Archive for the ‘Investment Property News’ Category

Mark Mendel

Australian Property Outlook for 2010

Australian Property Outlook for 2010

I hope everyone had a fantastic break over the festive season. We at Find Investment Property wish everyone all the best for 2010.

In the first week of the year, the Australian Financial Review had a summary of each of the property markets across Australia. Below is a brief summary from each of the stories that appeared in the paper from the 4th January through to the 8th January 2010. The articles cover the Melbourne Property Market, Sydney Property Market, Queensland Property Market, Western Australian Property Market, Tasmanian and the Adelaide Property Markets.

In each of these articles, the journalist has interviewed a few people in the relevant states property industry that may have some bias towards each state, thus all pushing a positive sentiment for their respective property markets.

Having said this I do think they all have good arguments for why buying in each area should see capital growth occur in 2010.

Melbourne Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Cameron Anderson, a Director at Red C and Canopi Homes. He previously was in a senior management position at Stockland.

  • 2009 property market was fuelled by federal government grants and Melbourne’s appetite for new homes (Due to Stamp Duty Savings)
  • Cautious outlook for 2010 – median growth expected to be 3% before the market picks up steam in 2011.
  • RP Data stated Melbourne’s median price grew 15% for the first 9 months of the year
  • Little supply of apartments in the pipeline at the moment
  • Rental pressure in Melbourne and it’s growing because the banks have been reluctant to lend money to high-rise developers
  • Big drivers for property prices include supply constraints and population growth

Other comments on the Melbourne property market from Angie Zigomanis at BIS Shrapnel and Tim Lawless at RP Data Research

  • Expected to have solid growth through the year as upgraders and investors take over from first home buyers
  • Higher interest rates will slow growth down from the highs of 2009
  • Late recovery in 2009 may show that first home buyers are less sensitive to rising interest rates
  • New development in Melbourne is falling short of Melbourne’s migrant-driven population growth
  • 2009 price growth was helped by cashed up Chinese buyers which is expected to continue into 2010

Sydney Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Brian Haratsis from MacroPlan Australia and Rob Ellis from Property Insights

  • Population boom to lift prices
  • People that can afford to buy now will stand to benefit the most
  • Sydney expected to see the fastest population growth in 15 years
  • Climbing prices in South-East Queensland have slowed migration from NSW to QLD
  • Same levels of international migration plus high birth rate levels
  • Employment generated population growth – young brains from around the world will come to work in Sydney-based financial services, IT and Business services
  • Apartment market is being starved of stock owing to tight lending practices that restrict developers by loan to value ratios plus high levels of pre-sales
  • Rents poised to soar even higher due to the shortage of rental accommodation, especially with rising interest rates deterring some people from buying
  • Prestige property to remain flat for the next 24 months before a potential boom in the high end market
    10% price growth for 2010 wouldn’t be a surprise

Comments below are from Louis Christopher of SQM Research and Jason Anderson from BIS Shrapnel

  • 6 – 8% price growth expected in the next 12 months
  • Nothing to indicate buying trend will stop or slow
  • Price growth in 2009 was 11.6% but affordability was its lowest level since 2002 because interest rates were so low
  • Prestige prices (those over $2m) to rise by 12 to 15% in 2010
  • Sydney will face an ‘extreme’ shortage of rental properties, worse than any other state
  • Rental demand would boost demand for properties in outer suburbs which could result in price growth of 10%

Perth Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Nigel Satterley from Satterley Property Group, Western Australia’s largest private residential property developer.

  • Perth property prices poised for a decade of strong growth
  • 6% expected in 2010 with increases of 7 – 10% over the next 7 to 8 years
  • Perth property prices fell by as much as 25% during the downturn
  • Population growth and growing confidence affecting the market
  • Demand is increasing for premium property
  • Medium house price in Perth in September 09 was $462,000
  • Prior to 2008, Perth’s property prices doubled in 4 years as demand outstripped supply
  • Bank funding for property developments will remain constrained

Adelaide Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Michael Brock, Managing Director of Brock Real Estate and president of Real Estate Institute of South Australia.

  • Enormous untapped potential in the real estate market
  • Adelaide soon to assert itself as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the country
  • 2009 saw house prices jump 5% and growth is predicted to double in 2010
  • Adelaide’s median house price in September 09 was $421,765
  • Property investors now taking the place of first home buyers
  • Population Growth expected from skilled migrants and those serving the defence and mining industries
  • Adelaide vacancy rate is 1.2% while North Adelaide is only 0.2%
  • Many new apartment projects on hold due to finance obligations which can’t be met by Developers

Tasmania Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Tim Lawless, Research Director at RP Data

  • Could perform well in 2010 due to lifestyle buyers entering the market
  • Houses in Hobart are $140,000 cheaper than the national capital city average with an average price of $330,000
  • Units average $270,000, $120,000 cheaper than the capital city average
  • Tasmania does not have strong population growth or a large economic base
  • Rental returns in Tasmania are above 5% with vacancy rates below 2%
  • Population growth is just over 1% driven by migrants, retirees and younger families seeking affordable housing

Queensland Property Outlook 2010

Comments below are from Wayne Rex, President of The Property Council in Queensland

