Households will pay at least $60 – and up to $190 – a month for internet services on the National Broadband Network, data from an internet provider shows.The first retail pricing for services over the $36 billion NBN were released by internet provider Internode on Thursday.Packages start at $59.95 a month for a basic 12-megabit-per-second [...]

There was only modest overall growth in Sydney rents in the June quarter, according to the latest Rental Market Report by Australian Property Monitors. The median weekly asking rental for houses in Sydney rose by 1 per cent, from $485 to $490, while apartment rentals remained at $450.Most other capitals recorded a decline in rents [...]

Westpac has become the first major bank to predict a rate cut instead of a rate rise over the next year.The Reserve Bank will cut the interest rate four times in 2012 to avoid hurting an economy that is already showing signs of contraction, Westpac said today.‘‘While the catalyst for the first rate cut is [...]

Although most economists still forecast a Reserve Bank interest rate rise this year, markets are pricing in a cut in the official rate, which in turn has led lenders to lower their fixed mortgage rates.Government bond yields in the US, Germany and Australia have been sinking in the past six months as investors, eyeing the [...]

TWO of the nation’s biggest insurers expect to introduce full flood cover by early next year, substantially boosting the number of households that will have automatic protect from a full range of natural disasters. Coming after a backlash directed at the industry following last summer’s devastating floods across Queensland, Insurance Australia Group and Suncorp are [...]

House prices are predicted to fall over the next 12 months, as the outlook for residential real estate weakens, but falls will be smallest in New South Wales, a survey shows.The National Australia Bank residential property index, which predicts houses prices, rents and real-estate market conditions over the coming year, said national home prices would [...]

Now we know the starting price on carbon – $23 – a clearer picture is starting to form as to its impact on the property industry. Will it have a negative impact? That all depends on who you talk to.The Housing Industry Association – a body that represents builders and the makers and suppliers of [...]

When it comes to sharing a house, it’s important to set some ground rules first. Having a lodger board in your home can seem a good way to make some extra money to help pay the mortgage.And while figures on the number of boarders in Victoria are hard to come by, anecdotal evidence suggests it’s [...]

There’s a change happening in households around Australia, and it’s at the stinky end of things.Many of us probably don’t think much about where the garbage goes when it leaves our homes but councils, tasked with the job of dealing with all of muck we throw away in our rubbish bags, do, and they’re getting [...]

Australia’s largest independently-owned mortgage broker has found that of those who will buy their first investment property in the next two years, for 19% it is their first ever property purchase. This incidence was highest in New South Wales (26%) and lowest in Western Australia (13%). Gender-wise, males were more likely than females to make [...]

Property prices won’t experience huge losses over the next three years but interest rates will rise to almost 9.5 per cent by 2014 to force buyers back onto the sidelines, a new study says.The report by BIS Shrapnel, released today, dismisses forecasts of sharp falls in prices over the short to medium term and predicts [...]

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) left the cash rate steady at 4.75 per cent at its regular monthly board meeting on Tuesday.The decision was expected, with all 11 economists surveyed last week by AAP predicting the RBA would keep rates on hold.The central bank’s board last raised the rate from 4.5 per cent in [...]

Glad you asked! With all of the talk about carbon, emissions, footprints, trading and tax it’s little wonder we’re all a bit dazed and confused.  We have put together some questions and answers to help get you in the know.Now the technical name for carbon is CO2e, or ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’. Equivalent to what? Good [...]

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House prices have fallen almost three per cent so far in 2011 as potential home buyers choose to save their pennies rather than bid for real estate.The RP Data-Rismark Hedonic home value index shows a 2.7 per cent decline in Australia’s capital cities house prices through the first five months of 2011.In the 12 months [...]