The latest data from the ABS showing housing lending to September 2016 should make the RBA reconsider its stance on housing. This is because, whilst lending for owner occupation fell slightly, property investors were strongly active again. As a result more than 38% of all new loans in September were for investment purposes. This is too high, and will continue to drive debt and home prices ever higher.
As normal we look at the trend series, which irons out monthly variations. Overall new loans worth $32bn were written, up 0.19% on the previous month. However, of that $12.2bn were for investment housing purposes, up 1.32%, whilst loans for the purchase of owner occupied established dwellings were $10.3bn, down 0.77%. Owner occupied refinance was down 0.46%, to 8bn but comprising 21% of all transactions and 34% of all owner occupied transactions. Loans for new dwellings and construction were $2.8bn, up 0.4%.
We also saw the mix between banks and non banks continue to shift, with the non-bank lenders higher.
Looking at first time buyers, we see that the number of first time buyers fell again 0.5%, to 7,334 (original), which is 13.1% of all owner occupied loans. The average first time buyer loan was $324k, up 1.9%. The data also shows the proportion of fixed loan fell to 11.2%.
The DFA household survey identified an additional 4,000 first time buyers who whet direct to the investment sector – these are not caught in the ABS first time buyer stats.
All this explains the high auction clearance rates, and short listing times current observed, especially in the eastern states.
