Next week, a disappointed man and his family are flying out to a new life in Seattle, Washington. They came to Australia seeking new opportunities in a high growth economy. They love Australia, love Melbourne, but have been driven away by land prices that would...
BLOG: speculation
CIV Rates Make Families Subsidize Land Speculators
17 October 2012 The survey of Victorian local government candidates conducted by Prosper Australia ahead of the 26 October election reveals few candidates understand where and how councils are funded. “We learned only a handful appreciate Site Value Rating is a...
Written Off: Negative Gearing Report
by Philip Soos Executive Summary Negative gearing is a popular investment strategy as it allows a net loss to be deducted against an investor’s personal tax liability at their marginal tax rate. While negative gearing has likely been in operation since the first...
Renovating for fun and profit
Toby Johnstone in the Sydney Morning Herald is at it again, suggesting renovating for profit in Sydney makes sense. On September 8 he profiled 50 Princes Street Bexley where a bright-eyed couple spent 5 years reclaiming a ‘swamp’. The property is now for sale at...
There are predators in our own backyard, but where are our financial watchdogs?
A former mortgage broker – who is now facing fraud charges – has blown the whistle on predatory lending practices in Australia’s financial services industry.
House prices stagnate
The ABS Eight Capital Cities House Price Indexes 6416.0 released today shows the property market is totally stagnant with prices unmoved, says Prosper Australia. “Property spruikers calling ‘Bottom!’ based on this data - and they will be – are misleading homebuyers....
Don’t blame foreign investment for rising house prices
Republished with thanks from The Conversation One question that arises on the topic of real estate is the scale of foreign investment and ownership in Australia. It is understandable that the public has concerns about such investment, especially as precious little...
Just say No!
Last week, RBA governor Glenn Stevens assured us the big Aussie banks are solvent, that he can and will print dollars if necessary and cannot see a housing bubble pop when he examines the entrails. The only thing in the Guv’s speech we may be certain of is the...
Beware the rent-seeking organisation: don’t be dudded by housing data
Reprinted from The Conversation One of the more interesting outcomes the 2011 Census produced was the figures concerning the housing market. The reason for this interest is how the results contrasted with the idea that Australia currently suffers from an acute housing...
The Weaponisation of Economic Theory
by Michael Hudson Europe’s three needs: a debt write-down, a real central bank, and a more efficient tax system Brussels Talk, Madariaga College, Governing Globalisation in a World Economy in Transition, June 27, 2012 Courtesy of michael-hudson.com What can Europe...