Which two capital cities might have just hit their property price peak?

 

It's a three-speed property market across the country right now, with two capital cities showing signs prices might've peaked, three cities looking like they could soon peak, and three still going strong. How is the market performing in your neck of the woods?

According to the latest CoreLogic figures, while national housing prices have increased a staggering 20.6% over the past 12 months, every capital city and broad 'rest-of-state' region is now recording a slowing trend in value growth.

However, some areas are faring better than others, as we'll run you through below.

Possibly peaked: Sydney and Melbourne.

Sydney and Melbourne showed the sharpest slowdown in February, with Sydney (-0.1%) posting its first decline in housing values in 17 months (since September 2020), while Melbourne's housing values (0.0%) were unchanged over the month.

That's a pretty big drop off for Sydney in particular, which recorded 0.6% growth in January, while Melbourne recorded 0.2%.

A major contributing factor to this slowdown is now more property stock for buyers to choose from.

In Melbourne, advertised stock levels are now above average and tracking 5.5% higher than a year ago, while in Sydney, the advertised stock is 6.3% higher than last year.

CoreLogic's director of research Tim Lawless says more choice translates to less urgency for buyers and some empowerment at the negotiation table.

"The cities where housing values are rising more rapidly continue to show a clear lack of available properties to purchase," Mr Lawless explains.

It is potentially peaking soon: Perth, Canberra and Darwin.

The three capital cities that showed signs of slowing down in February – but not yet peaking – are Perth (0.3%), Canberra (0.4%) and Darwin (0.4%).

To put those figures into context, in January, Perth (0.6%), Canberra (1.7%) and Darwin (0.5%) all recorded higher housing growth figures.

And over the past 12 months, Perth (8.3%), Canberra (23.8%) and Darwin (12.3%) have all performed quite strongly.

It is still going strong: regional areas, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.

Conditions are easing less noticeably across Brisbane (1.8%), Adelaide (1.5%) and Hobart (1.2%).

Similarly, regional markets have been somewhat insulated from slowing growth conditions, with five of the six rest-of-state regions continuing to record monthly gains of over 1.2%.

The stronger housing market conditions in Brisbane and Adelaide, in particular, can be seen in the quarterly growth figures, with Brisbane housing values rising 7.2% over the past three months and Adelaide up 6.4% over the same period.

So while Brisbane and Adelaide have slowed down a touch, a shortage of listings in those markets is helping to keep pushing prices up.

"Total listings across Brisbane and Adelaide remain more than 20% lower than a year ago and more than 40% below the previous five-year average," explains Mr Lawless.

"Similarly, the combined rest-of-state markets continue to see low advertised supply, 24.9% below last year and almost 45% below the five-year average."

Need help to finance your 2022 home purchase?

With property prices slowing down around the nation, now's a good time to take stock and work out what you can and can't afford over the year ahead – be that buying your first home or adding to your investment portfolio.

And part of that process is finding out your borrowing capacity before you start house hunting, so you don't stretch yourself beyond your limits.

So if you'd like to find out what you can borrow – and therefore afford to buy – get in touch today.

We'd love to sit down with you and help you map out a plan for your 2022 finance and property goals.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether public or personal, nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not consider your situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

How 1-in-10 first home buyers cracked the market 4 years sooner

Almost 33,000 Australians bought their first home four years sooner, thanks to two federal government schemes that give first home buyers a leg up into the property market. Could you, or someone you know, be eligible?

We love a feel-good news story around here.

And hearing that so many first home buyers got a leg up into the property market much sooner than they ever dreamed makes us feel pretty warm and fuzzy.

The federal government released figures on the popular First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS) and New Home Guarantee (NHG) initiatives this week.

The data showed that the two initiatives supported 1-in-10 first-time homeowners during the 2020-21 financial year.

And on average, the schemes allowed those first home buyers to bring forward their home purchases by four (FHLDS) to 4.5 years (NHG).

Hold up, what are these first home buyer schemes?

The FLDS allows eligible first home buyers with only a 5% deposit (rather than the typical 20% deposit) to purchase a property without forking out for lenders' mortgage insurance (LMI).

This is because the federal government guarantees (to a participating lender) up to 15% of the value of the property purchased.

Not paying LMI can save buyers anywhere between $4,000 and $35,000, depending on the property price and deposit amount.

