Once again, Victoria has overtaken New South Wales (NSW) as the state with the strongest overall economic performance rankings in Australia.
Margin lender CommSec’s latest quarterly (Oct 2018) State of the States report has revealed that Victoria has come out top in several key indicators, namely economic growth, employment, construction activity and population growth. This is the first time that Melbourne has beaten Sydney as the best place to find a job in Australia, with trend unemployment rate at its lowest in a decade.
Victoria has a promising employment market
The unemployment rate in Victoria stands at 4.7%, approximately 17.4% lower than the decade average. Victoria’s employment rate, however, is well above (13%) the decade average, making it the best state to secure a job across Australia.
Apart from the employment rate, Victoria was also ranked first in construction activity. This is the second time that Melbourne has beaten Sydney to the top spot in this sector.
The increasing construction activity gives a good investment prospect. Image Credit: Mail Online
Victoria retained top spot with construction work done almost 39% above its decade average.
NSW construction was next strongest at 31.4% followed by South Australia, up 25.3%. Construction work done in these states were at record highs in the June quarter.
Victoria also topped the ranking for the second consecutive time as the state with the highest economic growth. Last quarter, it knocked NSW off its perch for the first time in a decade.
Victoria leads the way in economic growth.
Economic activity in Victoria in the June quarter was 26.7% above the decade average level, ahead of NSW at 25.7%.
Victoria emerged the clear winner in CommSec’s latest quarterly economic rankings. Image Credit: CommSec State of the States Report (Oct 2018)
When looking across growth rates for the states and territories, it is clear that Victoria had exceeded the national average in all of the eight indicators measured, albeit by a narrow margin.
Last quarter, Victoria remained just ahead of NSW with strong economic strength, population growth, construction and investment activity.
Investment Prospect
The strong quarterly performance augurs well for Victoria.
Investors can look forward to leveraging upon these promising aspects of Melbourne, using it as a guide to future investments that could result in good rental yield and capital appreciation.
Perth is set to be the next Melbourne, a new report from Infrastructure Australia indicates. After a stagnant 2017, Corelogic predicts that house prices in the inner city will rise by 3.3% this year and 4.1% in 2019. With prices at an affordable rate, property situated in choice locations are ripe for the picking and investors stand a chance to reap returns from the growth of the property market in the future.
Currently Perth is Australia’s fourth largest city by population. By 2046 it is forecast to leapfrog Brisbane into third place, with 4.3 million people — the current population of Melbourne. And if the Government’s recent proposal to restrict immigration to Sydney and Melbourne goes through, the city’s eventual population may exceed even that figure.
Australians traditionally are resistant to the idea of living in apartments, and this is more so for those living in Perth. Just 6.6% of the city’s residents live in apartments, half the national average of 13.1%. This will change as numbers increase — as a large-scale city grows, it expands not just outwards but upwards as well.
The Perth suburban sprawl stretches along the Western coastline for about 150km, making it almost nine times as large as Singapore, but with just over a third of its population. As the population grows to a similar scale as Melbourne, apartment living will become more widespread.
The 2016 Australian Census showed that there is one occupied apartment for every five (1:5) occupied separate houses in Australia; compared with one to every seven (1:7) 25 years ago. Apartments are also getting taller. Twenty years ago, about 20% of apartments were in blocks at least four storeys high, with the proportion now closer to 40%.
Over the past decade, the number of apartments in the Perth council area alone has increased by about 150%. Perth has seen changes in planning that recognises this, and state and local governments are encouraging strategic placing of mixed-developments where they benefit the most, close to existing good transport, infrastructure and in high-amenity locations.
One example of these developments is NV, a new off-plan apartment within Perth’s central business district (CBD), benefitting from the completion of the Perth City Link.
Perth City Link is a major urban renewal and redevelopment project to the tune of over A$5 billion, playing a central role in regenerating Perth’s entertainment, cultural, shopping and infrastructure links. Rail and bus links have been completed, connecting the city centre with the Northbridge entertainment precinct. Currently, further development is ongoing on a mix of retail, tourist, office and residential accommodation.
Corelogic looked at changes in the property market across Australia over the last 25 years, and found that prices in Perth grew at an annual 6.7% for houses and 6% for apartment units since 1993 — making it the third best property market after Sydney and Melbourne.
