Population growth is an important determinant of housing demand – to put it simply, more people generally equates to a larger requirement for new homes.  This week’s RP Data Property Pulse focusses on the broad national population growth figures which were released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week. Our blog this week looks at the September quarter population change data in more detail, focusing on the state by state results.

New home sales tumbled 5.3 per cent across the nation in February, snapping a four-month run of increases, but the lagging trend did not extend to sales in Western Australia.

REIWA’s March quarter data show that Perth’s median house price has reached a new record of $510,000.

Dwelling values across the combined capital cities of Australia recorded a 2.8% rise over the March quarter, taking the cumulative capital gain to 4.7% since the market bottomed out in May last year.

Good news: 71,500 jobs were created over the month of February

Bad news: 75% of them were part time roles

The recovery of China’s economy is firmly on track, with latest gross domestic product figures showing an end to an engineered slowdown of Australia’s major trading partner.

Increased first home buyer activity and a lift in turnover of higher priced properties have bolstered Perth’s median house price, which rose 3 per cent in the December quarter.

FOR the first time in almost three years the median weekly rent of apartments and units in Perth has dropped by $10 a week.    

Nearly a dozen Western Australian suburbs have been identified among the nation’s top 50 areas that are geared for capital growth in 2013.

The number of home loans approved in WA crept up 1 per cent, indicating a strengthening property market in the metropolitan region. 

RETAIL turnover in Western Australia has once again eclipsed the national growth rate for November.    

AUSTRALIA'S trade deficit has blown out to its highest level since the financial crisis as businesses and consumers cash in on the strong dollar while the value of commodity exports slides.    

The high cost of housing in Perth and Western Australia is a surprise to many new arrivals.

Optimism among mid-sized Australian businesses has hit record highs in the lead-up to Christmas, a quarterly survey has found.

The City Of Perth has moved to encourage more inner-city residential development, passing an amendment to its planning schemes to allow for more dense development.

A SURPRISE slide in the US unemployment rate to 7.7 per cent for November gave markets an initial boost on Friday, but share ended the session mixed.

An unexpected fall in Australia's unemployment rate will lift confidence in the national economy.

The U.S. economy grew faster than initially thought in the third quarter, but the momentum is unlikely to be sustained as the nation braces for deep cuts in government spending and tax increases early next year.

Wishful thinking, or is there really a change for good blowing through the global economy?

Perth is Australia’s second fastest growing city, behind only the Gold Coast, but the new housing sector is not keeping up with demand, according to a new report.

Perth housing was the standout performer among major capital cities in November, with values rising 1 per cent over the month, new research says.

Dwelling values across all of Australia’s capital city housing markets, except Melbourne, rose over November with values now just -0.1 per cent lower over the past 12 months.

DEMAND for residential land is likely to be mixed over the next year, according to industry analyst and economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel.

There are further signs the Chinese economy is in recovery mode, with new data showing its manufacturing sector growing for the first time in 13 months - a welcome result for Australia's iron ore and coal exporters.

• WA’s economy grows record 6.7% in 2011-12
• Highest rate of growth of any State
• Almost double the national economy
• GSP per capita $100,000 for first time, well above $64,725 national average

Employment in Western Australia's resources sector is expected to fall below current levels in 2018, according to a new report by the state's Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CMEWA).

Despite three interest rate cuts since May, consumers aren't spending any more than they were five months ago.

Retailers could be in for a better Christmas period following a jump in consumer confidence amid signs that lower interest rates are finally making their mark.

YOU only have to scan rich lists to see the number of Aussies who made their fortunes from real estate. Here's how to get started on building your own real estate empire.    

The employment outlook may not be as bleak as some forward indicators suggest, with a new report predicting 137,000 jobs will be added to the economy by August next year, led by demand in the mining industry.

The value of investment projects grew by more than $6 billion during the September quarter despite the backdrop of a difficult global environment, an independent forecaster says

A rise in monthly home loan data shows Australians are beginning to take advantage of interest rate cuts.

Ahh, that old chestnut… It’s a question that is often asked. What performs better? Shares or property?

U.S. consumer confidence rose in October to its highest in more than four years, according to a private sector report released on Thursday. 

CHINA'S manufacturing improved in October, adding to signs the world's second-largest economy might be recovering from its deepest slump since the 2008 global crisis, two business surveys show.    

Perth home values recorded a modest rise in October, as house prices fell across most of Australia for the first time in four months.

The outlook for the state's housing construction market has improved, but the expected pick-up is coming off a very low base and affordability remains a problem for households on modest incomes.

Australia's housing sector has been hit again, with home sales dropping for a third consecutive month.
 

Casino operator Crown wants to make Perth a major gateway for mass-market Chinese gamblers following the success of casino hotspot Singapore.

WESTERN Australia is still the nation's economic powerhouse but a slowdown in the mining sector could lead to weaker spending and a softer jobs market.

