Economic Updates

Demand for residential properties to rent in Sydney continued to be strong through June 2013, according to the latest vacancy rate data released by the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW).

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has elected to hold the cash rate at 2.75 per cent, after meeting this week (July 2).

Victorians thinking about buying their first home received some good news back in April, when the state government announced it was boosting assistance available for these buyers.

Vacancy rates rose across the Sydney metropolitan area in May, yet the city's rental market remains tight, according to the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW).

A new EcoLiving Centre in the western suburbs of Melbourne last week will demonstrate the benefits of sustainable living techniques and home improvements that can save homeowners money on their power bill.

Median house prices fell slightly on average across capital cities during the March 2013 quarter, according to a report from Bendigo Bank and the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA).

During the first quarter of 2013, there has been a slight increase in the affordability of real estate in Australia, according to the Real Estate of Australia/Adelaide Bank Housing Affordability report.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has responded to the recently released package of housing industry reforms from the Victorian Coalition government, claiming that there is more room for improvement.

In a statement released today (May 16), Mr Payne urged the NSW government to reduce the transfer stamp duty tax for their upcoming budget - saying that past tax cuts have shown significant increases to government income.

Rental rates for real estate in Brisbane have relaxed only slightly over the past quarter according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) Rental Vacancy Rate survey for the first quarter of 2013.

The first three months of the year saw a few unusual trends in the metropolitan real estate rental market in Western Australia.

The new 2013-14 Victorian State Budget contains measures that will help all real estate owners - but some will receive more support than others.