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Following the nation’s property downturn, prices have slipped by more than 10% across the city since mid-2014, although some areas have managed to be relatively unscathed. The outlook for the next two years is that improvement in the economy and population growth will stabilise the Perth real estate market. After a stagnant 2017, Corelogic predicts that house prices in the inner city will rise by 3.3% this year and 4.1% in 2019.
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Compared to developing nations with far stronger population growth rates, Australia is expanding pretty quickly for a developed country.
Last month, Australia’s population officially ticked past the 25 million mark, according to the latest data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – 33 years earlier than projected!
Over the last three years, the nation’s population grew by around 400,000 people per year. If this trend continues, the number might reach 26 million in the next two to four years. This is no mean feat considering that the population Down Under was only at the 10 million mark back in 1960.
Back in 1960, the Australian population totalled only 10m. Today, the population number has ticked over the 25 million mark. For a developed nation, Australia’s population growth rate is quite incredible! Source: Supplied & News.com.au
Nett migration has continued to outpace births, with the highest migrant numbers coming from China and India.
Newly elected Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, Alan Tudge, in outlining plans for the country’s immigration policy, is not in favour of reducing skilled migrant numbers.
“My view has always been that Australia can be a bigger country. But, ideally, you have a broader distribution rather than very rapid growth in some areas,”he said.
Melbourne and Sydney are expected to grow to the size of New York city by 2050 as migration numbers continue to grow.
To date, Melbourne has the fastest-growing population rate in the country. Naturally, this has something to do with Melbourne’s ranking as the World’s Most Liveable City for seven consecutive years, receiving a perfect score from The Economist for healthcare, education and infrastructure.
“There’s a buzz about the city that keeps bringing the world’s best to enjoy Melbourne,” said the Australian government in a statement.
Victoria has an estimated population of 5.71 million, ranking second in the country with a population density of 25 people per sq km. The state accounts for 25% of the entire Australian population.
And, for the first time ever, Victoria finally overtook New South Wales as Australia’s strongest economy in CommSec’s latest State of the States report.
Victoria’s high population growth has also supported house prices and rental values in Australia, and is a reason why the Melbourne market has remained strong.
In quarterly data by JLL Australia, apartment price growth for Greater Melbourne (for both new and existing stock) increased 6.6% y-o-y to 1Q2018, which is above the five-year annual average rate of 4.5%. Rental vacancy remains tight in the city.
The recent 2018 Global Real Estate Transparency Index by JLL ranks Australia’s property market as the most transparent in the Asia-Pacific region. This, and the all the things that make Australia such an attraction — good governance, strong healthcare and education systems, etc — are a great draw for property investors and millionaires.
What do you think of Australia’s population growth for the Australian economy and property market as a whole? Leave your comments in the box below! For more details on investing in Australian property, call us at 65-3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!
By Noorasikin Ali
Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal
Victoria, for the first time ever, has finally overtaken New South Wales (NSW) as Australia’s strongest economy, according to CommSec’s latest State of the States report.
CommSec (Commonwealth Securities) is Australia’s largest online stockbroking firm operated by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Each quarter, it releases its State of the States report, which is an economic performance report of Australia’s states and territories. The report covers eight major economic indicators including population, employment, housing, investment, and construction.
Victoria has never owned the top spot in the report’s nine-year history until now, thanks to strong population growth numbers which have been instrumental in driving construction activity. The state currently ranks first in economic growth, dwelling starts and construction work done. In economic growth, Victoria is ahead at 26.5%, followed by NSW at 25.7% and Northern Territory at 25.6%, while Western Australia remains in the last place by 7.6%.
NSW, long standing at the top spot for economic growth in the last four years, slipped to second place due to declines in a number of housing indicators.
Figure shows the percentage of economic growth by state in Australia. Source: CommSec
The gap between the two states, however, remains narrow, leading to the possibility of a change in positions over the next 12 months, said CommSec’s chief economist Craig James.
In terms of population growth, Victoria maintains its position as the clear winner, having toppled other states since 2015. Victoria currently holds a population growth rate of a cool 2.3% above the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) at 2.15% and Queensland at 1.67%.