An improvement in land sales during the three months to June 30 suggest that Australia's housing sector could be on the path to recovery.

Based on daily movements in the aggregated RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index (updated daily at www.rpdata.com, www.asx.com.au, Bloomberg & Reuters) covering Australia’s five key  capital cities,  Australia’s housing market reached a recent trough on  May 30 of this year  after values peaked 1.5 years earlier and 7.7% higher.  Since the recent low point in the index, dwelling values across the five city aggregate index have gained 2.5%.

The world's second largest iron ore miner Rio Tinto increased iron ore production by five per cent in the September quarter to 67 million tonnes.

Australia could be the world's largest producers of liquefied natural gas within five years if the current boom continues, the federal government says.

Signs of life were detectable in housing finance figures released this morning, although they were still faint.

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy says June quarter results for Western Australian mining companies are cause for cautious optimism, with Chinese demand “unlikely to slow down drastically”.

The struggling housing sector could have bottomed out as developers realise the need to build more homes, the Reserve Bank of Australia says.

The September RP Data Rismark Home Value Index results marked the fourth consecutive month-on-month rise in home values, further cementing the fact that a housing market recover is underway.

GROWING interest from China and Australians wanting to explore their own backyard is set to boost tourism spending to almost $72 billion over the coming year.    

The Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) released their September quarter update on the resources and energy sector this week which revealed a fairly upbeat assessment of Australia’s resource driven exports sector.  The BREE update highlights that prices for key Australian commodities are falling and further falls are expected.  Providing some counterbalance to the lower prices is expectation that export volumes are likely to increase for several years to come at least.   According to the report, “The net result is that the value of resource and energy exports in 2011–12 are expected to be 8 per cent higher than in 2010–11 and to total $193 billion”.  The report goes on to forecast a 2 percent fall in the value of resources and energy exports in 2012/13 to $189 billion.  A 2 percent fall isn’t too bad considering how steeply revenue has risen in recent times.

United Community Credit Union has tipped a housing recovery to gather pace over the next 12 months in Western Australia, after its parent company, Community CPS Australia, announced a net profit of $28.2 million for the year ended June 30.

TREASURER Wayne Swan will liken the Chinese economy to Jamaican Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt in a speech on the outlook for the global economy.    

Five years after the housing bust, the U.S. economy is showing signs of finally bottoming out.

Australia's economy has adjusted well to the impact of the mining boom - which is likely to continue to for some years, the Reserve Bank of Australia says.

Spot iron ore prices jumped on Tuesday as rising steel prices encouraged mills and traders to chase cargoes, boosting sentiment in a market hit hard by an economic slowdown in top consumer China.

SMALL business sales are ticking along nicely, offering the sector sunlight in place of slowing business confidence.    

Fortescue Metals Group has resolved its short-term funding problems after securing the backing of global banking groups Credit Suisse and JP Morgan for a new US$4.5 billion credit facility.

The Australian share market has closed at its highest level since May, as investors were encouraged by separate moves to stimulate the US economy and keep the bailout of the debt-ridden euro zone on track.

The number of first homebuyers in Western Australia’s residential property market hit its highest level in nearly three years in August, new research says.

A Chinese government office is forecasting economic growth of between 7.7 and 7.8 per cent for the year in a sign of an expected improvement in prospects for the world's second-largest economy.
 

The Reserve Bank released their September quarter Bulletin this week which included a superb article outlining their research around supply side constraints across the capital cities of Australia.

Lending for housing in Western Australia increased for the third consecutive month in July, reaching its highest level since December 2009 as the national housing finance market trends flat, new research says.

Capital growth flat in August after rising in June and July

Capital city home values in Australia rose by 1.6 per cent over the last three months however, during the seasonally slower month of August, value growth flat lined. Seven of Australia's eight capital cities have registered capital gains over the last three months with the exception being Adelaide.
 

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Stock markets on the Chinese mainland outperformed markets elsewhere Friday amid hopes that the central government will step up efforts to boost growth.

Fortescue shares have plummeted to their lowest level in more than three years after the company's secretary resigned yesterday.

––Pending HPI Forecasts 4.6 Percent Year-Over-Year Increase in August; Gain Now Expected For Full-Year 2012––

The state’s peak business body has tipped the state's two-speed economy to become more pronounced, with conditions outside of the resources sector to get more challenging as business investment continues to contract.

With buyers looking for affordable housing alternatives it would be expected that the number of transactions for more affordable unit product should be increasing, however, that hasn’t been the case recently.

HOUSE sales in WA plummeted 14.4 per cent in July, despite previous claims that the state's housing market had hit rock bottom.    

ents continue to increase across the metropolitan property market, while the number of tenants walking out on their leases to find cheaper accommodation is starting to climb, new research says.

