We hope you had an amazing Easter long weekend and the Easter Bunny was very generous! March was an exciting month in the property world. In the latest CoreLogic report, the national home value recorded the fastest pace of capital gains in 32 years. In March, we have also seen the busiest week for auctions since the week prior to Easter 2018.

Interest rate news

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decided to keep the official cash rate unchanged at 0.10 per cent at its 6 April meeting. The Board also decided to the maintain the current policy settings, including the yield on the three-year Australian government bond, as well as the parameters of the Term Funding Facility (TFF), and the government bond purchase program.

The COVID-19 support measures such as the JobKeeper wage subsidy, HomeBuilder scheme and loan repayment deferrals ended in March but will likely have a minimal overall impact on the housing market according to realestate.com.au Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee. “We can see that the economy is well on track and the conditions are very strong at the moment,” she said. RBA Governor Philip Lowe said that housing markets have strengthened further, with prices rising in most markets. “Given the environment of rising housing prices and low interest rates, the Bank will be monitoring trends in housing borrowing carefully and it is important that lending standards are maintained,” Lowe added.

Home value movements

CoreLogic’s home value index saw prices rise by 2.8 per cent across all capital cities and the rest of state regions in March. This has been the fastest rate of appreciation since October 1988 at 3.2 per cent.

For the first time in a year, growth in housing values were stronger in the capital city (2.8 per cent) than the regional markets (2.5 per cent). Sydney recorded the highest jump in housing values at 3.7 per cent in March and 6.7 per cent over the first quarter of the year. Hobart (3.31 per cent) and Canberra (2.79 per cent) among the strongest performing markets where dwelling values increased by more than 2.5 per cent in March. The dwelling values for the rest of the capital cities also increased: Melbourne (2.37 per cent), Brisbane (2.35 per cent), Darwin (2.31 per cent), Perth (1.81 per cent) and Adelaide (1.51 per cent).

CoreLogic data shows that the housing market strength is being supported by a disconnect between demand and supply. Total advertised listings has remained very low because of higher buyer demand. “The ratio of sales to new listings is tracking at around 1.1, implying for every new listing added to the market, 1.1 homes are sold. Such a rapid rate of absorption is keeping overall inventory levels low and adding to a sense of FOMO amongst buyers,” CoreLogic’s Head of Research, Tim Lawless said.

Pre-approvals are more important than ever

In today’s market, it is very important to see us to get a pre-approval on your loan before you start shopping for a home. Don’t be tempted to put down a deposit before you see us – let us confirm your borrowing capacity to help protect you from risks. A pre-approval will help you move quickly when you find the right property and negotiate strongly to get the right price. Call us for a chat about your plans today.

Additional sources:
https://www.corelogic.com.au/research/monthly-indices 
https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/rates-remain-hold-tighter-credit-conditions-loom 
https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/busiest-week-auctions-week-prior-easter-2018 
https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2021/mr-21-04.html 
https://www.realestate.com.au/insights/how-the-end-of-government-stimuli-will-impact-the-property-market 
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/the-end-of-jobkeeper-and-covid-support-wont-derail-housing-boom 
https://www.corelogic.com.au/news/national-home-value-index-rises-its-fastest-pace-32-years

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This article provides general information only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend that you consider whether it is appropriate for your circumstances and your full financial situation will need to be reviewed prior to acceptance of any offer or product. It does not constitute legal, tax or financial advice and you should always seek professional advice in relation to your individual circumstances. All loans are subject to lenders terms and conditions – fees, charges and eligibility criteria apply