Meanwhile, the Northern Territory has the lowest population growth at 0.23%.
Victoria is poised to remain in the lead for population growth with research predicting that population figures will reach approximately 6.26 million in 2018.
Victoria claims the highest population growth for the 4th time. Source: CommSec
High population growth will continue to drive the broader economy — by fuelling retail spending and housing demand.
Thus, Victoria’s meteoric population growth will continue to spur Melbourne on as it maintains its credentials as Australia’s “most attractive city” due to stronger rental growth supported by tight vacancy.
As it is, Melbourne — Victoria’s capital city — is predicted to have a swell in population due to its huge student population and migration. In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported Melbourne as having the most epic population growth of any Australian city, making up almost a third of Australia’s population growth. The contrast is quite significant, with 2.4% in Melbourne compared to 1.2% in the rest of Australia.
With the current undersupply of housing, and demand driving prices, it appears that Melbourne will continue to remain, for some time to come, Australia’s Most Attractive City for global property players in the Asia Pac region.
Looking to purchase a property in Melbourne City? Hit us up — we’ve got limited stock of one of the best residences in one of the most coveted locations in the city. Or, just connect with us to find out more!
By Noorasikin Ali
Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal
Melbourne overtakes Sydney as the top Australian location for offshore real estate investment dollars in Asia Pacific.
Melbourne seems to be collecting more notches on its bedpost. Not only has it been named the Most Liveable City seven consecutive times; it was also named Happiest City. A new survey has now pegged it as Australia’s Most Attractive City for global property players in the Asia Pac region.
A new survey has revealed Melbourne as the No. 1 Australian city for global property players in the Asia Pacific region.
Property sales and research firm CBRE launched their Investor Intentions Survey 2018, which polled a total of 366 respondents, including real estate funds, developers and companies.
Of those polled, 70% were based in Asia, 18% in Western Europe, the Middle East and North America, and 12% in the Pacific.
The survey found Melbourne overtaking Sydney as the preferred Australian location for offshore real estate investment dollars, as Sydney fell down the yearly rankings from first to sixth. Brisbane came in at eighth place — which was Melbourne’s position last year.
Melbourne’s rise as Australia’s “most attractive city” was “due to its stronger rental growth supported by tight vacancy”.
“Although asset pricing poses a major obstacle, investors remain keen to purchase real estate for risk diversification. Investors’ focus is on income growth as capital value appreciation will increasingly be driven by income growth,” the report stated.
CBRE expects a slowdown in Chinese outbound investment to continue following the introduction of new capital controls by the Chinese government last year.
“This year’s survey indicates that Chinese investors are less keen to invest overseas in 2018. While overall interest remains reasonably firm, fewer investors intend to invest more than they did in 2017.
Investments into Australia from Singapore quadrupled from about $1bn in 2010 to an excess of $4bn in 2017.
It is clear that Melbourne is driving housing market growth in Australia despite slightly weakened prices this year due to tighter regulation and an ongoing Banking Royal Commission investigation.
Yet experts say that the temporary slump will not make a major impact, and, in all likelihood, is just for the short term. Here’s why:
Melbourne faces a serious undersupply of housing, and this has been a strong driver for demand. The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) warned last year that the city could have a shortfall of 50,000 houses by 2020.
In their latest report in March this year, UDIA found that the state government will need to increase approvals and commencements of new housing by more than 10% in order to meet demand.
The Victorian government has committed more resources to speeding up the approval process of new suburbs, but the delivery of necessary infrastructure such as sewerage and roads remains a bottleneck.
UDIA Victoria CEO, Danni Addison, said that the supply of new housing being delivered right now was being driven by high population and employment growth.
“The numbers tell us that despite record high levels of building activity, we’ve still got a way to go before we can stop playing catch-up and ensure there’s enough new housing to meet the demands of population growth,” she said.
Data released by SQM Research in June 2018 showed that demand for property in Melbourne has stayed at a constant high. Vacancy rates remained incredibly tight at 1.4%, the same as 12 months before.
Rental rates in the city however, have sharply increased by a total of 3.5% since the the last 12 months, giving potential for high returns on investment, whilst capital growth has slowed.