The NHG scheme is very similar but is only for new builds – such as house and land purchases or a land purchase with a contract to build.

Another key difference is that the NHG property price caps are higher (see here) to account for the extra expenses associated with building a new home.

So who's using the schemes?

Mostly younger buyers!

According to the latest stats, 58% of all buyers under the schemes are under 30-years-old.

NSW (11,000 residents) and Queensland (9,000 residents) make up nearly two-thirds of the scheme's recipients.

And it turns out that most first home buyers who secured a spot in one of the schemes used a mortgage broker (56%).

But for the NHG scheme specifically, brokers originated the vast majority of government guarantees (72%).

How to secure a spot

We've got good news. And a bit of not-so-good information.

The good news is that for the NHG, only 2,443 of the 10,000 spots had been secured as of October 6 – so there's still the opportunity for eager first home buyers wanting a new build.

The not-so-good news is that spots in the FHLDS are almost full for the latest round released on July 1.

Figures show that 7,784 of the 10,000 spots have already been secured, and word is that participating lenders have waiting lists for many of the remaining spots.

That said, if you're a single parent, there's a third, similar scheme called the Family Home Guarantee (FHG), which allows eligible single parents with dependants to build or purchase a home with a deposit of just 2% without paying LMI.

Only 1,023 of 10,000 spots have been secured in the FHG, for which you don't need to be a first home buyer.

Last but not least, it's worth noting that the FHLDS is an annual scheme with new spots expected to be available from July 2022 – and previously, the federal government made a surprise announcement to release 10,000 additional places in January.

So if any of the above schemes are of interest to you, get in touch with us today, and we can run you through everything you need to know about them so that you're ready to apply when the time comes.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether public or personal, nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not consider your individual situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

 

Flood victims can defer loan repayments for up to 3 months

Home and business owners impacted by the floods in New South Wales and Queensland can apply to their lender for a three-month loan deferral or reduced payment arrangement. Here’s how to use it if you or someone you know has been impacted.

Another year, another disaster.

In 2019 it was the bushfires. In 2020 it was COVID-19 (which, you know, is still hanging around). In 2021 a mice plague. And now, to kick-off 2022, we’ve had half the eastern seaboard inundated with floods.

Fortunately, just as they did for the bushfires and COVID-19, lenders offer up to three months deferral on loan repayments for those customers affected by the flooding disasters in NSW and Queensland.

“Once the worst of the emergencies are over, and the clean-ups begin, we want Australians who have been impacted to know their bank is ready with tailored support to assist as they recover,” says Australian Banking Association CEO Anna Bligh.

“Don’t tough it out on your own. Loan deferral or reduced repayment arrangements for home, personal and some business loans are being offered across individual banks.”

What are some of the options available for flood victims?

Depending on your family’s or business’s circumstances, assistance from your lender may include:

– Deferring scheduled loan repayments on home, personal and some business loans for up to three months.

– Waiving fees and charges, including early access to term deposits.

– Debt consolidation to help make repayments more manageable.

– Existing Restructuring loans are free of the usual establishment fees.

– Offering additional finance to help cover cash flow shortages.

– Deferring upcoming credit card payments.

– Emergency credit limit increases.

Government grants and financial support

There’s also a range of federal and state government financial grants your household or business might be eligible for, including:

– Australian government disaster recovery payment: eligible individuals can claim $1000 per adult and $400 per child. If you’re in NSW, click here, QLD click. A further $2000 per adult and $800 per child is available for residents in Richmond Valley, Lismore and Clarence Valley.

– Australian government disaster recovery allowance: a short-term payment of up to 13 weeks for eligible people for the loss of income. NSW click here and QLD click here.

– NSW disaster relief grant for individuals: financial assistance to eligible individuals and families whose homes have been damaged by a natural disaster. Click here or phone 13 77 88.

– NSW storm and flood disaster recovery small business grant: eligible small businesses can apply here for a grant of up to $50,000 to help pay for the costs of clean-up and reinstatement.

– QLD emergency hardship assistance grants: grants of up to $180 are available per person and $900 for a family of five or more. Click here or call 1800 173 349.

– QLD essential household contents grant up to $1,765 for eligible single adults and $5,300 for families to replace/repair (uninsured) household contents. Click here or call 1800 173 349.

QLD structural assistance grant grants up to $10,995 for eligible single adults and $14,685 for families for one-off (uninsured) structural home repairs. Click here or call 1800 173 349.

