Spring refresh: 7 things to do inside and outside your home

3 September

Spring has a way of making us look at our homes differently. After months of colder weather, closed windows, heavier fabrics and less time outdoors, the arrival of longer days and warmer temperatures creates the perfect opportunity for a reset.You...[Read More]

Property market to face ‘deeper correction’, bank warns

3 September

Australia’s largest home lender has warned property prices could fall in capital cities by 10 per cent, with the downturn faster and broader than expected.The Commonwealth Bank said in a housing update it expects a deeper correction in the...[Read More]

‘Green light’ for rate hike as GDP growth surprises

3 September

Australia’s economy grew by 2.1 per cent in the last financial year, cementing the odds for another rate rise as the economy proves more resilient than the Reserve Bank expects.Gross domestic product expanded by 0.4 per cent in the June quarter,...[Read More]

Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills

2 September

Australian renters are being slugged almost $440 million a year to stay connected to gas, analysis has shown, even though landlords control whether their properties remain on the network.Rewiring Australia released the finding on Friday and called...[Read More]

‘Hot mess’ inflation result puts rate rise on the table

27 August

More interest rate hikes are on the cards after Australia’s headline inflation rate came in higher than expected, despite falling to its lowest level in eight months.The consumer price index rose one per cent in July, resulting in the annual rate...[Read More]

AI boom, productivity malaise making RBA’s job harder

20 August

The surge in artificial intelligence investment and Australia’s sluggish productivity growth rate are forcing the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates higher, a top central bank official says. Speaking two days after the RBA kept the cash rate...[Read More]

Early days but a door is opening for first home buyers

20 August

A dive in new home loans to property investors is an “encouraging sign” Labor’s changes to negative gearing and the capital gains discount are working as intended, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says. The number of investor loans fell 8.6 per cent...[Read More]

‘Hawkish’ RBA open to more hikes after holding rates

13 August

The Reserve Bank has left the door open to more interest rate hikes as it held the benchmark lending rate steady for a second straight meeting. Falling house prices and lower-than-expected inflation helped convince the central bank’s...[Read More]

When interest rates move: Is your home loan still right for you?

20 August

For most Australians, a home mortgage is one of the biggest financial commitments they will ever make. Yet once the loan is established, it can be surprisingly easy to simply keep making the repayments without regularly asking whether the loan is...[Read More]

House-hunters face spring sale shortage in market slump

13 August

Would-be home buyers hoping to snag a bargain could face a shortage of options during the usually busy spring sales season as owners try to ride out a price slump. Auction clearance rates have rebounded from recent multi-year lows, rising to a...[Read More]

Modular homes rollout to hasten build times, cut costs

26 August

A modular home factory will receive $120 million in taxpayer backing to turbocharge the fledgling industry and solve Australia’s housing shortage. The investment in Built Living – a 50:50 joint venture between Australian contractor Built and...[Read More]

Foreign property purchases fall as home buyer ban bites

26 August

Purchases of Australian property by overseas investors have plunged after the government announced a ban on foreigners buying Australian homes. The number of investment approvals fell by more than 22 per cent to 5284 in 2024/25, the Productivity...[Read More]

‘Softer than we thought’: RBA’s admission on inflation

6 August

Surprise inflation data, which came in lower than expected and below the central bank’s own forecasts, was due to softer fuel prices, according to the RBA’s chief economist. Figures released on Wednesday revealed headline inflation for June fell...[Read More]

Housing affordability rises as price downturn continues

6 August

Three decades of home prices outpacing incomes could be over as Australia’s housing market downturn widens. The market recorded the largest single-month decline in home values in almost four years in July, data released by property analysis firm...[Read More]

Surprise inflation drop eases chance of RBA rate hikes

30 July

Falling inflation levels have defied Reserve Bank predictions, alleviating fears another interest-rate hike is imminent. The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed headline annual inflation falling to 3.8 per cent in June, down from four...[Read More]