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Policy Watch

Rent caps Australia: 80% back them, but what do they do?

A new poll says four in five Australians want rents capped or frozen. The harder question is who pays when supply tightens.
Policy Watch

WA pre-sale scheme: a $250m backstop shifts risk, not the bank test

A $250m fund aims to help WA apartment developers reach construction finance. Whether it adds homes depends on who ends up carrying the risk.
Policy Watch

Foreign investor property tax Victoria: Labor flags a review

Labor says it will review Victoria's two overseas-buyer taxes if re-elected. The harder question is whether that brings in new homes or just more bidders.
Policy Watch

Victorian reserve price laws: who gains when sellers show their hand

Some Melbourne vendors are already publishing reserves under new state laws. In a falling market, that could change who holds the power at auction.
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Policy Watch

Data centre boom puts Australia’s housing targets at risk

Data centres are competing with new housing for land, electricity, water and infrastructure. The industry is not responsible for Australia’s housing shortage, but preferential planning treatment could make a difficult supply problem worse.
Policy Watch

Capital Gains Tax Changes Risk a Bigger Housing Backfire

A narrow start-up carve-out is alarming investors as housing tax reforms redirect demand. The real test is whether capital leaves, shifts or builds.
Policy Watch

Negative Gearing New Builds Could Crowd Out First-Home Buyers

Investor demand is shifting towards new homes, but the tax incentive designed to lift supply could squeeze first-home buyers first.
Market Signals

Foreign Property Tax Deductions Hide a Bigger Issue

Offshore owners are claiming substantial Australian rental deductions, but the headline numbers leave a critical policy question unanswered.
Market Signals

Melbourne Property Investors Are Quitting Rentals Fast

More landlords are selling into first-home buyer demand. The question is whether Melbourne’s rental market can absorb the shift.
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Market Signals

First-home buyers retreat as Labor’s tax gamble bites

Loan demand is falling when policy was meant to clear the path. The bigger question is whether confidence returns before prices reset.
Policy Watch

3 tax shifts are changing the investor playbook

Three tax shifts are changing the investor playbook, but the biggest risk may be who can still use the rules.
Policy Watch

Australia Is Still Hundreds Of Thousands Of Homes Behind Target

Labor says the tax shift will help first-home buyers. Investors may find the bigger risk is what happens before new supply arrives.
Policy Watch

Builders Say Labor’s Tax Reforms Could Backfire On Housing Supply

Builders warn the tax shift could hit supply. Investors now need to ask whether the policy target is prices, rents or capital itself.
Policy Watch

The Property Tax Workarounds Smart Investors Are Already Using

Labor’s tax shift closes one door for investors, but two legal pathways may keep property strategies alive.
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Policy Watch

NSW Foreign Buyer Tax Cut Opens New Front For Investors

NSW is cutting a 9% tax barrier for selected foreign-backed housing projects, but local investors may not like where this is heading.
Policy Watch

Build-to-rent tax changes open new investor front

Tax reform may target investors, but the build-to-rent market shows why the supply consequences are not simple.
Policy Watch

SMSF Property Borrowing Ban Opens New Investor Fight

SMSFs can still buy homes, but the leverage is being shut off. The bigger question is what happens to investor demand next.
Policy Watch

Home Equity Access Scheme Puts Housing Policy on Trial

Retirees can unlock home equity without selling. That may be good retirement policy, but it raises an awkward housing question.

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