Catherine and Aaron McArlein bought their first home in Springfield Lakes, south of Brisbane, for $1.28 million after a four-year search. The couple waited for prices to level off rather than stretch their budget, and found an off-market property through a local real estate agent after five rejected offers. The four-bedroom home has a pool, spa and a backyard for their dog. Mortgage broker Mark Winter urged buyers to keep saving and to ensure repayments remain manageable if interest rates rise further. The Reserve Bank of Australia recently lifted rates to a 15-year high of 4.6 per cent.
New research from AFMS Group shows regional South Australia gives buying couples the greatest purchasing power. Couples could afford to buy in every suburb of outback South Australia, where the median price is $428,083. In Adelaide's central and hills region, couples can buy in just 55 per cent of suburbs. Realestate.com.au senior economist Eleanor Creagh said prices had fallen for a sixth month in a row, while loan lodgements in South Australia have dropped 25 per cent since January, according to Loan Market.
Insiders told Woman's Day that Karl Stefanovic must make serious cutbacks as his podcast business faces pressure. The source claims the family is building a costly Sydney home and holds a Noosa property that did not sell as expected. Speculation is growing that the family may move permanently to the Sunshine Coast, where Harper could join a surf club's Nippers program. These claims are unconfirmed, and the couple has not commented in the source material.
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A retired Toowoomba couple has won $100,000 from a $5 Instant Scratch-Its ticket. They bought the winning Crosswords Colour ticket from Harristown News & Casket Agency at Tower Shopping Village on Drayton Road. The husband found the winning number, 10 words, while his wife was playing with their dog. The couple plans to pay off their mortgage and keep their celebrations low-key. The shop owner, Sarita Sharma, said she was thrilled to have sold the top-prize ticket to a regular customer.
Three in four Australians would have to cut back if their rent or mortgage rose by just $20 a week, according to a new Everybody's Home report. The No Room to Move survey of 1,150 people found many would struggle to afford essentials such as food, medication and bills. One in four respondents feared becoming homeless if housing costs kept rising over the next year. Everybody's Home spokesperson Maiy Azize said renters were receiving the worst deal in living memory and called for minimum standards for rental homes, limits on unfair rent increases and more public housing.
A survey of 1150 people has found that 76 per cent of Australians would have to cut back on essentials such as medicine and food if rent or mortgage repayments rose by $20 a week. The survey was conducted by housing advocacy group Everybody's Home between July and September. Nearly half of respondents said their home was not warm enough this winter. Rents remain above historically high levels, although some capital cities recorded small falls, while Darwin house rents rose 5.3 per cent in the September quarter.
Suncorp Bank customers face potential mortgage repayment increases following ANZ's acquisition. The bank notified borrowers that minimum repayments may rise by hundreds of dollars due to policy differences between the institutions. ANZ's approach to calculating repayments differs from Suncorp's, potentially impacting customers who have made advance payments. Suncorp CEO Malcolm Stedman assured most customers will see no change, but those with extra repayments could face higher minimum payments if no action is taken. Consumer advocates argue for stronger protections in the mortgage market to prevent such surprises.
Investment group 360 Capital has acquired a senior loan facility of about $31.2 million linked to a Bathla development at 137 South Street, Marsden Park. The debt was bought from La Trobe Financial. The 72-apartment project is nearing completion, and half of its apartments have been pre-sold. 360 Capital says the deal gives its entities control of both the first and second mortgages. Analysts warn that the final outcome for lenders depends on remaining sales and prices amid a property downturn.
Britt and Taz Etto, stars of The Block 2025, have sold their family home rather than keep their mortgage-free position after winning $520,000. The couple have bought Hazelwood Estate, a 40-year-old Tudor on 5.5 acres in Mandurah, Western Australia, for $1.4 million. They have set aside $600,000 with their builder to renovate the home over 12 months. The couple plan to add gardens, an orchard, chickens and possible granny flats, and hope to earn income from the property through boutique accommodation or elopements.
Single buyers in South Australia need to earn an average of $167,424 before tax to buy a median-priced home with a 20 per cent deposit, according to Canstar research. That figure is up from $139,778 last year. Canstar research group manager Josh Sale said higher interest rates have weakened the link between property prices and affordability. Buyers of units need an average pre-tax income of $114,741, up $17,656 on last year. Finder personal finance expert Sarah Megginson said cheaper homes do not automatically mean affordable ones.
Australia’s big four banks will raise interest rates for variable mortgage holders from Friday, following the Reserve Bank’s latest hike. The Commonwealth Bank’s new rate will be 6.34 per cent, NAB’s between 6.29-7.04 per cent, and ANZ’s 6.50 per cent. Westpac’s lowest rate will now be 6.24 per cent. Compare the Market estimates the average mortgage holder with a $731,000 loan will pay $5568 more annually. The Reserve Bank governor said the hike was necessary to control inflation, which is currently 3.5 per cent.
The average first homebuyer mortgage has surged $50,000 since the federal government removed income caps from the 5 per cent deposit scheme in October 2025. Analysis of ABS lending data shows the average mortgage jumped 8.5 per cent in the quarter after the caps were lifted, reaching $610,063. However, the number of first homebuyer loans has decreased since the income caps were removed, with about 102,000 homes purchased under the scheme since then.
Distressed property listings in Australia have surged 29.2 per cent in the past year, with 4,906 properties listed in October. NSW saw a 10.6 per cent increase, while Queensland had the highest number of distressed listings at 1,704. Experts attribute the rise to economic pressures, including higher mortgage repayments and rising living costs, though other factors like family circumstances may also play a role.