What are your thoughts about investors flocking to Melbourne’s property market? Drop us a comment below. If you are interested in Melbourne’s potential for high returns, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!
Melbourne’s population is set to keep growing, driving the need for improved and expanded transport-related infrastructure. Opportunities continue to abound for the investor as the city’s planned and ongoing transport expansion leads to jobs creation, driving the demand for more housing.
Melbourne looks set to expand its transportation systems in the air, on land and beneath the ground to keep up with its rapid population growth — so rapid, in fact, that Melbourne is set to surpass Sydney as the largest city in Australia by 2031.
Major infrastructure development plans, totalling to over $60bn, are underway, with most projects set for completion by the 2020s and 2030s. For property investors, this translates as good news. Increased job opportunities and continuous effort to preserve Melbourne’s unprecedented quality of life will ultimately continue to attract home buyers and renters alike. After factoring in the chronic undersupply of houses throughout the city, paired with population and economic growth, investors should arrive at one solid conclusion: Melbourne’s property market is a promising one.
Air: Melbourne Airport Needs A New Runway
Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi has announced the need for a third airport runway to keep up with booming passenger numbers, following the airport’s celebration of nine consecutive years of passenger growth.
Over 35 million passengers passed through Melbourne Airport during the 2016/17 financial year, and this number is expected to almost double by 2033. This inevitably makes the establishment of the new runway one of Melbourne’s top priorities. The runway, set to operate by 2022, will not only reduce delays as more arrivals and departures take place, it will also supply numerous jobs during construction and operation.
Melbourne Airport is known to be a major employer in the local region. About 16,000 people are currently employed at the airport, with 67% of these jobs filled by people whose homes are within a 15km radius of the airport. It is predicted that by 2033, the number of jobs directly related to Melbourne Airport’s operations will grow to 23,000. Furthermore, with a burgeoning number of travellers arriving in Melbourne Airport, the tourism industry throughout Victoria will surely provide even more jobs!
Land: New Road Fills The Missing Link
What is also set to improve tremendously is accessibility by car, as plans for three separate roadworks commence throughout the state of Victoria. The North East Link, the largest of the trio and currently, the largest transport infrastructure in Victoria, is a $16.5bn construction that will fix the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network. The project will shorten travel times between Melbourne’s north and south-east by up to 30 minutes, take 15,000 trucks off local streets daily and deliver kilometres of new walking and cycling paths. During construction (expected to begin by 2020) and early operation, thousands of jobs will be created.
Image 1: Three feasible options for the North East Link will be designed throughout 2018, alongside specialist studies that will be conducted for planning approval.
Perhaps the most interesting transport development plan in Melbourne is the $1.3bn rail loop and driverless trains that will connect a proposed $30bn ‘super city’ at East Werribee, known as the Australian Education City. Preliminary works to assess the feasibility of this new heavy rail connection have been done as part of the ongoing proposal.
The multi-billion dollar project would see land at East Werribee become home to 30,000 dwellings in medium to high-storey towers, with universities, schools and a research and development hub. Up to 80,000 residents and 50,000 students are planned for the precinct which would see local and overseas universities collaborate to provide world-class education across several campuses. Global tech leaders, such as Cisco and IBM, are eager to snatch a piece of this colossal project.
The $1.3bn rail loop and driverless trains that will connect a proposed $30bn ‘super city’ at East Werribee, known as the Australian Education City.
Underground: Two New Rail Tunnels Need To Be Constructed By 2035
Melbourne City Council has proposed the idea of adding two new rail tunnels — Melbourne Metro 2 and 3 — under the city by 2035. The rail tunnels will join Melbourne Metro 1, the first stage of this underground transport expansion that has been slated to operate by 2025.
Council documents reveal that, should all go according to plan, the second tunnel that links Newport to Clifton Hill via Fishermans Bend, will operate by 2028 or earlier. This tunnel would quadruple passenger capacity for the Werribee line corridor and boost east-west accessibility. Those from the south-west and north-east, too, will find this line adding considerable convenience to everyday travels.
As described in the council paper, Melbourne Metro 3 could be built by 2035. The project would be the second airport rail line linking to Southern Cross, via Arden Macaulay and Maribyrnong. By 2028, trips to Tullamarine Airport is expected to be equal to that of Heathrow Airport today — three rail lines currently service Heathrow.
