Mortgage Stress Intensifies In May
Rental stress also heightened throughout the month.
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The proportion of households experience mortgage stress has increased in NSW and Canberra during May according to analysis by Digital Finance Analytics (DFA).
It comes as sky-high home prices continue to stretch family finances with 41.3% of NSW households now in mortgage distress – a rise from 38.2%. Mortgage stress is when an average home buyer is using more than 30% of their income to cover repayments.
Elsewhere, 42% of Canberra families struggled, a rise from 38.3% over the same period.
The rise in mortgage stress can be likely attributed to the ending of JobKeeper in March.
This was acutely felt in Tasmania, where 56.8% of households were in mortgage stress.
The market was not any more accommodating in the rental segment with rental stress also surging across all states except the Northern Territory.
Rental stress in may jumped by 4.59% in Canberra, 3.46% in NSW, 3.46% in Victoria and 3.29% in Queensland.
“There was a significant rise in rental stress, as the fallout from the removal of renter protections hit, and the JobKeeper and JobSeeker support ended,” Mr North, Director of DFA said.
Rental stress, similar to mortgage stress, occurs when a person pays more than a third of their income on rent.
The number of households in rental stress nationwide rose from 1.78 million in April to 1.95 million in May.
“Until incomes rise, the conditions are set for more pressure on household finances,” Mr North forewarned.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
2 min
Former Aussie Rules player Jeff Chapman’s dream beach house, which has had its praises sung by The Independent in the UK, is back on the market with a revised – and more competitive – price guide.
The contemporary pavilion-style residence Alinghi, created by celebrated architect James Grose, was voted one of the top five beach houses in the world by the British newspaper and has been operating as a luxury holiday rental earning up to $7000 a week.
The one-time Melbourne forward and founder of Bennelong Funds Management, and his wife Carena Shankar, listed the five-bedroom getaway back in mid 2024 with hopes of about $8 million. The prestige property is now back with new agent Pauline Karatau of Ray White New Farm and the amended guide now sits at $6.5 million.
As part of the private 5ha Rocky Point estate, at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef overlooking Honeymoon Bay, the glamorous holiday home shares not only a private beach with just four other neighbours, but also a 30m saltwater pool, a full-size tennis court, a beach cabana with barbecue facilities and a full-time live-in caretaker on site.
Alinghi seemingly floats against the cliffs of North Queensland’s Capricorn Coast consisting of two pavilions and shallow reflections pools for ultimate serenity. Residence number 5 is home to a two-storey main pavilion with large living spaces spilling onto semi-enclosed areas framing enviable ocean views. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, including two with ensuites. The second pavilion is a private retreat housing the main bedroom suite with an additional study or wellness space.
Crafted by Grose to leave minimal impact on its natural environment, the house features external materials sourced locally including rich cedar, plus glass and Travertine stone specifically chosen to blend and weather with the landscape over time.
The low maintenance property is also relatively self sufficient thanks to water tanks collecting the region’s abundant rainfall. Despite it’s northern Queensland address air-conditioning is an after-thought due to the clever cross-ventilation design principles and deliberate orientation capturing ocean breezes that flow through the large footprint.
Alinghi’s external lightning has also been carefully designed to be low voltage with minimum impact upon the local wildlife including wallabies, echidnas, goannas, turtles and even a diverse range of native birds. From the private terraces throughout winter, homeowners can also track the migratory whales.
Alinghi is a 90-minute drive away from Agnes Waters and its sister town of 1770 (also known as Seventeen Seventy). It is approximately 120kms from Bundaberg, which is home to a well-serviced domestic airport.
Alinghi is listed for sale with a price guide of $6.5 million via Ray White New Farm agent Pauline Karatau on 0418 733 773.
This stylish family home combines a classic palette and finishes with a flexible floorplan
Just 55 minutes from Sydney, make this your creative getaway located in the majestic Hawkesbury region.
