First Home Buyers Guide
Melbourne
They're back - first home buyers trickle into the market
CHRISTINA ZHOU It is a trickle rather than a flood, but the latest data confirms that first home buyers are coming back to the market.
Melbourne
Market ready for first-time buyers
David Adams Look beyond the figures for signs of a resurgence in 2014.
Feature
A tough battle for first place
Antony Lawes With buyer competition fierce and prices on the rise, it's time to get a foot on the property ladder.
Feature
House-hunting? Then do your homework
Sue Green Research is vital if you are in the market for a new home.
Market Wrap
First-time cut is the deepest
Chris Tolhurst The clearance rate has continued to climb as interest rates fall.
Market Wrap
First home buyers feel a rising fiscal pressure
Christ Tolhurst The market may be picking up, but not everyone benefits.
First in, best addressed
Toby Johnstone Despite the ending of some government grants, first home buys are finding ways to get on the property ladder.
'Great Australian Dream' fading, apartment ownership rises
Anja Leszinksy's budget of $420,000 would buy two houses in Chicago or three in Dallas. In Sydney, the most unaffordable housing market in the English-speaking world, it gets her a nondescript one-bedroom apartment about 6.4 kilometres from the town centre or a run-down home on the city's outskirts.
O'Farrell accused of abandoning first home buyers
SEAN NICHOLLS The number of home loans taken out by first home buyers in NSW has plummeted following a state government decision in last year's budget to axe a $7000 grant for those buying existing properties.
Sydney first-timers happier than most
ANTONY LAWES First home buyers might have to spend more to get on the property ladder in Sydney than anywhere else in the country but it seems they also have fewer regrets than most.
One in five new borrowers fix home loans
First home buyers are locking in more fixed rate home loans than they were four years ago as arrears rates continue to improve.
Borrowers pay off mortgages faster than average
Australians have an unusual habit of paying off their mortgages much faster than borrowers in most other rich nations, a valuable trait that gives households a safety buffer.
Address shopping
Kate Farrelly Growing numbers of single women are going it alone in the property market.
Life's a walk in the park
Susan Wellings Park views? At a time when living near the harbour is beyond the means of most people, they're now the new water views.
Unlock ownership matters
Lesley Parker Before signing a joint property contract, work out which type of tenancy suits best.
Areas of affordability
John Collett Property researchers have identified the suburbs where it's cheaper to buy than to rent.
First-timers delay buying
Sue Green Many buyers are waiting until they're older, wealthier and wiser to jump in.
Investment
Locked in: the certainty of fixed-rate loans
Chris Tolhurst Fixed mortgage rates are becoming a lot more attractive to borrowers. In fact, the latest fixed-rate loans to come on the market cost considerably less to pay down than variable-rate loans.
Tips to cut the home-loan deficit
Penny Pryor Here are a number of tricks you can play to get the job done faster and pay off your debt.
Home base
Pockets full of delights
David Adams Lesser-known localities have charms beyond their more famous neighbours.
Home help has strings attached
John Kavanagh Housing affordability is a big issue for first home buyers. Many parents are asked to go guarantor for the loan, but what are the risks?
The late escape
Susan Wellings They've been living it up at home for a while, but a new generation is (finally) ready to buy.
Queensland property buyers return
MARISSA CALLIGEROS After two years waiting on the proverbial sidelines, Queensland first home buyers have returned to the property market, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.
Off-the-plan first home buyers 'can't get loans'
Stephen Nicholls Agents selling apartments off the plan have labelled this week's budget changes an ''absolute failure''.
New homes, new rules... now for the new buyers
Barry O'Farrell is turning to the first-home market and the building industry to revive the NSW economy. Matt Wade and Matthew Moore report.
Out with the old, in with the new for a first-home handout
Stephen Nicholls THE state government's property changes, which skewed support towards new homes, were predictably applauded by developers and mostly criticised by real estate agents.
Doors to opportunity still closed for many
Penny Pryor A slight rise in affordability masks sustained problems in the property sector.
Private Property
Late rush as door closes on home grant
Chris Vedelago Tick-tock, first-home buyers.
Mortgages
Extra payments a winner
John Kavanagh Last week's rate cut gives home loan borrowers a golden opportunity to build equity in their home and pay off their debt sooner.
Generation Y's property double act
Craig Mathieson To rent or buy? A new breed of home buyers are answering that old question by doing both.
