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26 June 2009 - Five Free Ways to Improve Your Home and Sell it Faster
You can find an almost infinite number of tips for improving your home's value, from re-tiling the roof to undergoing huge kitchen renovations. But what if you don't have the money to spend on costly home improvements? Many people find themselves in the position of needing to sell a home, but don't have the resources to make any upgrades.
A lack of funds is no excuse for just sitting back and hoping your house will sell. There are plenty of small changes you can make that can have an impact on your potential buyers, and they don't have to cost you a penny.
A lack of funds is no excuse for just sitting back and hoping your house will sell. There are plenty of small changes you can make that can have an impact on your potential buyers, and they don't have to cost you a penny.
2 April 2009 - $720m injection to save jobs
Small businesses will be excused from paying more than $700 million in taxes in an effort to save Australian jobs.
The Federal Government will give a $720 million cash-flow boost to small businesses, self-funded retirees and small superannuation funds struggling because of the global recession.
26 March 2009 - Shift to regional trade increases risk to Australia
A collapse in world trade, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, and a sharp drop in economic growth for China have significantly heightened the downside risk to Australia's outlook, according to a new report released by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).
Recent months have seen an "outright collapse in world trade, particularly in the emerging markets of East Asia," according to the quarterly GlobalEconomic & Risk Outlook Report.
19 March 2009 - Affordability best in almost 20 years
Australian homes are becoming more affordable, with less than a third of the family income now going towards mortgage repayments, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) said this month.
The REIA/Deposit Power Housing Affordability Report shows that the proportion of family income that is required to meet mortgage repayments has seen its largest change since 1995.
12 March 2009 - Crisis Watchers Yield Mixed Opinions on Recovery
Joe Average could be forgiven for scratching his head this week, as opinions diverged about the depth and scale of the global economic crisis.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has joined The World Bank in predicting the global economy to contract below zero in 2009, warning the global economy will be gripped by a "Great Recession".
26 February 2009 - Housing recovery likely within 12 months: HIA
The housing industry in Australia may be in the doldrums right now, but is likely to stage a significant recovery over the next twelve months, according to a report released this week.
The latest HIA National Outlook report shows that substantial fiscal stimulus and large interest rate reductions have created the conditions for an increase in housing starts in the next financial year.
19 February 2009 - One small green step at a time
Investors who own older houses are being encouraged to install insulation as part of the Federal Government's $3.8 billion scheme to insulate homes.
Insulation is recognised as typically the most cost effective way to improve a home's energy efficiency; however many older homes - up to 40 per cent of Australia's housing stock - remain uninsulated.
12 February 2009 - ACCC warns of possible bushfire charity scams
People wanting to contribute to the Victorian bushfire appeals have been put on alert to ensure they are not taken in by scammers.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman, Graeme Samuel, warned this week that in the past, such as during the 2003 Canberra bushfires and the December 26 2004 Asian tsunami, scammers took advantage of people's generosity and kindness.
29 January - Housing affordability improves world-wide
Homes are becoming easier to buy around the world, yet three Australian cities continue to rank among the least affordable in the world, according to an international survey into housing affordability, released this week.
The 5th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey covers 265 markets in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
5 February - Signs of positive activity
More than 5,000 first home buyers across the country have taken advantage of the First Home Owners Boost in its first full month of operation, the Federal Minister for Housing, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek has announced.
Figures for November 2008 show that 5,385 first home buyers entered the property market using the First Home Owners Boost, announced on October 14 last year.
5 March 2009 - RBA leaves rate unchanged, although economic conditions still weak
Contrary to popular opinion, the Reserve Bank left rates unchanged this week. Despite the weakened global economy and contracting spending, the move shows confidence in Australian's financial system, a sentiment echoed in the bank's official announcement.
"The Australian financial system remains strong and the monetary policy transmission process is working to deliver large reductions in interest rates to end borrowers," said Glenn Stevens, Governer Monetary Policy.
22 January 2009 - First home buyers kick in
The impact of successive reductions in interest rates and the boost to the First Home Owners Grant is becoming more apparent in the latest Housing Finance figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The data shows that housing loans for new dwellings grew by 2.9 per cent in November (seasonally adjusted) over the previous month.