Savina Dacio

Builders Chase Productivity Gains Under the surface of the housing debate, a quiet revolution is under way in the building sector. New-generation firms like Buildlab in Victoria and Avia Homes in Queensland are importing ideas from the United States and leaning heavily on technology, data and standardised product to close the productivity gap. Instead of […]

FOMO Keeps Market Moving Despite higher-than-expected inflation and fading hopes of further rate cuts this year, the housing market is still being propped up by a solid dose of FOMO. Around seven in ten properties taken to auction last week sold, according to preliminary national figures, with Sydney and Melbourne both posting clearance rates just

Regional Housing Squeeze Deepens Housing pressures in regional Australia continue to intensify, with industry groups warning that shortages are no longer just a capital-city story. In regional New South Wales, builders report a familiar mix of problems: planning delays, high material costs, a shortage of serviced land and ongoing difficulty finding skilled trades. A recent

Turnkey Beats Fixer-Uppers At the upper end of the market, buyers are increasingly paying a premium to avoid renovation risk. Advocates report that prestige purchasers are actively shunning homes that need major work, even when the discount looks tempting on paper. The backdrop is important. Residential construction costs have risen by more than 40 per

GenZ Buyers Step Up Gen Z are fast becoming the engine room of Australia’s next demand wave, despite the brutal entry costs. New Westpac research shows more than one in three young Australians plan to buy their first home within five years, up five percentage points since January. Independence and financial security are the main

Ubank Ups Pressure With No LMI Ubank has ignited fresh competition in the mortgage market by scrapping Lenders Mortgage Insurance on a new 10 per cent deposit product for both owner occupiers and investors. The Flex and Neat home loan allows buyers to enter the market with deposits as low as around $31,000 in select

Shortage And Population Pressure Australia’s housing shortage is intensifying as construction lags well behind demand, reinforcing upward pressure on both prices and rents. In the June quarter, just 46,000 dwellings were commenced and 41,432 completed, well short of the federal target equivalent to 240,000 new homes per year. While material and labour costs have stabilised,

Spring Auctions Defy Rate Pause Spring auction markets remain resilient, with strong volumes meeting solid demand despite the RBA holding rates and cooling talk of further cuts. The preliminary national clearance rate hit 71.8 per cent, its highest level in three weeks, and has held above 70 per cent since mid-June, confirming a broadly supportive

Lower-End Growth In Prime Markets New data shows stronger price growth in lower-value homes sitting just under the new 5% deposit scheme price caps, particularly inside traditionally high-end markets. In Melbourne’s Inner East, homes below the $950,000 cap rose 1.7% in October, well ahead of the 0.4% gain for more expensive properties. Similar trends appeared

Sentiment Turns Positive At Last Australian consumer sentiment has shifted into net positive territory for the first time in four years, signalling growing confidence but also complicating the case for near-term rate cuts. The Westpac–Melbourne Institute index surged 12.8 per cent in November to 103.8, meaning optimists now outnumber pessimists. Economists link the turnaround to