Make room: state population set to soar
MIKI PERKINS Victoria's population is predicted to soar and the fastest-growing suburbs will be the city's outer suburban growth areas and the CBD, Docklands and Maribyrnong.
Rethink urged on first home bonus
Josh Gordon Broader scheme should not just apply to new houses, says Real Estate Institute of Victoria.
More tax cuts urged
Enzo Raimondo The REIV has released its state budget submission for 2012-13, highlighting a need to continue state-based tax reform, assist first-home buyers and reduce taxes to promote investment in Victoria.
Property for beginners
Antony Lawes First-time buyers are sacrificing space and expectations to get a toehold in the market.
Looking to the upside
Chris Tolhurst Choosing which unit is a better long-term investment is about more than just price.
NSW
Priciest city still not beyond those chasing the dream
Andrew Wilson If Sydney is the most expensive place to buy a house, then surely it must present monumental barriers to entry for first home buyers.
Expect price increases in some suburbs
Stephanie Anderson Monash and Gungahlin are tipped to see some of the biggest increases in house prices throughout Canberra.
Mortgage rates
Shop around for the best rate
Jason Clout Now's the time to stop talking and start making moves to get a better deal from your lender.
Banks, not RBA, setting rates is scary proposition
Louis Christopher We're up to the eyeballs in debt and with our banks increasingly reliant on overseas interest rate markets, rate changes independent of the RBA could be on the cards.
Banks may raise rates despite RBA hold
Peter Martin, Phillip Coorey Denied an interest rate cut, mortgage holders may soon be hit by a rate rise as the ANZ Bank prepares to announce an interest rate move independent of the Reserve Bank.
Borrowers await Banks' reaction to RBA decision
Malcolm Maiden The Reserve Bank's decision to leave its cash rate at 4.25 per cent is going to cause some hand-wringing inside the big banks.
Banks losing interest in mortgages
Gareth Hutchens BANKS could step back from lending to new home owners after making losses on new mortgages written over the last four months, according to the latest banking industry research.
Decline in capital city house prices greatest in a decade
Simon Johanson The sharp drop in house prices last year was the largest plunge since 2002.
QLD grant take-up rate needs a boost
Daniel Hurst No more than a third of the $140 million earmarked for the Queensland government's new-home building boost would have been spent if the offer closed today as originally planned.
A handy home-loan summary
John Kavanagh Mortgage payment guides are useful tools for buyers but beware their oversimplification.
Shortcut to chic can be to rent a house full of furniture
Alexandra Smith Once students rented a fridge or TV. Now families are renting entire rooms of furniture.
First-timers priced out
Chris Vedelago Many first-home buyers finding it harder than ever to enter the market, despite property slump.
Lock in your reduction
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon With interest rates falling, a little forward planning can make a big difference to your mortgage.
Diving into the property market
Bina Brown Government grants plus softening house prices make it a good time to launch into home ownership.
Big four finally slash rates
Peter Martin and Clancy Yeates The standoff over home loan interest rates ends, with each of Australia's big four banks finally yielding to political pressure and passing on the Reserve Bank's 0.25 point cut.
Late spate of auctions a stamp duty gift for first-home buyers
Stephen Nicholls THERE'S been a late surge of auctions this year, with property set to go under the hammer right up until the Wednesday before Christmas.
"Housing is as affordable as the 80s"
Courtney Trenwith Contrary to popular belief, property prices in Australia over the past 30 years have only grown in line with rising incomes and lower interest rates, a prominent property economist has claimed.
2011: Orderly correction no dramatic fall in house prices
Andrew Wilson The prospects for increased buyer activity in the Sydney housing market for the rest of the year are reasonably positive.
Melbourne councils spurn rezoning changes to green wedges
Anna Whitelaw Melbourne's green wedge councils have snubbed the Baillieu government’s calls for open space to be rezoned for development.
Europe crisis threatens our house prices
Michael West The government's greatest fear is that the great Aussie dream becomes a nightmare.
Home buyers to benefit from bank battles
Home buyers can continue to expect mortgage discounts next year as big banks battle each other for a bigger share of a sluggish lending market, a new report says.
Worst year in real estate market since GFC
Chris Zappone Australia's residential property market is headed for its worst year since the global financial crisis as growing economic uncertainty deters buyers.