– QLD essential services safety and reconnection grant: up to $200 for a safety inspection and, if required, up to $4200 to repair/reconnect essential services. Click here or call 1800 173 349.

– QLD extraordinary disaster assistance recovery grants: up to $50,000 grants for small businesses that experienced damage from the flooding event. Click here or call 1800 623 946.

We’re also here for you.

Last but not least, it’s also worth noting that there are both refinancing and/or loan restructuring options you can explore to reduce your business or home loan repayments each month (without hitting the pause button).

These include:

– asking for a better rate or moving to a lender that can provide one;
– extending the length of your loan; and
– consolidating your debt.

So if your business or household is one of the many doing it tough right now and you need a little breathing space, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call today – we’re here and ready to assist you any way we can.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether public or personal, nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not consider your individual
situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Australian Economy 2020 Outlook

Driving growth

Interest rates look set to go lower, but will it be enough to break the consumer strike? How do regulators kick-start the country's stubbornly sluggish economy? A leading economist says the answer could be for the Government to get out of the way of small business in 2020. BetaShares's chief economist David Bassanese thinks the Government should focus more on supporting the nation's small businesses, rather than throwing money at households in the hope they will spend it. Despite record low interest rates and more than $5 billion in tax offsets pumped back to low and middle-income earners late last year, household spending has remained stubbornly low. "When you give money to households, you rely on them spending and not saving it. But households are telling us they don't want to do that. They're saving the tax cuts and the interest rate cuts,"Mr Bassanese says, pointing to high levels of household debt and a focus on paying down borrowings. "A far better solution, I think, is to have more productivity-enhancing reforms. Reduce regulation and red tape. "The compliance burden for taxes in Australia is very high by global standards. More pro-competition changes to the economy and an improved tax system would give businesses more of a competitive edge." The Business Council of Australia is running a campaign asking business owners to share personal stories of how excessive red tape or regulation has held their business back. The lobby group claims excessive regulation - in areas such as payroll tax, licensing, trading hours and approvals - costs the economy $176 million each year. Echoing these sentiments, Mr Bassanese says relieving some of the burden on small business could help drive employment growth, boosting wages and getting the economy out of a seemingly intractable catch-22 in 2020. "Consumer spending can't really fire until wages pick up, and wages can't pick up until the economy is firing. So, you need a circuit breaker to do that - something that can stimulate growth and push the employment rate up rather than down," he says. At present the unemployment rate is 5.2 per cent and expected to drift higher this year, while the RBA estimates it needs to fall to around 4.5 per cent to fire wage growth. "The underlying weakness with the economy is household income growth. That's been a feature for several years and it's finally caught up with households and they've decided to cut back their spending," Mr Bassanese says. Where wage growth will come from is the big question. Australia has had nearly three decades of recession-free growth driven by a mining boom and a property boom. "We don't have a replacement for either of those at the moment," he says. While economists don't believe Australia's enviable record is in danger, the grinding pace of growth is causing some to question whether more levers should be pulled to kick the economy up a gear in 2020. Next month the Reserve Bank is expected to deliver another interest rate cut, taking the cash rate to an unprecedented low of 0.5 per cent, with another cut mooted for May to 0.25 per cent. After that, RBA governor Philip Lowe has said quantitative easing could be an option to buy up bonds and push interest rates down. But economists are concerned monetary policy alone cannot fire economic growth, with many calling for fiscal stimulus from the Federal Government, urging tax cuts be brought forward along with infrastructure projects. Like his peers, Mr Bassanese is hopeful that - despite a laser focus on delivering a surplus - the Government may come to the party. One possibility is that weakness in the economy, combined with additional spending on the bushfire crisis, could undermine predictions for a slim surplus this year, leaving the door open for a spending boost. "If they can't deliver a surplus, they may turn a negative into a positive by undertaking more fiscal stimulus," he says. Another possible boost to the economy in 2020 may come from a significant fall in the Australian dollar as global growth recovers and US-China tensions ease. "I'm calling the Aussie dollar to fall to 62 cents next year," Mr Bassanese says. Others have pegged it around 65-70. A low dollar would be good news for exporters, along with the country's tourism sector and retailers located in tourism hot spots. Winners and losers With more of the same trends continuing in 2020 - low wages growth, low inflation, and unemployment drifting higher - business conditions will remain fairly stable. Retailing and businesses that rely on discretionary spending - restaurants and cinemas - will continue to feel the pinch. "The housing construction area is going through a downturn now which is likely to last through much of 2020." Mr Bassanese says. On the flip side, commercial and infrastructure construction looks set to remain strong and mining investment is beginning to pick up, which will benefit businesses servicing the mining industry. International Tourism could also be a bright spot in 2020, although the Australian Tourism Council has flagged concerns about how global media coverage of the bushfire crisis could impact the country's image overseas. Want Regular update signup for our Quarterly Newsletters

Data Security - Don't call us. We'll call you.