Conclusion
The various transportation schemes currently in the works will welcome the rising population in Melbourne. To the savvy investor, the widely cited population and economic growth within this coastal capital reads as a precursor for high housing demand. Those with concerns regarding the environmental impact of these projects can be rest assured that measures taken will be passed through strict approval processes before arriving at the least detrimental conclusion.
“Infrastructure projects – electricity, roads, airports, water systems and telecommunications are the foundations of modern economies. They have a huge multiplier effect (a dollar spent on infrastructure leads to an outcome of greater than two dollars)”*. Astute investors realise the mileage that such multiplier effects bring to the investment dollar. If you’re planning to leverage on that and are looking for fantastic property investment options in Melbourne, hit us at at 03-2162 2260 or info@gmail.com or text us in the comment box below!
While there are plenty who claim expertise in the art of valuing homes, the reality is that it’s a little more complicated and less predictable than one might think.
Recent news highlights Australia as having some of the priciest accommodation in the world. As a nation with an iconic property market, it’s no surprise how the topic of house valuation has slowly integrated itself into the average Australian day. Even among non-homeowners, estimating the selling price of houses has become a sort of hobby; many attend auctions despite not having any intention to bid for a property.
While there are plenty who claim expertise in the art of valuing homes, the reality is that it’s a little more complicated and less predictable than one might think.
House Valuation: Location, Housing Features & Circumstance
The basis of house valuation predictably involves the essentials of the house itself. The assessment method is as follows: evaluating the property’s location, land value and accommodation, followed by any additional features such as swimming pools, landscaped gardens and development restrictions.
After all primary information is gathered, they are pooled into comparable sales data as required under Victorian law since new underquoting legislation was made effective on May 1, 2017. Underquoting refers to the practice of misleading a buyer about the likely sale price of a property. These laws necessitate that agents provide potential buyers with details of three comparable sales in a statement of information, as well as an indicative selling price no lower than the seller’s asking price.
Mixed reviews accompany this newly implemented law: some express disapproval over the unseemly properties chosen for comparison, but, most experts have deduced the impact to be generally positive.
“The new price-quoting legislation has seen a shift in the manner in which agents advertise and quote property prices, with a reduced margin between the advertised estimated price and the actual sale price,” says Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Richard Simpson.
Despite such practices guiding property price-listing processes, things could still change during a sales campaign, based on interest recorded at open for inspections.
Jellis Craig director and auctioneer Dallas Taylor brings one last unforeseeable — and very crucial — factor to attention: emotional attachment.
“There’s an element of emotion there that you can’t put into the equation when valuing a property. Emotion might come from the buyer’s parents living around the corner or a triple garage that would be perfect for a home business,” Taylor says.
High demand is, of course, another factor that greatly contributes to the pricing of any particular property. RT Edgar director Oliver Booth provides a possible scenario favourable to landlords: “If you’ve got three people who all like it and all want it, the price is going to go up.”
Which is precisely what’s been happening in all property hotspots all over the world. All the time.
Which are your favourite suburbs in Australia? Let us know in the comments below!
CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and purpose-built student property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.
Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.
Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260
What’s in store for the Australian housing market in terms of price growth?
This year will not be a bumper one for the Australian housing market; Sydney will drag Australia house prices down this year. But will it be all doom and gloom moving forward? What does the future hold?
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) economists say Australian house prices will start to go up this year, with higher growth expected in 2019.
Australian house prices are 0.8% higher than they were 12 months ago. ANZ forecasts a growth of 1.8 % this year, which will pick up to 3.6% in 2019.
Senior ANZ economists Daniel Gradwell and Joanne Masters said, “We think most of the slowdown has already occurred. We retain our view that prices will not materially decline. Over the near term, auction results in Sydney and Melbourne suggest that the majority of the price growth adjustment is behind us.”
Australia housing price forecast to 2019: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) economists say Australian house prices will start to go up this year, with higher growth expected in 2019. Source: ANZ & Domain
The economists see the strong labour market and rising incomes as the main drivers of price growth, with the absence of an interest rate increase this year also supporting house prices.
