Gary Peer Real Estate Report

  Australia’s housing sector has called on the reserve bank to deliver a 50 basis point interest rate cut after a survey showed new home sales have fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade. The Housing Industry Association (HIA), which represents the residential building industry, says new home sales dropped 9.4 per [...]

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In Australia, and particularly Victoria, State Governments have relied more and more on Stamp Duty, paid by property purchasers, to fund a big part of their annual budget expenditure. Over the years, particularly through a time when the property market has been very strong, Stamp Duty revenues have continued to grow. The Real Estate Institute [...]

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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has spared borrowers an interest rate rise, leaving the cash rate at 4.75 percent in a widely expected move. The Reserve Bank last increased the overnight cash rate in November 2010 to 4.75 percent from 4.5 percent and most economists still expect a rate rise this year. “We expect [...]

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Insurance premiums are expensive – until you need to make a claim. And knowing precisely what your insurance covers can save much heartache down the track. Just ask those people devastated by the recent weather events across the country. When reviewing or taking out a policy for the first time, assessing your risk is the [...]

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Experts are predicting a more balanced property market in 2011 with a healthy “supply versus demand” ratio. However, there are still many suburbs across Melbourne and Victoria set to experience good positive growth. So how do potential purchasers chose the right neighborhood to buy in? A great place to start research is online. Comparing price [...]

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Australia’s second biggest home lender has joined the biggest in arguing there is no housing bubble.With international investors looking at Australia’s housing market as one of the few among developed economies not to experience significant price falls, Westpac has joined the Commonwealth Bank in trying to allay their concerns.In arguing against the possibility of a [...]

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ALMOST two out of three consumers expect a rise in house prices during the next 12 months, new data suggests. But that’s fewer than the 80 per cent who thought likewise earlier in 2010. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer house price index dropped to 51.1 in October, compared to its previous reading of 58.8 in July, [...]

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AUSTRALIAN capital city house price rises are set to remain weak, a survey suggests. The September quarter survey conducted by National Australia Bank (NAB) found expected annual price rises averaged just 1.5 per cent. That’s the same as in the June quarter survey, but well down from the 6.0 per cent average rise expected in [...]

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