Source:  Brisbane Times Brisbane is booming as babies are born and southerners began to flee lockdowns for the Sunshine State's (usually) COVID-free lifestyle. Brisbane's population grew by 1.9 per cent during 2019-20, recording the highest growth rate of all capital cities, according to new Australian Bureau of Statistics data. ABS demography director Phil Browning said Brisbane was closely followed by Perth, with a population growth rate of 1.8 per cent. Third was Mel...

Source: First National Real Estate According to CoreLogic, Australian home values surged 2.1% higher in February; the largest month-on-month change in the national home value index since August 2003. A combination of record low mortgage rates, improving economic conditions, government incentives and a significant shortage of inventory has created a broad-based boom across the housing market nationally.

Values rose in every capital city, and throughout each state regionally, confirmin...

Source:  Corelogic Housing values continued to rise through the first month of 2021 with CoreLogic's national home value index up 0.9% over the month.  The January movement takes Australian home values to a fresh record high. Housing values have surpassed pre-COVID levels by 1.0%, and the index is 0.7% higher than the previous October 2017 peak. Every capital city and broad rest-of-state region recorded a rise in housing values over the month, ranging from a 2.3% surge acr...

Source:  REIQ With an unprecedented year, came an unprecedented rental market. From tight vacancy rates through to increased median rents, we conclude 2020 with a prediction that Australia will experience the largest rental boom in history. We delved into the latest Queensland Market Monitor to capture the top 2020 rental market insights and spoke to Propertyology Head of Research, Simon Pressley, to understand what we can expect in 2021. A 2020 WRAP UP Demand for rental properties h...

Source - Corelogic There has been a high level of interest as to whether the pandemic has spurred housing demand in regional markets of Australia. Housing market data is partially suggestive of this, especially across the largest capital cities. Rental value increases are positively correlated with greater distance from the CBD for the largest capital cities. The latest CoreLogic indices show growth across regional housing markets is higher than the capital cities in both quarterly and ...

Source:  Courier Mail A ban on immigration could make the next few months a great time to buy a house, with COVID-19 sparking conditions not seen in 40 years. A COVID-19 induced ban on immigration is set to see Australia hit a giant population slump, the likes of which we have not seen in four decades, according to market experts, Fitch Ratings. In a research note, Fitch Ratings predicted Australian house prices would fall by 5 to 10 per cent in the next 12 to 18 months as a resu...

Source:  Australian Property Journal

RATINGS agency Fitch is forecasting house prices will decline by 5-10% over the 12 to 18 months due to lower immigration but economists disagree and believe the housing downturn will soon come to an end and they predict values could rise by up to 15% in 2021. Fitch noted that immigration was already slowing prior to the outbreak of the pandemic but numbers have plunged due to the government's stricter controls on international travel to com...

Source: Illion New data released today by illion shows the important role coffee is playing in helping COVID-weary Aussies cope with the daily grind. Whether it's a time-honored cappuccino or a trendier macchiato, cafephiles in Sydney and Melbourne continue to feed their cravings for fresh ground caffeine in the suburbs. Sydney Coffee consumption in Sydney City, has fallen. However, the traditional latte lines of Sydney have increased their suburban café spending, with th...

Source:  Carter Capner Law In September 2007 Derek Eckford and wife Gale were enticed by a sign advertising the sale of undeveloped lots in the Avalon@Coolum estate. They drove up to the hilly subdivision to find the site office and were instantly attracted by the panorama that extended in the distance to the east, the Pacific Ocean and to the south, Mount Coolum. The sales brochure handed to them showed 17 of the 60 blocks including lot 10 on which the Ken Guy Rea...

Source:  Australian Property Journal - Nelson Yap OVER 14,000 tenants across Queensland impacted by COVID-19 have requested rent reductions significantly higher the state government's estimates of 3,950 with Brisbane landlords and renters bearing the brunt. According to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), agents have been involved in negotiating temporary reduced rents on behalf of more than 14,000 rental tenants with their landlords. REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella s...