Melbourne has claimed gold as the world's most liveable city, but Sydney has lost its status as Australia's second most desirable destination ...to Adelaide.

The latest job figures show Australia's economy is more resilient than expected, the federal government says.

Redundant workers from ailing sectors such as manufacturing are being targeted for work in the resources sector, Minister for Employment Participation Kate Ellis says.

RECENT rate cuts and household stimulus have helped economy-wide spending rise for the sixth consecutive month in June.    

Is there a lack of literacy about Chinese culture among Australia’s commentators?      

James Laurenceson，Senior Lecturer, School of Economics at University of Queensland shares in this article his observation about 4 aspects affecting Chinese economy that are often not understood by Australian commentators. 

Western Australia continues to grow off the back of the resources sector but the state's economy is being hampered by faltering commodity production and a possible slowdown in Chinese growth, according a peak industry group.

China's latest economic data should be welcomed by Australian businesses, as the Asian giant appears to have reined in growth to a more sustainable pace.

Perth was the standout capital city performer for land sales over the March quarter, with transactions increasing by 22.9 per cent, but the Housing Industry Association has warned that sales are ticking over at well below historical levels.

Western Australia's status as an economic powerhouse has been cemented by the latest jobs figures, which show full-time employment hit a record high last month, the state's treasurer Troy Buswell says.

IT'S the news Perth homeowners have waited five years to hear - the real estate bust is over.

Economists are expecting Australia's unemployment rate to have risen slightly in June, while total employment growth remained flat, as the strong jobs growth of previous months grinds to a halt.

Home values across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart and Canberra all rose by 1% or more in June helped along by RBA interest rate cuts over May and June. Melbourne dwelling values have staged a striking 1.7 per cent recovery since reaching a trough on 11 June.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released the first round of results from the 2011 Census and at a macro level there were some very interesting findings related to the housing market.

New home sales declined in Western Australia by 4.7 per cent in May, but the Housing Industry Association says conditions are right for the sector to bounce back by the end of the year.

China's 12th Five-Year Plan set growth goals at 7% per annum during the 5 year peroid into 2015, which is much lower than the double-digit growth it has recorded in recent years. We think this is a response to its deteriorating export conditions and softening domestic housing market, as well as a strategy to achieve a more healthy and sustainable growth.

 THE oil-and-gas boom is tipped to add about 20 per cent to the country's growth over the next 13 years, with more than half of that to come from WA.     

 LOWER interest rates often trigger people to borrow money to invest. However, the key to success is not the interest rate, but the investment's return.     

Perth has been tipped to record the highest growth in median house prices over the next three years, as buyers return to the market amid improving conditions, a report says.

 HOUSING starts fell nearly 5 per cent in WA in the March quarter, prompting a renewed call for investment and reform to boost new housing supply.     

Australians are moving to the nation's mining states and paying handsomely to live there.

Quarterly population growth data was released earlier this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) for the December 2011 quarter.  The data highlighted that over the 2011 calendar year, Australia’s residential population increased by 302,565 equating to a growth rate of 1.36%.In both raw number and percentage terms the annual population increase was the strongest since the 12 months to March 2010 (313,529 and 1.44%).

MOST real estate is bought with the heart rather than with the head.

DOOM and gloom may be dominating headlines when it comes to the global economic viability but most West Aussies are upbeat about the long-term prospects, according to a new survey.

A faster than expected slowdown in China poses a risk for the rest of the region, in particular commodity-dependent countries such as Australia, the World Bank says.

RP Data Australian Housing Market Update in June 2012

Greeks go to the polls on June 17
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May end crisis - or make it much worse

BUSINESS conditions might be better in WA than elsewhere in Australia, but recruitment issues are weighing heavily on the minds of state's bosses.

THE Barnett Government will launch a raid on the eastern states in a bid to poach the nation's most skilled workers to help drive WA's boom.

The number of properties for sale in Perth has fallen to its lowest level for two years, placing renewed pressure on housing affordability, new research says.

The May results of the RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index showed that capital city home values have continued to decline however, units have continued to outperform detached houses over recent years.

ABOUT 6000 more people were employed in WA during May - as the state's jobless rate remained at 3.8 per cent.   

 WA'S economic foot is back on the accelerator with 7.8 per cent growth in the March quarter, leaving the non-mining states and territories behind.     

Australian March quarter economic growth was much stronger than expected, helped by strong household consumption and continuing strong business investment especially in the mining sector.

AUSTRALIANS received another shot in the arm from the Reserve Bank of Australia today - after it cut the official cash rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.5 per cent.      

THE Housing Industry Association has welcomed a drop in the nation’s cash rate as property prices continue to soften.

REIWA president David Airey says Perth's residential rental squeeze is easing.Rising home sales activity in the state is a sign of increased confidence in the sector, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia says.

It is a familiar story: resource-rich Western Australia powers ahead while the rest of the economy struggles.