Data Security - Don't call us. We'll call you.

How the data explosion can help you find customers before they even know they're looking for you. Australia has reached peak smartphone, according to a recent survey that reports more than 90 per cent of adults have one. And what's more, we can't leave them alone - with many of us checking our screens more than 50 times a day. This device addiction, coupled with staggering amounts of personal information gathered by titans such as Facebook and Google, has created a wave of data business owners can ride all the way to the bank, marketing experts say. Ross Meadows, managing director of digital marketing agency Media Booth, says new techniques leveraging this data to micro-target consumers are incredibly powerful and cost effective. But many SME owners simply aren't aware of them. "When we go to a business, about 80 per cent of our job is actually educating them about what is possible," Mr Meadows says. Data surpassed oil as the world's most valuable resource in 2017, with good reason. "It's stupidly powerful and if businesses aren't using it, they're crazy," Mr Meadows says. One of the fastest-growing trends in data is using location information to target consumers through either geo-fencing or geo-targeting. These take advantage of the fact most phones not only log users' online profile and search habits (through Facebook and Google), but record their home address and track their physical movements through GPS or phone towers. Combining this data allows advertisers to target the right people (by age, gender and interests) at the right time (when they may be actively searching for your product) and in the right location (by where they live or have visited). While it sounds complex, Mr Meadows says it is actually an incredibly cost-effective way for SMEs to advertise, because they're only paying to reach an ideal demographic, rather than thousands of people who may not be interested. It's a laser focus, compared to an old-fashioned scatter gun approach. Used cleverly, these tools can help SMEs compete against larger companies with big budgets and better brand awareness. So, what is the difference between geo-fencing and geo-targeting and how can SMEs use them effectively? Geo-targeting This is the more personalised of the two tools and is used to find a 'look-alike audience' - that is, consumers who fit the same demographic profile of a business's existing customer base. (To gather this data businesses need to ensure they are using code such as Facebook pixel on their website.) The starting point is a location. Geo-targeting leverages the IP (Internet Protocol) address of phones and computers - so it targets people where they live. After selecting focus suburbs, the audience is refined according to data points such as age, gender, relationship status, interests and income (depending on how much data they have shared online), then ads are delivered via Facebook or Google to this select audience. This approach gets an extra boost from the fact people often find ads targeted to their interests (for example books, or home renovation) useful, rather than annoying. A recent Media Booth campaign aimed to find a look-alike audience to promote a new range of reading glasses for a large Sydney firm, Mr Meadows says. The company drilled down to a highly targeted demographic of potential customers and smashed the goal. "The campaign was supposed to run for two weeks but it got turned off after two days because they sold out," he says. It's important to note marketers never see an individual phone user's identity, with data profiles anonymised by providers. Geo-fencing By contrast, geo-fencing focuses purely on location - so where a consumer is, rather than who they are. It's a sphere where the most ingenious marketing is taking place. To geo-fence a zone, business owners draw a virtual ring around target areas on a digital map and push ads out to devices detected entering or leaving that defined area. The technique uses real-time GPS tracking data - often running in apps such as Google Maps - that have become so accurate, the latest iterations can pinpoint a user to within 30cm of their location. In the past, this technique has been used by small retail businesses, particularly cafes, to lasso local foot traffic. However, the increased accuracy of location data has spawned some more exciting guerilla marketing trends. In 2018, digital marketing agency Ansible launched the Dealer Stealer campaign for Hyundai which involved geo-fencing the address of rival car dealerships and pushing Hyundai ads to users' phones. It's the digital equivalent of running into a competitor's shop and handing out flyers. Geo-fencing is particularly effective because research indicates 82 per cent of consumers search products in-store before making a purchase - providing the perfect opportunity for your ad to be served. Mr Meadows says he also geo-fences trade shows to hit specific target markets. "I've got one coming up next month and I will geo-fence the entire thing because it's a small to medium business event. I will put a circle around the event and pump out ads," he says. At a recent event, Mr Meadows said attendance was 45,000 and data indicated his ads were pushed out to 38,000 users. "That's only 7,000 people who didn't actually see it. That's staggering numbers,'' he says. It's a cost-effective way to market to consumers who have already signalled an interest in your product or service, and the potential is boundless. Lawyers could geo-fence police stations, physiotherapists could focus on gyms, and pet shops or vets could target dog parks. Its use is limited, at present, only by imagination and the growing accuracy and scope of data.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise for Small Business