  • Brisbane property prices increased 6.9% in the first 11 months of 2009
  • South East Queensland has seen a stabilisation of prices and turnover
  • Building Approval levels have dropped to low levels not seen since the 1980’s
  • Many house and land packages still available in South East Queensland for under $425,000
  • Release rate of new stock and lack of competition is affecting prices
  • Queensland property market will be steady for the first 6 months of the year as people will still remain cautious
  • Funding still difficult to attain along with substantial pre-sales

Other comments from Bill Morris, Rod Cornish (Macquarie Capital Advisors) and Lachlan Walker (Colliers International)

  • Still not enough homes being built in Queensland
  • South East Queensland saw a population increase of 75,000 in 2008-09 with a need for 30,000 homes, yet only 17,000 were built
  • Interstate migration has dropped in Queensland (Victoria now leading the way), there is still a high number of people coming from overseas
  • Developers still finding it difficult to attain finance
  • Developers can’t buy land at the right price meaning they can produce a home at affordable levels (under $500,000)
  • QLD suffering from a shortage but Sydney supply shortage is more severe

Mark Mendel

Sydney Home Buyer Show (Pre-Show Guide)

Sydney Home Buyer Show (Pre-Show Guide)

 

Don’t miss the largest event in Australia dedicated to educating home buyers & property investors of all levels.

Buying a home or investment property is one of most important financial transactions you will ever make.
So if you’re looking to buy property but keen to make the right decisions and avoid costly mistakes – then you simply can’t afford to miss the Sydney Home Buyer Show being held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre from Saturday 31 October to Sunday 1 November.

It’s the smart way to buy property and the largest event in Australia dedicated to helping people finance, find and buy their next home or investment property. We’ll help you get on the right path to the right property with over 30 free seminars and workshops on offer each day – delivered only by impartial experts from government and industry associations that you can trust including free seminars from John Symond, Aussie; Mark Bouris, Channel 9’s The Apprentice and Effie Zahos, Channel 9’s Money for Jam.

A major exhibition will showcase over 120 leading companies with everything the home buyer or investor needs under one roof, including new and established homes, apartments, townhouses, units, builders, house & land packages, holiday houses, land estates, home loans, real estate agents, property investment advice companies and much more.

Heaps of New Products and Show Specials will also be on offer plus there’s dedicated Zones for Apartment Buyers and Property Investors.

For further information including the comprehensive educational seminar program and full exhibitor list visit: http://www.homebuyershow.com.au/home/sydney

As part of a special promotion we are pleased to offer all our Blog Readers, family and friends FREE TICKETS to the Sydney Home Buyer Show which are normally $15. Simply visit the website www.homebuyershow.com.au and quote the special promotional code FINDIP when purchasing your tickets.

Visitors to can also attend the Trading & Investing Seminars & Expo next for free – tickets are normally $15. For full details visit the Trading & Investing Seminars & Expo website: www.tradingandinvestingexpo.com.au

Event details:
Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Saturday 31 October to Sunday 1 November 2009
Opening Hours: 10am to 5pm daily

Mark Mendel

Property Investors are coming!

With a recent review of surveys and media articles in the press over the last 2 months, it seems that everyone agrees on one thing at the moment… Property investors are starting to come out of hiding.

So the first question we have to ask is what scared them away, especially with interest rates so low and rents continuing to increase. The answer is the Government. How? …The introduction of the Boosted First Home Buyers Grants. These boosted grants have caused a flurry of home and apartment purchases by first time property owners. Many have been renting and with the opportunity to switch to ownership without a large difference in monthly outlay, due to interest rates currently being so low, the step from tenant to home owner has been a fairly simple one…especially when the Government has been so generous with their First Home Buyer handouts. These boosted grants have caused too much competition in the current market and property investors are waiting until fewer home buyers are competing with them.

The boosted grants were meant to have ended on the 30 June 2009, however the Government took it upon themself to extend it to the end of December 2009, with a reduction in the increase from the end of September 2009. The slowdown in home buyers is expected and the increase in property investors will most likely occur.

Mortgage Choice recently ran a survey that found 3 out of 4 Australians that are planning to buy an investment property in the next 2 years were waiting for the FHOB to expire. Mortgage Choice claims that many of their clients that are looking at purchasing an investment property now are doing their homework and determining how much they can borrow, so when 2010 arrives, they will be ready to act.

Other results from the survey included:

  • 37% of property investors rated their level of confidence in their states housing market as “high”, 57% rated it “moderate”, 6% low and 1% very low. Queensland respondents were most confident about their state’s housing market, followed closely by Victoria.
  • 75% of respondents saw property investment as a better than investing in the share market
  • 49% were looking to own two to three properties
  • 47% said they were intending to keep it for 10 years or longer while 41% were planning on five to ten years

When purchasing their investment property, the features respondents considered most important in order of preference were:

  • price;
  • locality – convenience to amenities and transport;
  • number and/or size of rooms;
  • locality – prestige;
  • features – such as driveway access, garage, swimming pool, backyard, fireplace and so on;
  • aesthetic appeal;
  • age of the property; and
  • green/environmental aspects or initiatives.

There are a lot of positive factors at investors’ fingertips – historically low interest rates alongside historically low rental vacancy rates, greater demand than supply, a number of extensive infrastructure programs around the country, increasing rents, healthy migration levels and relatively stable housing prices… so I tend to agree with the outcome of the survey… it will be interesting to see what happens over the next 6-12 months.