WHAT goes up must come down. At least, that was the case for the monthly retail turnover figures, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

THE number of new home sales rose in April but Housing Industry Association (HIA) says more interest rate cuts are needed for a sustained recovery in the housing sector.  

New home sales bounced back in April after a disappointing March in Western Australia, but the Housing Industry Association has repeated calls for the state government to ensure policy is encouraging continued growth in the sector.

While capital city dwelling values are down -4.5% over the past 12 months, the performances across broad price segments of the market are quite diverse.

 BUYING a house might be getting more affordable nationally, but that's not the case in Perth with prices jumping by 2.35 per cent in the March quarter.     

Transport Minister Troy Buswell has announced a shortlist of three consortiums to construct the $1 billion Gateway WA roads upgrade.

RENTALS in some Perth suburbs have almost doubled in 12 months, causing panic and "'mania" among those looking for a home.

PERTH'S rental crisis is so severe that workers and families are pitching a tent because they cannot find a home or apartment.    

Soft April home values and expectations of lower interest rates point to a further improvement in housing affordability

Capital city dwelling values were down -0.8% in the month of April following the stability witnessed over the first quarter of 2012, leaving national home values down -0.7% year to date.

estern Australia continues to lead the nation in employment, with the creation of about 6,800 jobs in April pushing the state's jobless rate to a three-and-a-half-year low.
 

ACTIVITY in WA’s property sector appears to be picking up, but is still far from the highs seen during the property boom's peak in 2005-06.    

Rising demand from the resources sector for office space in Perth’s CBD has been identified as the key driver of the highest rental growth across Australia since December 2008, CBRE says.

Australian residential building approvals rose 7.4 per cent to 11,501 units in March, while retail spending rose 0.9 per cent, official figures show.

The Perth property market is turning around for long suffering home owners, with median home sale prices lifting to their highest in more than six months.
 

The RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index results show that property values fell throughout the month of April reversing the trend of recent months.

The RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index results for April 2012 were released this week and they showed that capital city home values fell by -0.8% over the month. On a quarterly basis, property values increased by 0.3% however, they fell by -4.5% over the 12 months. The decline in capital city home values over the year has been quite varied ranging from -0.7% in Canberra to -8.5% in Hobart.

One of the country's leading economists says there is no economic imperative for the government to return the budget to surplus so quickly.

A better-than-expected read on US manufacturing in April and encouraging construction data drove Wall Street shares higher Tuesday as traders shrugged off some poor earnings reports.

SKILLED migration must be used to 'fill the gap' in the country's skills shortage, according to Woodside chairman Michael Chaney.    

THE Government has ensured you haven’t heard much about it but there are changes about to happen that may hit your hip pocket hard.    

Perth’s residential property market is displaying renewed softness, according to figures released today.

Businesses expect the gloomy clouds of economic uncertainty to translate into weaker profits and sales in the months ahead, a survey finds.

The Reserve Bank of Australia  has cut the cash rate by 50 basis points to 3.75 per cent at its May board meeting.
 

Australia's housing and retail sectors have called on the Reserve Bank to deliver a 50 basis point interest rate cut to boost consumer sentiment, after a survey showed new home sales have fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade.

Low-income Australians are being priced out of the private rental market in capital cities and miningboom towns, a welfare group says.

The Housing Industry Forecasting Group is predicting a slow recovery for the Perth new homes sector, with dwelling starts down 11 per cent this year on last.

CONSUMER confidence is returning to the state's property market following a strong increase in sales for the first three months of the year, a local property group says.    

Australian house prices made modest gains in the first three months of the year but were still negative over the 12 months to March 31, a report by an online real estate data group says.
 

THE next stage of the East Perth riverside redevelopment will get underway shortly, with the State Government today awarding a $22 million contract to Broad Construction.    

WA's mining boom has prompted CommSec economists to analyse the national economy as Australia as a whole and Australia excluding WA.

With the Government increasing the migrant intake last year, overseas migration numbers have once again started to increase and population growth has stabilised.

The number of West Aussies taking out home loans in February hit a 27-month high, but it's the national fall that may prompt the central bank to cut rates next month, economists say.
 

Australia’s housing market is showing signs of stabilising after home values rose 0.2 per cent in March. Not only has the market remained unchanged for the quarter ending 31 March 2012, it is also level with the 31 November 2011 home values across the combined capital cities. The flat result over the quarter is the strongest result since March 2011 when values increased by 0.7 per cent.

We estimate there were just over 373,000 dwelling sales over the 2011 calendar year, the lowest recorded since 1996 and -25% below the decade average.

Rental rates across the combined capital cities in 2011 grew by 6.3% compared to a fall in home values of -3.6%.

Forget the North-West boom towns, WA's real estate experts say the best places to buy property are within 10 kilometres of Perth's CBD.