The January CoreLogic RP Data Home Value Index results showed capital city dwelling values rose by 1.3 per cent over the first month of the year, indicating a strong start for the housing market in 2015.
While the headline reading is strong, overall housing market performance varied substantially between the capital cities. The largest cities, which have more influence over the combined capital city index due to the high number of dwellings, continued to push the aggregate index higher. Melbourne values were up 2.7 per cent over the month and Sydney values increased by 1.4 per cent. Hobart also recorded a strong monthly result with dwelling values up 1.6 per cent. Three capital cities recorded a decline in dwelling values over the month, with Darwin values down 1.3 per cent, Adelaide recorded a 1.2 per cent decline, whilst Perth values were down 0.6 per cent over the month.
The quarterly change revealed a clearer picture for housing market conditions, with the combined capitals index recording a 1.9 per cent gain over the three months ending January. While Sydney continued to be the standout for capital gains, the most significant increase in dwelling values over the past three months was recorded in Hobart where dwelling values moved 4.4 per cent higher, eclipsing the 2.4 per cent capital gain in Sydney, which was the second highest quarterly reading across the capitals.
