News Archive
04 August 2009
House prices in 'healthy rebound'
AUSTRALIAN house prices may be on the rebound with the latest house price index rising 4.2 per cent in the June quarter.
The figures come as the Reserve Bank left its official cash rate on on hold at 3 per cent, as widely predicted by the market.
In a statement released after the announcement, governor Glenn Stevens said the risk of "severe contraction" in the Australian econo... read news item »
04 August 2009
RBA at end of rate cutting cycle: experts
THE Reserve Bank of Australia has left interest rates on hold for the fourth month in a row and signalled the end to its recent rate cutting cycle, economists say.
The central bank left the cash interest rate at three per cent after its board meeting on Tuesday in a decision that was widely expected.
In a statement accompanying the decision, RBA governor Glenn Stevens indicated m... read news item »
03 August 2009
Turn your home into a green machine
THE rising cost of electricity and water, as well as a growing awareness of living sustainably, is driving people to look at how they live.
While some are prepared to renovate existing homes or start building with sustainable aspects such as passive solar design, rainwater tanks and smart energy systems, others can see the benefits of turning off appliances at the switch.
Robert Caulf... read news item »
03 August 2009
House price rises spark boom on north shore
THE upper north shore was Sydney’s strongest performing district during the June quarter, with house prices rising 8.9 per cent to a $620,000 median.
The increase was more than double the overall Sydney rise of 3.7 per cent to $547,200, in what was the first quarter of growth since the global financial crisis struck in late 2007.
Prices are up 4.2 per cent in Canterbury-Bankstown t... read news item »
02 August 2009
Units outdo free-standing neighbours
THE Sydney property market is officially out of the doldrums, housing indicators show and in a trend not seen for over a decade, unit values are rising faster than free-standing homes.
And in a trend not seen for over a decade, unit values are rising faster than free-standing homes, driven mostly by investors attracted by higher rental yields and affordability.
Residex figures show ... read news item »
01 August 2009
The price of luxury
The levies may seem steep, but many residents are willing to pay for a safe and happy lifestyle.
A strata levy of $19,562.61 a quarter is believed to be the most expensive in Sydney. It's paid, probably not surprisingly, by the owner of a penthouse in the CBD.
Such an amount dwarfs the levies of between $600 and $1500 a quarter paid by 80 per cent of strata-titled apartment owners in ... read news item »
28 July 2009
GOOGLE faces property ads war
GOOGLE is facing the greatest challenge yet to its might in Australia as two of its largest media customers threaten to pull their business in retaliation against the internet company's decision to enter the real estate listings market.
Fairfax Media and News Ltd are independently weighing up whether to pull the millions of dollars they collectively spend on buying key search terms on Google fo... read news item »
15 July 2009
Bust edges back to Boom
The property market is back, or so we've been led to believe by a recent run of data that shows property prices across the nation have been increasing over the past year.
In part aided by the first-home buyer grant at the lower end and lower interest rates for all buyers, house prices, as measured by the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Australian Home Value Index, rose by 0.9 per cent in May and 1.... read news item »
07 July 2009
Morningstar Morning Note
As the Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed course to mark a gain on Monday, investors lifted member American Express on an upgrade, played defence with Merck and displayed foreboding toward Alcoa.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 44.13 points (0.5%) to 8,324.87, just 3.1 points from its session high and after being down as much as 74.75 points, or 0.9%. The S&P 500-index gained 2.3... read news item »
07 July 2009
Property prices up 4 per cent this year
House and unit prices climbed 3.9 per cent over the first five months of 2009, all but cancelling out the losses incurred last year, according to figures from RP Data and Rismark International.
Values climbed in every mainland capital city except Perth during the five months to the end of May, the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Index suggests.
The national median price for all dwellings sits at... read news item »