Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Houses earning more than Australia’s highest paid professionals
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)Houses are out-earning some of Australia’s top-paid professionals, with price growth in some cities outstripping the income of surgeons, psychiatrists and chief executive officers. Houses in both Sydney and Canberra earned more money over the past quarter than eight of the top-10 earning occupations in Australia, with median prices jumping by more than $1000 a day in both cities. Meanwhile, the average full-time worker would need to save almost half their earnings to even keep their deposit in line with house price growth. Also, check out the Guardian's article entitled: 'Australian house prices rose more in July than incomes are rising in a year, data shows' at: [https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/02/australian-house-prices-rose-more-in-july-than-incomes-are-rising-in-a-year-data-shows?CMP=soc_567]
https://www.domain.com.au/news/houses-earning-more-than-australi…
# Australia, Housing market.Signs Australian housing boom may be cooling as mortgage demand suffers biggest fall in a year
The Guardian (No paywall)There are further signs Australia’s housing boom could be cooling, with demand for home loans and applications to build homes falling.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/03/signs-aus…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing market.New listings in Sydney drop by 20 per cent, but supply ‘obliterated’ in some pockets
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)The number of homes hitting the property market has plummeted in pockets of Sydney, with the supply of new homes for sale ‘obliterated’ by the city’s ongoing lockdown. ... The drop in homes for sale comes amid ongoing uncertainty as to whether agents can even conduct in-person property appraisals across Sydney under the health orders, or arrange for homes to be photographed and styled to prepare them for sale or lease. The Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) had been advising members not to conduct such activities under previous health orders, but understands appraisals, photography, styling and visits to map floor plans can now go ahead in the Greater Sydney area since new orders were announced on the weekend. It is still seeking clarification on whether such activities can occur in the eight council areas facing tougher restrictions.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/new-listings-in-sydney-drop-by-20…
# NSW, Privacy and access, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Young people lining up for COVID-19 vaccine in Illawarra
Zoe Cartright (No paywall)As the premier urges more older Australians to take up the COVID vaccine, some of our region's youngest adults have stepped up to protect themselves and their community. ... Southern Youth and Family Services CEO Narelle Clay said she was immensely proud of the 38 young people who took part in the clinic. ... "Those who are homeless, have experienced domestic violence or have mental health issues, we were really concerned they weren't being seen as a priority group. It's a positive step back toward a normal life for these young people, and we're grateful to Area Health for offering the clinics."
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7362895/youth-step-up-…
# NSW, Coronavirus COVID-19, Homelessness, Regional NSW, Young people.Dog owner scraps planned High Court action to keep pet dogs in luxury Gold Coast high-rise
Tom Forbes and Caitlyn Sheehan ABC (No paywall)A Gold Coast dog owner has decided not to fight his body corporate in the High Court in a bid to keep his pet cocker spaniels in his Southport high-rise. In April, the Commission for Body Corporate and Community Management ordered Kerry Hayes to remove his dogs Bolli and Scooby from the Rivage Royale building.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-03/gold-coast-high-rise-dog-…
# Australia, Strata.Woman who won pets in apartments case loses bid to have her building’s strata committee sacked
Sue Williams Domain (No paywall)The woman who won the landmark court case potentially giving thousands of NSW apartment owners the right to keep pets has lost her bid to have the committee of her building sacked. ... Last year’s Court of Appeal ruling changed the attitudes of the owners corporations at a number of Sydney apartment buildings that had similarly refused residents the right to keep pets. Some buildings followed Horizon’s example, scrapping their no-pets bylaws and introducing new rules on animal residents. Owners of apartments in other buildings that banned pets then either bought pets and challenged the strata committees to take them to the tribunal or made applications themselves that the no-pet bylaws were harsh and unconscionable.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/court-case-1077059/?utm_campaign=…
# NSW, Strata, Tribunal NCAT.House prices take a breath as affordability crunch bites
John Collett The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Property price growth is slowing as more people who would like to buy are priced out of the market. If the trend continues, price growth could continue to slide and may even start to fall by 2023.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/house-prices-take-a-breat…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Former bankrupt chicken killers put aged care business into administration
Cameron Houston and Chris Vedelago The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)An aged care business founded by two bankrupt brothers convicted of shocking animal cruelty has been placed into voluntary administration just days before it was required to return deposits to families of former residents. ... The brothers used aliases, dummy directors and a family trust to conceal their roles with Chronos Care, while also funnelling funds from the business to pay for their mortgages, holidays and luxury cars.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/former-bankrupt-chicken…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents, Older people.