A first home buyer paid $1,305,000 for a two-bedroom apartment in Alexandria on Saturday, $55,000 above the reserve. The converted warehouse unit at 2/145 Belmont Street drew five active bidders. The new owner, who has been renting locally, said cooling market conditions gave him confidence to wait before buying. In Mosman, a five-bedroom home in Beauty Point passed in at $9.85 million after a vendor bid. In Huntleys Cove, a ground floor apartment sold for $1.97 million, $20,000 above its reserve.
Some buyers in Canberra's Affordable Home Purchase Scheme say they have been left stranded years after signing up. Several say the homes still have incomplete work, and they are in contract disputes with the builder. Buyers in Whitlam have refused to sign occupancy certificates, and some have received notices of breach of contract. The Suburban Land Agency says 170 of 181 participating households have moved in. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the behaviour of one builder was unacceptable.
Household energy scores are gaining traction in Australia, helping buyers gauge running costs and sellers show the value of efficiency upgrades. VALAI, a platform holding property data on more than 14 million homes, generates scores automatically. Under a partnership with REA Group, its scores will appear on realestate.com.au profiles as a score out of 10, compared with the suburb benchmark. A 2026 realestate.com.au survey found four in five Australians already have energy efficiency features at home. Upfront cost remains the biggest barrier to upgrades, cited by 43% of respondents.
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Brokers arranged a record 81.6 per cent of all new and refinanced home loans in June 2026, up from 50.1 per cent in June 2016. An industry-commissioned report found brokers arranged 838,815 residential home loans in 2025, a rise of 17.2 per cent on the year before. Bank branch closures and recent interest rate rises have also shaped borrowers' reliance on brokers. Brokers are paid a percentage of the loan value plus an ongoing trail commission, and they typically present three options drawn from a limited set of lenders.
Couples looking for a median-priced Melbourne house now have 146 suburbs to choose from, down from 210 in October 2025, according to Canstar. Canstar research manager Josh Sale said higher interest rates have weakened the link between falling prices and affordability. The income needed to buy the median Melbourne house rose from $135,268 to $139,362 over the year, even as the median price fell. Buyers' agent Zac Jacobs said buyers are likely to be very conservative while uncertainty about future rate rises remains. The most affordable Melbourne suburb is Melton, with a median house value of $570,000.
