When is the best time to strike? This is the question on most people’s lips and you will find many articles in property magazines, investor magazines, newspapers are all dwelling on the same isssue….many come up with the same advice…attack whilst there is ample opportunity.

Rapidly falling interest rates, high rents, low vacancies and flat house prices have resulted in conditions not seen in residential markets since 1996. However, this window of opportunity is not going to last forever as more and more buyers become aware of this situation.

There is currently a shortage of housing in Australia and Michael Matusik, Brisbane born researcher forecasts that this shortage of dwellings will be more than 100,000 every year until 2016. At the moment Australia’s population is increasing by 337,000 a year, its fastest on record. Matusik suggests that it basically comes down to a big imbalance between supply and demand.

Therefore we have the underlying housing demand booming buoyed by the accelerating population growth, while supply continues to be restricted by limited land availability, excessive infrastructure charges and developer uncertainty.

Around Australia, ANZ are finding that the Melbourne market has the greatest resiliency. According to Paul Braddick, head of property research for ANZ bank, better affordability and strong fundamentals saw prices boom in 2007 and should continue to protect the market from any significant or sustained falls.

The prices of top-end houses are falling fast. The downturn at the top end of the market provides a great opportunity for those with the resources and job security to ‘invest’ in an upgraded holiday home or an upgraded family home.

The CCORP Team!