Key Points

• First Home Buyer demand continues to fuel the market & confidence is cascading upwards.
• Rental Vacancy Rate continues at around 1.3% which is half the historical average.
• Early indications suggest increased listings over the next 3 months.
• Increasing enquiry & purchases from Hong Kong & Chinese buyers.
• Buyers continue to prefer variable mortgage rates to fixed rates.
• There are some early signs of recovery in the hard hit US & UK residential markets.

 Bottom up Residential Recovery Continues

The Sydney market has split itself more by price bands than the traditional geographic segmentation with a bottom up recovery well... READ MORE >

Used with permission of Switzer Media + Publishing.

A few years ago, particularly in 2003 and 2004 when the boom was in full swing and prices were skyrocketing, we saw a strong trend in buyers looking for unrenovated properties.

Smart, owner-occupier investors saw them as a way to get into the market at a time when prices were generally inflated. They could pick up a bargain property that was perfectly sound but in need of some attention, renovate accordingly and enjoy the benefits of a short term capital gain.

Times have changed. Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics are showing a large... READ MORE >