However, Morgan Stanley analysts aren’t as confident, seeing risks building in 2018 after several months of house price weakness and a potential for increased regulatory pressure.
“Conditions for housing for the remainder of 2018 continue to look challenging with further regulatory tightening of credit, an increasing stock of properties to be settled, and continued uncertainty on government policy for housing as the election cycle looms,” equity strategists led by Daniel Blake wrote to clients this week.
“This leaves us cautious on the outlook not just for housing, but the broader economy in 2018, given the leveraged exposure of the economy to the property market.”
Australia housing price forecast by states to 2019: Melbourne and Hobart take the lead again in house price growth moving into 2019. Source: ANZ & Domain
AMP chief economist and head of investment strategy Shane Oliver said that a looming house price crash was unlikely.
Debt serviceability remains relatively strong, with APRA’s rule tightening leading to a drop in interest-only lending, and mortgage stress appears to be low, for now.
House price growth by market segment : Data reveals that, unlike Sydney, Melbourne has seen continual price growth for most market segments throughout the year, albeit at a moderated rate. Source: ANZ & Domain
“To see a property crash we probably need much higher interest rates or unemployment (neither of which are expected) or a continuation of recent high construction for several years (which is unlikely as approvals have cooled from their 2016 highs),” Dr Oliver wrote.
ANZ predicts that Melbourne and Hobart will continue to outperform the rest of the Australian capital cities, like Sydney and Perth. We discussed extensively the growth of Melbourne and the emergence of Hobart in our 2018 outlook on the Australian housing market.
First-home buyers are replacing investors
Tighter regulations governing the number of investor and interest-only lending has seen a significant pullback in buying activity from those types of buyers, ANZ research shows.
Last year, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) changed the rules for lending to investors and interest-only borrowers. There has been an increase in interest rates for these types of borrowers, and serviceability calculations and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio requirements have also been affected.
Financing for Investors vs Owner-Occupiers 2005-2018: While tightened regulations continue to moderate investor sentiment, it will not be at too substantial an extent, given that the Australian housing market is underpinned by strong population growth and housing demand. Source: ANZ & Domain
We are optimistic that while tightened regulations continue to moderate investor sentiment, it will not be at too substantial an extent, given that the Australian housing market is underpinned by strong population growth and housing demand.
However, despite APRA changes reducing the number of investors in the housing market, to a large extent, the gap is being filled by first-home buyers. Government grants and sizeable stamp duty tax concessions in NSW and Victoria have helped spur a revival among first-home buyers.
Number of first home buyer financing commitments 2006-2018: Government grants and sizeable stamp duty tax concessions in NSW and Victoria have helped spur a revival among first-home buyers in recent times. Source: ANZ & Domain
Interest rate hike not expected till 2019
The ANZ economists write that high household debt leaves households sensitive to interest rate increases, but this is unlikely to become an issue this year. They predict that the rate hike will come in mid-2019.
“We do not expect the RBA to hike rates until 2019, and then by only 50 (basis points) in the year, which is unlikely to hit affordability in a material way. Moreover, most households continue to hold a solid buffer.”
While Morgan Stanley remains cautious on the property market, the analysts concede consumer confidence has remained above trend, and building activity has also outstripped expectations.
“These factors are holding up better than past relationships with prices would suggest, which in turn sees the broader impact of the slowdown in housing prices being limited – so far,” the equity analysts wrote.
CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and purpose-built student property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.
Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.
Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260
Australia is ranked within the top 10 happiest countries in the world, holds the number 6 spot for the happiness of foreign-born migrants and is the seventh most accepting country of migrants.
Australia is a good place to settle for both natives and immigrants alike. And why not? The country has a sound economy and banking sector, good governance and some of the best education systems in the world. It is home to not one, but three, of the World’s Most Liveable Cities.
How happy are you in your own country? More specifically, if you now permanently reside in a country that is not your own, how happy are you living where you are now?
Well, if you live in Australia, chances are that you’re a happy camper!
A recent study revealed that Australians — both its native citizens and migrants — are among the world’s happiest people.
