My thesis and modelling show that availability of credit – driven by interest rates and borrowing capacity is by far the largest driver of home prices. Cut rates and flood the economy with cheap money and property prices are pushed higher, as happened through the COIVD period. Lift rates, tighten borrowing power, and remove stimulus, and prices fall. This thesis has been proved over the pst three years, with Australia’s housing market suffered its biggest annual decline since 2008 last year as sharp interest rate hikes sapped buying power and put off investors.
CoreLogic released their latest national Home Value Index which fell 5.3% in 2022, the first decline since 2018. Annual falls were the biggest in the bellwether market of Sydney, which slid 12.1%, followed by an 8.1% drop in Melbourne. National values declined 1.1% in December, according to the report.
Remember that The Reserve Bank raised interest rates by 3 percentage points since May to 3.1% and is widely expected to hike one or two more times this year. RBA officials have generally publically expressed confidence in Australia’s housing market, highlighting that prices are still higher than at the onset of the pandemic, though recent FOI data underscores their concern falling prices will sap confidence. This despite unemployment at the lowest level in almost 50 years, so they argue most borrowers are well placed to meet their commitments and so loan arrears are likely to be limited.
But overall Australia’s A$9.4 trillion housing market has declined 8% from the recent peak reached in April, after surging 28.6% from a pandemic-induced trough, CoreLogic said.
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