๐Ÿ  July Highlights: National Home Values Rise, Tricky Refinance with Lender Policy Change Request Unconditionally Approved in 13 Days, and QLDโ€™s New Boost to Buy Scheme

In this monthโ€™s update, weโ€™re diving into three key developments shaping the property landscape.

๐Ÿก Cotality Home Value Index Update.

๐Ÿก Tricky Refinance unconditional approval story.

๐Ÿก QLD Boost To Buy Scheme.

๐Ÿ“Š Cotality Home Value Index โ€“ July 2025 Report:

  • National: +0.6%

  • Capital Cities:

    • Sydney: +0.6%

    • Melbourne: +0.5%

    • Brisbane: +0.7%

    • Adelaide: +0.5%

    • Perth: +0.8%

    • Hobart: -0.2%

    • Darwin: +1.5%

    • Canberra: +0.9%

  • Regional Areas:

    • Regional NSW: +0.3%

    • Regional VIC: +0.5%

    • Regional QLD: +0.8%

    • Regional SA: +0.9%

    • Regional WA: +0.6%

    • Regional TAS: +0.4%

  • Combined Capitals: +0.6%

  • Combined Regionals: +0.5%

Key Highlights:

๐Ÿ“ˆ Housing Market Overview

  • National home values rose 0.6% in June, the fifth consecutive monthly gain.

  • Quarterly growth: +1.4%, driven by falling interest rates and improving sentiment.

  • Only Hobart saw a monthly value decline (-0.2%).

  • Darwin led quarterly capital city growth at +4.9%, reaching a record high.

  • Regional Tasmania was the only area with quarterly declines (-0.4%).

Market Drivers

  • Two RBA rate cuts (February & May) boosted confidence and market momentum.

  • Despite growth, the pace remains milder than mid-2023 and well below pandemic highs.

  • Sales activity is modest (4.9% turnover), slightly below the 10-year average.

  • Stock levels are low, 5.8% below last year and 16.7% below the 5-year average.

Capital vs Regional Trends

  • Regional markets still edge out capitals in quarterly growth (+1.6% vs. +1.4%) but capitals are gaining ground.

  • Over 5 years, Perth (+81.1%) and Brisbane (+75.1%) lead capital city growth.

  • National 12-month change: +3.4%, with an annualised rate of 5.8%.

Rental Market

  • Rental growth is easing, with the national index up just 1.3% in Q2 (lowest since 2020).

  • Annual rental growth has dropped to 3.4%, from peaks above 8% in previous years.

  • Darwin and Brisbane posted the strongest rental increases in Q2.

  • Vacancy rates remain tight (~1%), keeping rental supply limited.

  • Rental affordability constraints are slowing demand, as households now spend ~1/3 of income on rent.

Interest Rates & Outlook

  • Inflation has returned to the RBAโ€™s target band (2โ€“3%), prompting forecasts of further cuts.

  • The market expects the cash rate to fall to 3.1% by December 2025 and possibly to 2.9% in early 2026.

  • Lower rates are expected to support borrowing, sentiment, and prices, but affordability may cap gains.

  • New housing supply is not keeping pace, with approvals below long-term averages.

Risks & Constraints

  • High household debt may limit lending growth.

  • Lending policy remains cautious: only ~6% of new loans have debt-to-income ratios >6x.

  • Lower migration and global geopolitical risks (e.g., Middle East, US-China tensions) could dampen demand.

  • Despite improving conditions, affordability remains a major barrier to significant price acceleration.

Top Performers (Annual Value Growth):

  • Capital Cities:

    • Darwin: +6.0%

    • Adelaide: +8.0%

    • Brisbane & Perth: +7.0%

  • Regions:

    • Regional WA (Mid West): +22.6%

    • Regional QLD (Darling Downs West): +21.2%

    • Regional SA (Murray & Mallee): +15.8%

โœ… Unconditional Approval Granted for a Tricky Refinance!

Weโ€™re thrilled to announce an unconditional approval for one of our more complex refinance clients โ€” all within just 13 days!

๐Ÿงฉ The challenge?
Our client was on unpaid leave from their regular PAYG role, temporarily working as a consultant on a major infrastructure project in another state, invoicing weekly. However, they did not have two years of self-employed financials โ€” a typical requirement.

๐Ÿ’ก Our strategy:
We worked with the lender to treat the situation like a parental leave scenario, demonstrating that the client:

  • Had sufficient savings to cover mortgage repayments and living expenses during the leave period,

  • Could service the loan for the next 3 months, and

  • Had a guaranteed return to PAYG employment at the end of the contract.

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Behind the scenes:
Before submission, we ran the scenario past the lenderโ€™s credit team to confirm it would be approvable with the right documents in place. This proactive approach paid off!

๐ŸŽ‰ The result:
โœ… Unconditional approval in just 13 days
๐Ÿก $1,089,000 refinanced
๐Ÿ“‰ New interest rate: 5.49%
๐Ÿ™Œ One very happy and relieved client!


๐Ÿก QLD Boost to Buy Home Ownership Scheme

Helping First Home Buyers Get Into the Market Sooner

The Boost to Buy scheme is a significant initiative by the Queensland Government to help first home buyers overcome the deposit hurdle and secure a home of their own sooner.

๐Ÿ” How It Works

Boost to Buy provides a shared equity contribution toward your home purchase:

  • โœ… Up to 30% for new homes

  • โœ… Up to 25% for existing homes

This means you could buy a home with as little as 2% deposit saved, making homeownership far more accessible.

๐Ÿ‘ค Whoโ€™s Eligible?

  • ๐Ÿง Singles earning up to $150,000

  • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ Couples/households (2 adults) earning up to $225,000

  • Property must be valued up to $1 million

  • Youโ€™ll need to contribute at least 2% of the property price from your own savings

๐Ÿ“ More eligibility criteria will be announced closer to launch.

๐Ÿ“… When Can You Apply?

๐Ÿ“ฆ Can You Combine This With Other Support?

Yes! Boost to Buy can be used alongside:

  • The $30,000 First Home Buyer Grant (for new builds)

  • Stamp duty concessions for first home buyers

๐Ÿ’ฌ Need help navigating your options?

If youโ€™d like to understand how these updates could impact your plans โ€” whether you're refinancing, investing, or buying your first home โ€” Iโ€™d love to chat.

๐Ÿ‘ฃ As your mortgage broker, I can help assess your eligibility and prepare you for launch. Letโ€™s work together to put your Best Foot Forward toward homeownership, refinance, or property portfolio growth.

๐Ÿ“… Book a complimentary discovery call to discuss your current situation and future goals โ€” no obligation, just a straightforward, honest knowledge-sharing session to help you now or in 3, 6, or 12 monthsโ€™ time.

#MortgageBroker #PropertyMarket #QLDBoostToBuy #Refinance #FirstHomeBuyer #BestFootForwardMortgageSolutions #FinanceStrategy #PropertyInvestment #HomeLoanSupport

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โœ… Unconditional Approval Granted for a Tricky Refinance!

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๐Ÿก June 2025 Newsletter - Deposit Bonds, Forgotten Cash & Early Signs the Market's Waking Up! Good news. QLD FHOG extended until June 30 2026.