Australia’s Top Scores for Happiness
The World Happiness Report 2018, which takes a deep look at how immigration affects the happiness of societies, ranks Australia as the top 10 happiest countries in the world. The report, also ranks Australia as number 6 for the happiness of foreign-born migrants and the seventh most accepting country of migrants in the world. This is especially interesting, given that most of the world’s happiest countries have a high proportion of migrants. In Australia, half the population were either born overseas or has one or both parents born overseas.
Clearly, Australia is a good place to settle for both natives and immigrants alike. And why not? The country has a sound economy and banking sector, good governance and is one of the best education systems in the world. It is home to not one, but three, of the World’s Most Liveable Cities, with Melbourne holding the record of the most liveable city for 7 consecutive years!
Little wonder that Australia’s population growth has been on an uptrend, increasing by another 1.6% to 24.7m in the 12 months to end Sept 2017. That’s one person added every 1 minute and 26 seconds! As expected, the state of Victoria experienced the highest growth in the country, charting a rate of 2.4%.
Is there any surprise, then, to the ever-growing property market within Australia’s largest cities like Melbourne, and Sydney and Brisbane?,
A recent article on the spiraling growth of Melbourne CBD illustrates the population expansion of the city in detail, and how the city is expected to hit 266,455 residents by 2037 due, largely, to births and immigration, thus driving demand for homes.
But, back to the subject of happiness. The World Happiness Report 2018 says that a factor determining immigrants’ happiness is how accepting the people of the host country are. It also notes that among the 10 happiest countries of the world, Australia has the highest percentage of migrants at 28% of its population.
Perhaps Australia is the most successful multicultural society in the world after all.
Spread the happiness around. Let us know how happy you are wherever you are in the comment box below!
CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and purpose-built student property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.
Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.
Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260
House prices across Australia have stabilized during the past week after months of falling.
Prices in Melbourne and Sydney have remained unchanged this week. For the last month prices in Melbourne dropped by 0.1% and Sydney by 0.6%. Image source: Business Insider dot com dot au
House prices across Australia seem to have stabilized after months of falling, with prices in Melbourne and Sydney remaining relatively unchanged this week. For the last month, prices in Melbourne dropped by 0.1% and Sydney, by 0.6%.
Nationally, housing values have fallen 0.8% since September 2016. On a yearly basis, price growth in Melbourne remains strong at an increase of 6.9%, but muted from the previous year. Sydney, however, registered a decrease of 0.3%.
CoreLogic’s head of research Tim Lawless said this was fuelled by tighter credit policies particularly focused on investment and interest-only lending, which reduced demand from that part of the market.
“We think there is already evidence that the slowdown in house prices is stabilising,” said David Plank, Head of Australian Economics at ANZ Bank.
“Base effects mean the annual house price figures will continue to slow for a while yet even if monthly prices are stabilising, but we would caution against focusing on the annual change over the seasonally adjusted monthly move as it will mean that turning points are missed.”
Could this week’s price stabilization indicate a turning point for the housing market?
According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last June, Australia’s residential population soared by 389,100, or 1.6%, to more than 24 million persons in the year to March, the fastest increase since 2014. However there was a 3.3% decline in residential construction, with the last quarter of 2017 recording a 0.7% decline.
New-build apartments like the upcoming Palladium Tower in Southbank, are being constructed to address the severe lack of housing in Melbourne.
Palladium Tower is strategically located in the Melbourne CBD area, right next to Fishermans Bend, Australia’s largest urban renewal project covering 485 hectares in the heart of Melbourne. By 2050, the area is expected to provide housing for up to 80,000 people, and employment for 40,000.
AMP Capital’s Shane Oliver told The New Daily that while Australia was near equality in construction versus population growth, for the most part, yet the last decade of construction had failed to keep up with Australia’s record population growth.
Commsec Senior Economist Ryan Felsman said, “If you look at Melbourne there’s 120,000 people moving to it per annum, but only 75,000 houses being built,”
Last year, the Urban Development Institute of Australia warned that Victoria could have a shortfall of 50,000 houses by 2020. ABS figures released in June show the state gained 144,400 to 6.3 million persons, a 2.3% increase compared to the previous year at 2.1%.
All the signs point to increased demand in the face of short supply over the next few years, especially in places like Melbourne where yearly price and rental rises have been consistent. With construction of new housing unable to match demand for the foreseeable future, opportunities continue to abound for the investor.
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