Empower Blog Property & Financial Investment

Housing Affordability Dramatically Improves

Housing affordability improved by 14.6% in the March quarter according to the HIA - CBA First Home Buyer Affordability Report The largest improvements were recorded in Hobart, Adelaide, and Sydney. According to the report, a combination of the boost to the First Home Owners Grant, record low interest rates and relatively stable house prices mean...

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RBA Rates Decision – May 2009

The Reserve Bank decided to keep it powder dry this month and left the cash rate on hold at 3.00%.  They are taking this neutral position in light of seeing what effect the rate cuts made earlier this year are having on the economy.  The overall consensus of the market is that the cash rate is still forecast to drop to between 2.50% and 2.00% lat...

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To Fix or Not to Fix – ‘The question on everyone’s mind…..’

Depending on long term funding costs and increased demand for fixed loans, fixed mortgages can actually go up when the cash rate / variable mortgages are going down, as we have seen just recently. Fixed interest rates don’t automatically move in the same fashion as variable mortgage rates do. So in my attempt to make an informed comment on this ...

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The ‘NOISE’ is back – Property Prices Falling

The latest REIV median house prices for Victoria were released on Saturday and the media responded with all the noise we have come to expect.  Toorak properties prices fall by over 20%, Albert Park down over 10% for the quarter etc, etc.  However, as usual the ‘details’ were somewhat overshadowed by the sensationalist headlines and 30 seconds...

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What’s happening in Easter this year?

A shortage of good property and increased interest from First Home Buyers leading up to the June 30 deadline for the Boost Package to lapse is making it hard going for both home buyers and investors in the ‘quality’ locations both in Melbourne and within all major Australian Cities. My comment is twofold this month: 1. Staying the course:...

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RBA Rates Decision – April 2009

The Reserve Bank announced today that the Cash Rate would be cut by 25 basis points to 3.00%. This decision brings rate to record lows, as Australia’s economy moves into recession, after a record period of economic growth. The big question is will the banks be passing on any of this latest cut, as they are still claiming the costs of funds ...

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Where will the ‘Smart Investors Money’ go in 2009?

The Stock Market is shaky with both the ASX and NYSE pushing below 15 and 12 year lows respectively, as I write my comment piece this month. The low cash rate correlates to reduced bank interest returns for money invested in Term Deposits or Savings Accounts. The same goes for Government bonds. The media continues to talk up the doom & gloom...

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Positive Cash Flow Property

Given the well documented shortage of available residential property to house our growing population, rents have been on the increase for some years now.  In fact, rents across Australia grew by 9% last year and forecast figures quoted in 2007 were for rents to increase by as much as 50% over the next 5 years, whether that figure actually material...

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RBA Rates Decision – March 2009

Today the RBA announced it will keep interest rates on hold for the month of march @ 3.25% In these interesting times it has only taken the RBA since September 2008 to drop the cash rate by 4.5%, when in the last tightening cycle it took them just under 6 years to raise the cash rates 3%, so maybe such a dramatic reduction to date is allowing th...

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The Year Ahead…

February is the start of the mid-year reporting season for Publicly Listed Companies, so it promises to be an interesting month regarding stock price movements and overall market sentiment for 2009. It’s fair to say that given the market has retreated by around 40% from its highs of 2007, some analysts have been quoted that they believe the re...

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RBA Rates Decision – February 2009

Following its first board meeting of the year, the Reserve Bank has slashed interest rates by 1 full basis point bringing the cash rate down to just 3.25% This is the 4th consecutive cut since September last year bringing the cash rate down a total of 3.75 basis points in just 5 months – the most dramatic drop in history. Let’s wait and s...

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