house and land packages, has increased markedly. “Buyers are casting their expectations wider, willing to compromise on location and are forgoing everyday luxuries like food delivery. They are also more inclined to relocate and move to apartment living.”

The latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index released this week shows the ‘time to buy a dwelling’ index rose 4.9 percent to 77.8 out of 100 this month, which is a 15-month high, but still relatively weak overall. Buyer sentiment is notably stronger in Victoria at 84.3, with Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan pointing to softening home values over the past four months.

In contrast, the NSW index is at 73.3 out of 100, likely reflecting affordability challenges in Australia’s most expensive market. “Nearly 70 percent of consumers expect housing prices to continue rising in the year ahead,” Mr Hassan added.

 

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