Financing remains constrained

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Data out form the Bureau of Statistics on financing commitments for January has total commitments falling 2.8% from December, seasonally adjusted. All the major sectors – housing, commercial and personal – were down. Housing led the way with a 5% fall, then commercial (-1.6%) and personal (-1.5%). Housing isn’t such a surprise given ...

“Old” news – house starts jump

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Data from the Bureau of Statistics puts the number of housing starts in the December 2009 quarter at 40,022. seasonally adjusted. This is a 15.1% jump on the previous quarter and 26.0% up on December 2008. I call it “old” news in the sense that the surge in building was to be ...

Another 6 months of Govt help for first home buyers

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Hot on the heels of data released this week showing that first home buyers accounted for 27.3% of all homes purchased in March, Wayne Swan announced last night during the Federal Budget that the Government would extend it's boost of the first home buyers grant through to December 31st. "In light ...

Modest reduction in interest rate

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

The Reserve Bank of Australia met today to discuss the state of the global economic crisis, and how Australia is faring in comparison to other countries, including its trading partners. They have determined that another modest drop in the official cash rate is necessary to continue to stabilise the downturn. In ...