Blog & Insights
Tariffs & Australian Property
Property prices in Melbourne will be affected by the current world economic reset. Stock markets will settle down once the new order is absorbed and understood. The war of words and table thumping will continue over coming weeks and months. New agreements and...
New Real Estate Laws Passed
The first of two planned changes to real estate laws in Victoria has now passed in parliament. Mainly focussed on rental laws, it also increases the penalties for underquoting to up to $47,422 per offence. Included in the rental changes is the removal of “No Reason”...
Melbourne Property Market: What’s Ahead for 2025?
The Melbourne property market has faced some challenges recently, but there are signs of stability and opportunities for homeowners looking to sell. With economic and policy changes in play, 2025 is shaping up to be a year for some positive change. While interest...
Overlooked Paperwork Might Prove Costly
In one recent change ALL properties sold in Australia must have 15% of the sale price withheld at settlement and given to the tax office unless a tax clearance certificate is provided. This was previously in place if the value exceeded $750,000 and at a rate of 12.5%...
Suburban Rail Loop WILL Change Property Values
Whether we want it or not, the SRL seems to be happening. But it will cost tens of billions of dollars we don’t have. So, where will it come from? The State Government hopes to get some of the money from the Federal Government, but this relies on being able to make an...
A Quiet Year for Rates and Property Prices in 2024
Expect a lot of speculation on one further rate rise in February and even possibly the following review. The RBA will certainly be keen to keep speculation active, as they want consumers to remain cautious with their spending. But it is now quite unlikely that there...
Underquoting Still Rampant in Real Estate
Despite a crackdown announced in September 2022, underquoting is still widespread in Melbourne. This is despite Consumer Affairs (CAV) having issued fines of over $1 million over the 15 months since they activated a taskforce to target offenders. At $11,000 per...
Property Depreciation
Do you realise that significant tax deductions are available on older properties, not just new ones? A recent publication shows that even for homes built pre-1987, the average claimable deduction is over $5,000 in the first year. There is a popular misconception that...
The Effect of the State Budget on Property
It was with disappointment that we observed the announcements in this week’s budget that are targeted at “multiple” property owners in Victoria. Whilst we view this super-tax on investors as unreasonable and excessive, the Government has gotten itself in significant...
Why Automated Valuations Can’t Be Trusted
Auto price valuations or estimates are becoming quite common. Their widespread use on sites like realestate.com.au (REA), realestateview, Domain and even CoreLogic give the impression of providing reliable advice. It isn’t. Whilst a useful tool to provide a very broad...
Property Price Slide Slowing – But When Will It Turn?
We haven’t hit bottom yet and there’s still more to come. But there are signs the fall won’t be as long or far as predicted. We’ve seen the predictions of drastic falls. Almost all economists are clustered around 20% from top to bottom this cycle. Some even 30- 40%....
Sleepwalking Into a Crisis
Residential rents are currently rising and will continue to do so. Affordability is plummeting and government policy is actively making it worse. Affordable housing has become something of a hot topic for governments and there have been some laudable actions taken by...