Mortgage News Archive - March 2007
West leads with tough mortgage broker laws
THE West Australian Government is set to impose the nation's toughest laws on the mortgage broking industry, as it cracks down on irresponsible lending and improve disclosure. More
March 29, 2007
Defaults climb with rates
RISING interest rates and petrol prices, coupled with falling house prices in the past year, have seen the number of households struggling to meet mortgages nearly double and arrears escalate. More
March 28, 2007
Sales up for new homes
THE number of new homes sold around Australia has risen for the third month in a row, with February's increase underpinned by a rebound in the hard-hit NSW market. More
March 28, 2007
Rise in new home sales
THE number of new home sales rose for a third straight month in February led by a recovery in New South Wales as buyers took advantage of stable interest rates. More
March 27, 2007
Rents rising faster than inflation
RENTAL prices have been rising at more than twice the pace of inflation, a housing affordability report to be released today shows. More
March 27, 2007
Rates to cripple mortgage belt
AUSTRALIANS have their finances in good order, but some pockets around the nation are suffering with higher interest rates, including the mortgage belt of western Sydney, the central bank said today. More
March 26, 2007
House price fall 'a natural correction'
PRIME Minister John Howard says a fall in house prices was a natural correction to an overheating market. More
March 26, 2007
Consumers get more dollars
PACK your bags and go overseas before Easter if you want a cheaper holiday, but you could face higher interest rates when you come back, analysts say. More
March 26, 2007
Rates forecast to keep rising
A KEY analyst is predicting interest rates will rise in the first week of April and again within 12 months, which would hit hard Australians on lower incomes. More
March 22, 2007
Markets expect interest-rate rise
THE Reserve Bank of Australia's suspicion that wage pressure is accelerating is being confirmed by economic data, placing more pressure on interest rates. More
March 22, 2007
Rates pressure up with dollar
THE chance of an interest rate rise as early as next month has now strengthened to at least 40 per cent, as futures market momentum propels the dollar. More
March 21, 2007
Stamp duty not the problem, says Qld
THE federal Government should keep interest rates low to improve housing affordability instead of asking the states to abolish stamp duty, says the Queensland Government. More
March 20, 2007
Victoria defends stamp duty
THE Victorian Government has disputed claims by Federal Treasurer Peter Costello that state governments should cut stamp duty to improve housing affordability. More
March 20, 2007
Housing fall to keep costs up
THE number of new dwellings built in Australia fell at the end of last year, which would will to keep housing unaffordable, analysts say. More
March 20, 2007
Rates, not stamp duty 'deter home buyers'
POTENTIAL home buyers are more concerned about the risk of another interest rate rise than whether the states should end stamp duty on house purchases the Federal Opposition said today. More
March 20, 2007
Cut tax, Costello tells states
PETER Costello has challenged the states to slash stamp duty, warning the fight to make housing more affordable is a test for Kevin Rudd's promise of co-operative federalism. More
March 20, 2007
Battlers lose in land tax disgrace
PRIME property in the heart of Sydney has been undervalued by millions of dollars while battling small-time investors are slugged with hefty land tax rises. More
March 19, 2007
Rates spike to cover sub-prime lending risk
AUSTRALIA'S sub-prime home loan issuers will respond to increasing risk by raising interest rates, but are regarded as safe from the fallout in the US. More
March 15, 2007
Shared loans may up home costs
ADELAIDE Bank is the first local bank to launch a shared-equity home loan which could make property ownership easier, but analysts warn it could boost house prices. More
March 14, 2007
Oz low-doc loans safe, say lenders
AUSTRALIA'S $10 billion low-doc home loan industry could be spared the financial instability emerging in the US because of key product differences in our market. More
March 14, 2007
High rents lure young investors
THERE is a changing of the guard in investment property, with older investors putting money into super, while younger investors take advantage of rising rents. More
March 13, 2007
Loan costs pressure families
COUPLES need to earn a colossal combined income of up to $145,000 just to keep up with the mortgage payments on an average-priced Australian home, according to new research. More
March 13, 2007
Interest-free home loan launched
ADELAIDE Bank Ltd has launched a mortgage product that lets borrowers buy a 20 per cent of home without having to make interest payments. More
March 13, 2007
Home loan approvals in slight comeback
HOME loan approvals grew modestly for a second consecutive month as consumers slowly returned to the housing market after last year's three interest rate rises. More
March 12, 2007
First-home buyers flee capital cities
FIRST-TIME home buyers are moving to regional areas as housing in capital cities becomes more expensive, a new industry report says. More
March 12, 2007
Loan costs pressure families
COUPLES need to earn a colossal combined income of up to $145,000 just to keep up with the mortgage payments on an average-priced Australian home, according to new research. More
March 12, 2007
Property auctions back in vogue
PROPERTY auctions are back in vogue due to strong demand for homes in some of Australia's premium suburbs. More
March 9, 2007
Door closes on rented homes
SYDNEY'S rental vacancy rate has plunged to its lowest level on record, falling to 1.4 per cent last month. More
March 9, 2007
Homeowners opt to renovate
HOMEOWNERS boosted renovation spending in the December quarter as new houses became less affordable, Australia's peak housing body said today More
March 7, 2007
Building down, housing to steady
BUILDING approvals slipped nearly 1 per cent in January, well off expectations, but despite the fall the housing sector would recover this year, economists said today. More
March 6, 2007
Interest rates to drop on home loans
FINANCIAL market turmoil over the past week is pushing down fixed interest rates and taking pressure off the central bank to raise variable interest rates after its meeting today. More
March 6, 2007
Rent costs, food boost inflation
A RECENT drop in inflation will likely be reversed in coming months by a sharp rise in rental costs and food prices, putting upward pressure on interest rates. More
March 5, 2007
Home loan war to heat up
THE way some people see it, BankWest head of mortgages John Rolfe holds the key to profitability in the nation's $600 billion mortgage market. More
March 5, 2007
Generation Y to 'miss out'
THE dream of owning a home is floating further away from Generation Y, but some among today's youth are managing to buck the trend. More
March 2, 2007