An increasing number of data series have been turning negative for Australia’s housing market. Auction clearance rates, building approvals, housing credit growth, and even house prices themselves appear to have topped. Anecdotes are popping up of units being resold far below their original purchase value, or with significant incentives offered... Show More
We have seen a plethora of analyses in recent weeks from investment banks such as UBS, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup sounding warning bells on the domestic housing market and data from the latest CoreLogic Home Value Index suggests that the Melbourne and Sydney markets are now firmly in retreat. Show More
April was a volatile month indeed – or so you would think if you have been following the news. While sensationalised reporting generates readership, a comprehensive assessment of the data often doesn’t support the narrative. Show More
In our latest 50-page report for funds and institutional investors, Chemical Change, we’ve conducted a detailed consideration of shifts in mortgage lending standards, and the likely outcomes from these changes. Highlighted below are three immediate implications. Show More
Check out our key takeaways from Amazon’s Innovation Day, plus catch up on other notable things that happened around the world this week, and what it all means for you and your investments. Show More
In Australia, many cities have enjoyed a prolonged period of house price increases. As a result, it's safe to say a large number of Australians have fallen in love with residential investment property as an asset class. Show More
Over the past 15 years Australian house prices have been on an incredible run, resulting in Australian households becoming some of the most indebted in the world. So what is the economic cost of Australia’s sky high property prices and what could it mean for property prices in 2018? Show More
Should you rent or buy? It’s the classic housing dilemma. However, with property prices being as high as they are, renting is increasingly looking like a more attractive option. While renting can be the more affordable option in the short term, it can also be the smartest – particularly when... Show More
Here are ten things that I think will shape the global and Australian economies in 2018, and that expect I’ll be talking about at conferences and events over the course of the coming year. Show More
The recent house price data from Corelogic are showing further falls in house prices. The falls are, disconcertingly, most evident in Sydney where prices have dropped 0.5 per cent so far in January, which brings the aggregate fall since the September 2017 peak to a chunky 2.9 per cent. This... Show More
We should expect to see variations around the country for residential housing in 2018. For example, the Hobart market is extremely tight and there will be ongoing price gains there, and some peri-urban regional markets in New South Wales & Victoria are tracking well. Overall, though, access to credit is... Show More
Isn’t it time we changed the dialogue around millennials and money? Moved away from berating them for their supposed avocado-eating, latte-sipping, globe-trotting habits and offered some pragmatic strategies for building a sustainable financial future? We certainly think so. It’s why we’ve broken down 5 investing tips for millennials looking for... Show More
There seems to be a theme developing in the Australian market at the moment. We have further evidence of a cooling in the housing market, and a coincidental lift in the value of the ASX hinting that those with money to invest are avoiding the ultra-expensive, low yielding housing market,... Show More
Some of the brightest economic and investment minds in the business debated the big macro-economic issues at our latest Crestone Investment Forum. Read on for insights from Jacob Mitchell, Brett Gillespie, Vimal Gor, Dr Phillipp Hofflin, Robert Mead, Dr Michael McCorry, and Stephen Halmarick. Some of the key takeaways are... Show More
In the board game Monopoly, research has shown that on average, the orange squares are among the best investment propositions on the board. Monopoly might be just a game, but identifying and buying the orange squares in real life – those with the best return on capital, and opportunities for... Show More
Livewire caught up with Giselle Roux, CIO at Escala Partners, to discuss the implications of elevated housing valuations on the wider economy. These include the effect on the retail sector through reduced levels of discretionary income, as well as two other key areas. Show More
Property has been a major source of wealth building over the last couple of decades. And has been the vehicle of choice for “Mum and Dad” investors. Show More
If CoreLogic’s daily home price data prove accurate, Sydney and Melbourne property prices are both about to post a negative month. The Sydney index is today reading 1,095, down from 1,108 on 30th April, for a 1.2% fall. The Melbourne index is today reading 889, from 904 on 30th April,... Show More
Will a slump in house prices be the straw that breaks the economy’s back and be the trigger for an economic hard landing in Australia? Probably no, but it is a question that will likely dominate the news over the remainder of 2017 and into 2018. Show More
In assessing the property price outlook, it’s really just looking at first principles of supply and demand. From my perspective, there’s no ‘ah-ha’ statistic or ‘bucket of dead canaries’ as such. However, CoreLogic recently released figures that showed that across Australia’s capital cities there is 4.4 months’ worth of properties... Show More