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According to the most recent PropTrack Market Insight Report, an intriguing trend has emerged within the Queensland property market: a notable 53.3% of all residential properties are now cheaper to purchase than rent. This figure stands in marked contrast to the national average of only 36%. In February this year, the national figure was just 9.1%. The differences among these figures prompt a couple of important questions: What factors underlie this trend and what ramifications might it create for markets moving forward?

You’ve probably heard that over a 7-10 year period, the value of Australian real estate will always double like clockwork. It’s a common rule of thumb. But just how true is this? Does the pattern of history prove this to be false? Or is it indeed an accurate, high-level precis of the market’s intricacies? To begin with, it’s important to understand what is required for a house to double in value. It sounds extraordinary, but thanks to the power of compounding, a house price doubling over 7 years requires an annual growth rate of just over 10.2%, while a 10-year period needs only 7.2% growth each year.

The concept of the boom-bust cycle has a long history. In fact, it goes all the way back to a major stock market crash known as the Panic of 1825, when large investments failed in several South America countries (including a fake country!). The crisis led to the collapse of 12 banks in Britain alone and was felt across Europe and both American continents. Until this point, economists had generally believed that economic downturns were the result of purely external factors, like war – but the situation in 1825 didn’t seem to fit this rule. Swiss economist De Sismondi was first to point this out and thus give rise to concept of the “boom-bust”, or economic cycle. The idea being that capitalist economies are subject to continual cycles of economic expansion and contraction.

Suppose you’ve got $2 million to invest in property. What would your approach be? Spend it all on one house? Or split it across a couple? Have you ever considered how price point can impact a property’s performance? One House or Many? Each approach has distinct pros and cons.

In our previous article, we described the current window of opportunity for investors, particularly within markets like Brisbane.   Among other things, our theory of continued momentum is built upon the ongoing supply-demand imbalance, coupled with the apparent market resilience displayed during the current rate hike cycle. With expectations that interest rates will soften by late 2024, the market seems poised for an imminent bump in prices – making now a seemingly excellent time to buy.   But, looking closely at Brisbane, what indicators are there of growth beyond the next few years?

As we edge ever closer to the new year, Australian property just might be shaping up for an impressive surge in late 2024. To understand why 2024 will be such an important year for property, read on: Demographic Drive It’s been shaping the property narrative for some months now, and Australia's burgeoning population will remain the cornerstone of the property’s price ascension. The Demography group, Informed Decision, estimates that by 2041, Australia’s population will burgeon by 7.4 million, mandating the construction of two million additional homes.

As of most recent mid-2022 figures, it was reported that Australia has “the third-highest house price-to-income ratio in the world” up at 8.5. Back in June 2001 this figure was just 4.5. In Tasmania, an average wage is currently enough to afford just 5% of homes, the lowest percentage of any state, though it isn’t a whole lot better elsewhere. According to a recent PropTrack report, even a six-figure income is enough to afford just 13% of homes, while a household income of $64,000 a year is enough for only 3%. Current forecasts indicate that these figures will continue to deteriorate.

Everyone knows the old adage, “crime doesn’t pay”. But is it true for the property? And how much attention should property investors pay to crime rates? You might expect that fewer people want to live somewhere with a high crime rate, meaning high crime causes the property market to suffer. But this isn’t always the full story. A large body of academic research indicates an obvious causal relationship between property prices and crime, and some similar results have been identified here in Australia.