Australians
have long had a love affair with property – not only to live in, but
also to invest in. Indeed, we’ve always had one of the highest home
ownership rates in the world (around 70 per cent of households), not to
mention the more than 1.5 million Aussies who own investment properties.
The appeal of investment properties? Potential capital growth, rental
income and tax benefits.
Residential property has consistently proven to be one of the best ways
of building wealth over the years. For example, in Sydney the median
price of houses more than doubled in the 10 years to 1996.
This long term growth in the value of residential property in most major
cities in Australia has occurred even though some years showed a
decline in price. While all investments have some elements of risk, the
history and the track record of successful investors show that
residential real estate is an essential part of a balanced investment
portfolio.
There continues to be strong demand for good rental housing, with around
30 per cent of Australians renting their homes. And with population
levels continuing to rise (according to the Australian Bureau of
Statistics our population is growing by around 1.5 per cent per year),
it stands to reason that there will be increasing demand for rental
properties.
A good barometer for the level of demand is vacancy rates.
Traditionally, a vacancy rate at around three per cent indicates a
balanced market that discourages rent increases. Below three per cent,
demand outstrips supply – and rents rise.
On a national basis, the residential vacancy rate has hovered around 1.8
to 1.9 per cent for the last few months. According to SQM Research,
this rate could be an indirect result of the continuous lack of buyer
interest in the housing sales market of late.
Across Australia, most major cities have been experiencing record low vacancy rates.
In Sydney, the rental vacancy rate in October 2011 was 1.3 per cent for
properties within a 0-10km radius from the CBD. The picture is slightly
better in metropolitan centres outside Sydney, with vacancy rates up 0.6
per cent to 1.9 per cent in Newcastle and up 0.2 per cent to 1.8 per
cent in Wollongong. On the Central Coast, vacancy rates were down 0.2 to
1.7 per cent.
Across Australia it’s a similar story. Perth and Canberra proved to be
the nation’s tightest rental markets in October, with Canberra holding
steady at 0.7 per cent, while vacancies in Perth fell 0.2 per cent to
match Canberra. Conversely, Melbourne led capital cities in vacancies,
with a rate of 3 per cent. In October there were almost 11,000
properties available to rent, up 0.8 per cent compared with the previous
year.
“It is very possible we will see Melbourne vacancies continue to rise
from here as there is, even at this point in time, new stock still just
being completed new,” says managing director of SQM Research, Louis
Christopher.
Rents on the rise
For
property investors, a combination of factors makes investing an
appealing situation. The housing market remains soft across Australia’s
capital cities, but conversely rental growth has been solid (helped
along by the tight vacancy rates).
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the dollar value of
rents has been rising at a four to five per cent pace during 2011.
The good news for Sydney landlords is that rents are increasing. Over
the past year we have seen Sydney rents increase by 5.9 per cent for
houses and 5.4 per cent for units. That brings the weekly rent for a
typical Sydney house up to $550 and to $513 for units.
In Brisbane, house rents were up 4.8 per cent and unit rents up 8.4 per
cent, while in Perth house rents increased 10.1 per cent and unit rents
by 6.8 per cent over the year. In Melbourne, rent on a house has
increased by just 1.9 per cent over the past year and unit rents have
remained flat.
In
South Australia, investors can find some solid returns in the current
real estate market with yields in certain areas recording nearly five
per cent, according to the Real Estate Institute of South Australia
(REISA).
REISA data shows that whilst the sales market is slower than recent
years, there is still plenty of opportunity for astute investors. REISA
President, Mr Greg Moulton, said that yields of over 4.5% can be found
in outer metropolitan Adelaide and in key regional centres and these
suburbs should catch the eye of investors.
“The latest yield data is showing that there is substantial opportunity
for investors in the Adelaide metropolitan area, as well as key regional
centres, and many of these areas have a purchase price of less than
$250,000,” he says. “There is real opportunity out there right now,
especially as property prices have softened a little, so now is the time
to start thinking about investing.
“With the assistance of a professional property manager, a nest egg
could quietly grow into quite an attractive retirement holding, so it’s
never too early to think about long-term investment.”
Supply vs demand
In Sydney, Brisbane and Perth there is a common denominator causing the
strong rental conditions – new housing supply which is insufficient
relative to growth. For example, the number of dwellings that commenced
construction across NSW during the June quarter was just 6696. This
compares with Victoria, where housing demand is virtually the same as
NSW, and where there were 14,684 dwelling starts.
In Queensland, the number of new homes that started construction in June
2011 was 34 per cent below the long-term average, and in Western
Australia new dwelling starts were 13 per cent below average. New home
starts in Victoria were 30 per cent higher than the long-tem average.
With the Australian housing market remaining soft in many areas,
according to the October RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index, there may be
some good buys to be had by investors. Capital city home values dropped
four per cent over the 10 months to October, although in Darwin home
values were up 2.4 per cent over the three months to October.
Rismark’s managing director Ben Skilbeck says: “While home owners and
property investors have endured a 2.8 per cent tapering in actual home
values over the course of 2011, rental growth has been very solid.”
Investors seeking to maximise their rental return are advised to buy
where rental demand is likely to be the highest and supply constraints
are evident. Established suburbs close to major working nodes are
generally a safe bet, as are suburbs close to universities and major
public transport hubs.
| City | Vacancies Sep '10 | Vacancy % | Vacancies Aug'11 | Vacancy % | Vacancies Sep '11 | Vacancy % |
| Sydney | 6,178 | 1.2% | 7,769 | 1.4% | 7,894 | 1.4% |
| Melbourne | 7,986 | 2.2% | 10,197 | 2.8% | 10,926 | 3.0% |
| Brisbane | 4,594 | 1.8% | 4,673 | 1.9% | 4,893 | 2.0% |
| Adelaide | 1,410 | 1.0% | 2,311 | 1.6% | 2,378 | 1.7% |
| Perth | 1,923 | 1.2% | 1,559 | 1.0% | 1,436 | 0.9% |
| Canberra | 262 | 0.6% | 289 | 0.6% | 308 | 0.7% |
| Hobart | 281 | 1.2% | 448 | 1.9% | 485 | 2.1% |
| Darwin | 291 | 1.3% | 215 | 0.9% | 216 | 0.9% |
| National | 39,682 | 1.5% | 46,923 | 1.8% | 48,179 | 1.9% |
Source: SQM Research
Try our quick ‘n easy Chocolate Yule Log recipe for dessert at your Christmas lunch this year.
With Christmas cheer brings many challenges. We show you some tips and hints to avoid the stress.
Stay
relaxed, have fun and enjoy your cooking by being prepared and going
back to classic simple dishes. An excellent side dish is potatoes
sprinkled with salt, garlic and thyme, wrapped in foil and placed on the
BBQ.
Two thirds of Australians will be spending less on Christmas presents
this year – with the majority choosing to holiday at home rather than go
away, new surveys have shown.
Homeloans is doing some research on Christmas spending habits. To help
us do this, we have constructed a brief survey that will help us gain an
insight into whether people will be changing their Christmas present
spending habits this year - and if so, why. By completing the short,
seven-question survey, you could be in the running for a $100 Christmas Wish gift card. 
It
doesn’t seem that long ago when a typical backyard consisted of a grass
patch, a clothesline and a barbeque with simple table and chairs.
Today, with the boundaries between indoors and out blurring, Australians
expect the same style, quality and comfort from outdoor entertaining as
we do from our indoor living areas. 
Traditionally the domain of indoor spaces, the open
fireplace is ‘on the move’ – and it’s increasingly being integrated into
outdoor rooms for year-round ambience, warmth, as a lighting element,
or to make a clear design statement.