The recent decision from the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) to reduce interest rates by 50 basis points, bringing the federal funds rate to a range of 4.75% to 5%, has drawn attention from markets worldwide, including Australia. With inflation in the U.S. having moderated to approximately 2.2%, close to the Fed’s long-term target, many are questioning the rationale behind this rate cut and its broader implications for investors.
This week, Australian markets demonstrated a solid performance, with the ASX 200 rising by 1.1%. Materials led the way with a notable 4.2% increase, buoyed by renewed optimism around potential stimulus measures from China. Lithium stocks enjoyed a rebound from recent lows due to supply cuts, while fears of supply restrictions from Russia impacted uranium, nickel, and titanium markets positively. Oil prices also saw an uptick, supported by output disruptions in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Financials sector lagged slightly, down 0.8%, as investors took profits after a strong run of fresh peaks in the major banks.
The Australian Government has released 40,000 new places under the Federal Government Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS). Read Post
The proposed NSW shared equity scheme recently announced and coming soon is designed to give more Aussies a chance to co-own their own home. This scheme would mimic the Federal Equity Scheme of property co-ownership, but the key difference is it that will be offered to key worker first home buyers (teachers, nurses or police) as well as older singles 50 years of age or older and single parents with children aged under 18. Read Post
Through our time at Raiz Home Ownership, we have seen that while many people have the income to afford a loan, the hard thing to do is to build up the deposit. This was one of the reasons Raiz was started in the first place; to assist in saving for life goals such as deposits for houses. Read Post
Interest rates in the mortgage market are moving up in the first quarter of 2022. A question we are asked a lot at Raiz Home Ownership is: “should I fix my home loan, or split it?” Read Post
The 2022 Federal Budget announced an increase of places for the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (FHLDS). Read Post
Are you getting ready to take the plunge and invest in property? It can be an expensive enough ordeal with the listing price alone. And stamp duty can be around 4% of the listing price as an upfront cash payment if you aren’t a first home buyer that meets the criteria for stamp exemption. Read Post
Thinking of making 2022 the year you invest in property? Here are some hints at useful resources and things to consider before signing on the dotted line. Read Post
Rentvesting is a home-owning strategy where you rent a property to live in that fits your lifestyle, while you own an investment property that fits your budget. This is because in the current property market, many Australians cannot afford their dream home now, but do not want to be left off the property ladder altogether. Read Post
