Westpac report says the good times in the residential property market will "end very soon".
The housing market is facing a looming slowdown, according to Westpac's chief economist Dominick Stephens.
In a Home Truths Report on the housing market Stephens said although the market was positive for now, it will soon slow.
"In our view the good times for the market are going to end very soon," he said.
"We are forecasting a small decline in house prices in the second half of 2018.
The report pointed to six factors that would likely cause a market slowdown:
- Foreign buyers will be banned from buying existing residential properties, probably by the middle of this year.
- Ring fencing tax losses on residential investment properties, which means investors won't be able to offset any tax losses from a property against other income.
- The Tax Working Group will probably recommend a Capital Gains Tax, although the family home will likely be exempted.
- Mortgage rates are more likely to rise than fall
- Net migration is expected to keep slowing while home construction will keep rising.
"This is a prodigious set of negative factors, but for a few reasons we are forecasting only a slight house price decline, rather than anything dramatic," the report said.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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58% Human-centred experience and communication
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13.1% Critical thinking
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26.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.8% Other - I will share below!
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.8% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14% ... It is complicated
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