API Australian Property News

Is now the time to buy in the US?

Mon, 21 May 2012 16:33:08 +1000

With fresh talk that the Australian dollar could fall below US90 cents if Greece pulls out of the Eurozone, some investors might be wishing they’d taken advantage of the high Aussie dollar when they had the chance and snapped up a bargain or two in the US.

Queensland property market on the rise

Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:21 +1000

Queensland’s property market is finally clawing its way back, posting positive results for the first time in 18 months.

Rate cuts boost homebuyer sentiment

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:38:18 +1000

Buyers in Australia are more confident about buying a house or apartment now than they were six months ago, according to the latest CBA/Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia Home Finance Index.

Builder confidence on the rise

Fri, 18 May 2012 11:25:32 +1000

Sentiment in the building industry is on the up and expected to be more positive over the next 12 months, according to The Citi Australian Residential Housing Survey – May 2012.

Housing bonds the solution for more rentals?

Thu, 17 May 2012 15:11:10 +1000

Australia’s National Housing Supply Council estimates up to 20,000 new affordable dwellings per year are required over the next 10 years to retain a healthy affordable housing, share and housing bonds for investors could be the solution to fund them, according to a report by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

Olympic Dam expansion under a cloud – perhaps

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:43:46 +1000

Property experts Terry Ryder of hotspotting.com.au and South Australian TAFE property adviser Peter Koulizos have shrugged off suggestions the Olympic Dam mine expansion won’t go ahead.

NT’s bid to grow population

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:28:59 +1000

Zero land tax and downsizing incentives to free up land lots with development potential were the golden nuggets revealed for property investors in the recently handed down Northern Territory 2012-13 Budget, according to Darwin-based buyers agent Tod Peterson of Peterson’s Property Search.

Tax hike ‘hurts foreign investment’

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:51:49 +1000

Australia is at risk of alienating foreign property investors after the Federal Government announced plans to double taxes on investment trusts, one group has warned.

Why first homebuyers should think like investors

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:46:56 +1000

Many first homebuyers spend months and months looking for the property they’ll fall in love with to call home for, well, at least the next few years.

Australian commercial property ‘safe haven’

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:52:39 +1000

Investors from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China are turning to the Australian commercial property market in search of higher rental returns, according to CommercialAsia.com.

Light switches on in Rockhampton

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:15:58 +1000

Since API profiled Rockhampton in its April issue this year as the next place to watch, the city’s residential property market has started sizzling with buyer numbers at open home inspections tripling and tenant competition firing up for rentals, according to Prime Properties Rockhampton principal Todd Brandon.

Renting out rooms a popular option

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:44:11 +1000

One in three homeowners have considered renting out their spare room to help pay their mortgage, a poll has found.

Slim pickings for property in this year’s Budget

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:34:55 +1000

The Federal Government missed an opportunity in this year’s Budget to support the ailing property and construction sectors, lobby groups say.

Global recovery looming

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:39:47 +1000

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) says global economic concerns are improving and fears of a second global financial crisis were unrealised in 2011.

Bargain investments under $500,000

Thu, 03 May 2012 12:32:31 +1000

Following a cooling-down period, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast currently offer the greatest bargain shopping for astute investors, with the ability to potentially secure two rental properties on a $500,000 budget, according to a recent national property report released by Herron Todd White and Westpac.

Victoria scraps first homebuyer bonuses

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:31:37 +1000

Victoria’s residential property market faces a fresh blow after the government announced it would wind up first homebuyer bonuses from July 1, to help reduce the state’s budget deficit.

Housing affordability improves

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:59:02 +1000

With house prices falling slightly and rents growing across capital cities, owning an investment property is becoming much more affordable.

Rental demand in Queensland heating up

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:53:22 +1000

Rental vacancy continues to tighten across Queensland, with the majority of cities now seeing vacancy rates fall to below three per cent, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).

RBA slashes interest rates

Tue, 01 May 2012 15:06:06 +1000

The Reserve Back of Australia has announced a cut to the official cash rate by 50 basis points, to 3.75 per cent, for the first time since last December

South Australia steps up its mining projects

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:55:28 +1000

South Australia is fast becoming the mining magnet for Australia, with another major uranium mining development in the state’s far north given the go ahead.

HIA calls for rate cuts

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:57:45 +1000

The Housing Industry Association is calling for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to cut interest rates tomorrow by as much as 50 basis points.

Hobart and Launceston move at different speeds

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:52:33 +1000

Rental vacancy rates continue to climb in Tasmania while prices trend downward, according to the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania’s March report. For the month to March 2012, the statewide vacancy rate saw a 0.3 per cent jump to 4.1 per cent.

New landholder duty proposals in Victoria

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:23:12 +1000

Landholder duty proposals in Victoria jeopardise property investment, according to the Property Council of Australia.

ClimateSmart Home Service scrapped

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:37:10 +1000

The Queensland ClimateSmart Home Service has been scrapped by the State Government, seven months before it was due to finish.

Signs of life in housing market

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:51:37 +1000

The housing market experienced modest but encouraging price growth in the first quarter of the year, according to new data.