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
Why banks are hiking fixed mortgage rates
Rod Myer The New Daily (No paywall)Australia’s major banks are hiking their fixed-term mortgage rates in response to concerns about surging inflation in the US.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2021/12/23/fixed-ter…
# Australia, Housing market.Poor social housing conditions have been a problem for 30 or 40 years, says Archbishop of Canterbury
Grainne Cuffe Inside Housing (Paywall)From the United Kingdom ... Poor social housing conditions have been a problem for 30 or 40 years and the government, councils and housing associations face a “considerable uphill battle” to solve the issue, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Speaking in an ITV interview on Tuesday, Justin Welby said the poor housing conditions faced by some social housing tenants, which have recently been highlighted as part of an ongoing investigation by the broadcaster, were “tragically familiar”. When asked about his response to ITV’s investigation, which showed conditions including extreme mould and disrepair, he said he had a “tragic sense of familiarity from places I’d worked, from routine visits for funerals”. “This has been going on for 30 or 40 years,” he added. The archbishop said: “It’s not just a government issue; it needs housing associations, government, local government, landowners. We need a revolution in social housing and affordable housing.”
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/poor-social-housing-co…
# International, Public and community housing, Repairs, Mould.Crackdown on tax dodging expected to reap $1.2 billion in extra revenue
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The ATO will also focus on investors who did not pay the right amount of capital gains tax or tax on rental properties ...
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/crackdown-on-tax-dodging…
# Australia, Landlords and agents.Strata sector is too important to be left with yet another minister on training wheels
Jimmy Thomson The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)When Dominic Perrottet announced his new cabinet last week, it wasn’t the changes at the top that drew most attention from apartment owners and strata professionals. It was one near the bottom. Fair Trading – the cumbersome multi-faceted ministry where strata issues reside – has long been known as a “training wheels” appointment.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/strata-sector-is-too-importa…
# NSW, Strata, State Government.Property in the record books for all the wrong reasons
Martin North (No paywall)Domain published an interesting article before Christmas, looking in particular at the Sydney property market, saying its one for the record books. To which I respond, maybe, but for all the wrong reasons. [Read on] (Digital Finance Analytics)
https://digitalfinanceanalytics.com/blog/property-in-the-record-…
# Video NSW, Housing market.The metaverse is shaping up as the 'next battleground for internet technology'
Dong Xing ABC (No paywall)Taipei resident James Zhou says real estate in the real world is too expensive. And so, because the 27-year-old believes virtual worlds might soon take off, he has decided to get into a different market. ... Digital real estate markets are one aspect of metaverses — virtual worlds where users can work, socialise, shop and game, using augmented and virtual reality. Some metaverse platforms allow users to make purchases with cryptocurrency.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-26/why-are-people-buying-up-…
# International, Housing market.To pay off the mortgage or top up super? There's no one answer, but these four questions can help you decide
Di Johnson ABC (No paywall)At a certain point in life, many wonder what's better: to pay off the home loan ASAP or top up your superannuation? Read the original article at: [https://theconversation.com/should-i-pay-off-the-mortgage-asap-or-top-up-my-superannuation-4-questions-to-ask-yourself-170470]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-27/how-to-decide-to-pay-off-…
# Australia, Home ownership.The tax exemption owners must understand before renting out their home
Craig Sankey The New Daily (No paywall)I’m wondering what happens if you have moved out of your principal place of residence, rented it for several years and paid tax on that rent, and then move back into it. [Read on]
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/your-budget/2021/12/26/tax-ex…
# Australia, Landlords and agents, Tax.