Healthy, wealthy and business wise

Taking care of business begins with taking care of yourself. New Year is a time people traditionally focus on health, but a new campaign aims to help business owners recognise their personal health and business health are inextricably linked. The My Business Health portal, launched in December, is a collaboration between small business and mental health advocates to gather financial and wellbeing advice for SMEs in one place. The portal is hosted on the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) website. Ombudsman Kate Carnell says the portal addresses concerns common to SME owners, from cash flow to HR, alongside prevalent health issues such as anxiety and depression, because one often triggers the other. "Many small and family business owners may not be aware that the very worries that are keeping them up at night - be it cash flow, staff-related concerns or paying suppliers - can actually cause high levels of psychological distress. That can have a serious impact on both mental and physical health," she says. A recent MYOB report revealed 56 per cent of small business owners feel running their own business has caused them anxiety or depression, with most saying this is largely a result of worries about financials and cash flow. Ms Carnell says the launch was particularly timely, with the ongoing bush fire crisis impacting many regional small business owners. "In bushfire-ravaged communities, small businesses are under enormous pressure," Ms Carnell says. "Some of these small and family businesses have lost everything and for the ones who still have a premises to operate from, their usual summer trade has been heavily impacted. "Small business owners will be focused on getting back on their feet over coming months but I would encourage them to take a moment to consider their mental health and access the free resources on the My Business Health web portal to help them through this difficult time." Finding an appropriate work-life balance is often a major issue for small business owners, Ms Carnell says. Research indicates working more than 39 hours a week can have a significant impact on mental health. Meanwhile, more than one quarter of small business owners report clocking up in excess of 50 hours a week. Making time for personal relationships and spending time away from work can improve an SME owner's perspective on their business. "It is really, really important to keep some focus, some balance between your personal life and your business life. That involves taking a step back and thinking strategically about where you're going and what is the most appropriate way to go," Ms Carnell says. The web portal - prepared with input from Beyond Blue, EveryMind and small business owners - aims to help business owners get an overview of where they are at professionally and personally, with links to some fast assessment tools. An app that benchmarks a business's financial performance against others in the same industry. A five-minute survey that assesses personal wellbeing and a two-minute business stress test. The My Business Health portal allows SME owners to access practical information and links to a range of business and health resources under four categories. Cash Flow: Dealing with tax and debts, grow your business, financial fitness test, and accounting, budgets and cash flow. People Power: Staff solutions, business relationships, friends and family, build your networks, and health and safety. Business Toolbox: Take a business stress survey, get business advice from an expert, planning and registrations, marketing your products and services, and work-life balance. Recharge and Reach Out: Take a five-minute wellbeing check-up, reach out to a support service, listen to podcasts, get help, and plan for a mentally healthier business. The project strikes a chord for Ms Carnell, deputy chair of Beyond Blue and a former small business owner. "The tough thing about small business is, it's personal and it's pretty all encompassing," she says. "What I saw as a small business owner and a pharmacist was just how often mental health issues impacted on small business." SME owners have a habit of putting their own health last, to the detriment of their business. "Mental health issues happen in all walks of life but where the impact is even worse is in the small business owners' space. It can take down the whole business." she says. The My Business Health portal was established with support from a $3.7 million Small Business Mental Health funding package announced by the Federal Government in 2018 to address the needs of the nation's 2.2 million small business owners. As part of this ongoing program, Beyond Blue has also launched a guide for family, friends and financial advisors of small business owners to help support owners in distress. Often, a fellow business owner may be the first to notice an associate is struggling. The guide contains practical advice on how to broach the sometimes-tricky subject of mental health, along with what to do if their approach is rebuffed.