No crash for housing prices yet as homeowners hope for market bounce

Alison Cheung-30/04/2020- 4 min read

Residential property prices in Australia’s capital cities are yet to come down, despite a drop in sales volumes and number of listings due to COVID-19.

Growth in dwelling values for the combined capital cities market are still in positive territory, recording a 0.4 per cent increase in the 28 days to April 21, according to CoreLogic data.

But that 28-day growth rate has slowed from mid-March, when values lifted by 1.1 per cent.

In Sydney, property prices still saw a nominal boost of 0.5 per cent in April 2020, and 4.4 per cent in 2020 to date.

Melbourne has been slightly less resilient in comparison, with values falling by 0.2 per cent in the past month and increasing 2.8 per cent in 2020 so far.

“The pace of growth has weakened and will likely be short lived amid the coronavirus pandemic,” Domain research notes.

Seller activity is falling

Meanwhile, total auction sale volumes in all capital cities have plummeted by at least 30 per cent since the escalation of confirmed COVID-19 cases in March 2020, according to an analysis by the University of New South Wales’ City Futures Research Centre.

Auction sales in Sydney have seen a decline of 79 per cent, equivalent to $454 million, in the past eight weeks. In Melbourne, it has dropped by 85 per cent, or $584 million.

The new data comes as the ban on onsite real estate auctions and open home inspections passes its one-month mark.

Auctions sales represent about 15 per cent of all dwelling sales across Australia, according to CoreLogic.

The number of property listings across capital cities have also fallen by about 22 per cent in the 28 days to April 19, CoreLogic figures show. This may be an indicator of few forced sales due to inability to service repayments.

Eliza Owen, CoreLogic’s Head of Research Australia, said the shortage in available housing supply, thanks to fewer property listings and lower seller activity, could be one of the reasons behind the market’s “relative stability”.

To see which banks are providing some breathing room to mortgage holders, check out RateCity’s COVID-19 lender relief hub.

Homeowners waiting out COVID-19

She added that home sellers who are not desperate to let go of their property may try to wait until buyer confidence is restored in the market.

“The fact that this is a temporary, enforced downturn means that vendors might be holding onto a relatively high expectation of their property value, with a view to sell once the economy returns to full-scale production,” she said.

For those who are not waiting, about 14 per cent and 10 per cent of listings in Sydney and Melbourne respectively have had its asking prices revised in March 2020, according to Domain.

Ms Owen said the banks’ deferral of mortgage repayments have contributed to homeowners’ lack of urgency to sell.

“That is because the only people listing their property in the current climate, may be those who need to sell, because paying off a mortgage is no longer affordable. But the number of people in this situation is minimised by a break in mortgage repayments,” she said.

“A true test for property values may come once these ‘holiday periods’ end. Financial regulators, the RBA and the banking sector may extend reprieve for mortgage repayments in the scenario that the economy has not made improvements within six months.”

While many banks have allowed homeowners to hit pause on their repayments, interest and fees on those repayments will generally continue to accumulate on top of their loan balances. This may result in a higher amount of debt for the owner in the long run.

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Alison Cheung

Finance Writer

Previously a financial writer for RateCity, Alison Cheung specialised in housing and real estate. Since 2015, she has written about commercial and residential property for Domain Group and NewsCorp in print and online, and has been published in both Domain and RealEstate.com.au. Alison is passionate about property investment and innovations in the real estate industry, and firmly believes in the most basic yet vital financial advice ever given: saving for a rainy day.

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It’s no longer possible to get a no-deposit home loan in Australia. In some circumstances, you might be able to take out a mortgage with a 5 per cent deposit – but before you do so, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons.

The big advantage of borrowing 95 per cent (also known as a 95 per cent home loan) is that you get to buy your property sooner. That may be particularly important if you plan to purchase in a rising market, where prices are increasing faster than you can accumulate savings.

But 95 per cent home loans also have disadvantages. First, the 95 per cent home loan market is relatively small, so you’ll have fewer options to choose from. Second, you’ll probably have to pay LMI (lender’s mortgage insurance). Third, you’ll probably be charged a higher interest rate. Fourth, the more you borrow, the more you’ll ultimately have to pay in interest. Fifth, if your property declines in value, your mortgage might end up being worth more than your home.

If your deposit was less than 20 per cent of your property’s value when you took out your original loan, you may have paid lenders’ mortgage insurance (LMI) to cover the lender against the risk that you may default on your repayments.

If you refinance to a new home loan, but still don’t have enough deposit and/or equity to provide 20 per cent security, you’ll need to pay for the lender’s LMI a second time. This could potentially add thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in upfront costs to your mortgage, so it’s important to consider whether the financial benefits of refinancing may be worth these costs.

Australia no longer has no-deposit home loans – or 100 per cent home loans as they’re also known – because they’re regarded as too risky.

However, some lenders allow some borrowers to take out mortgages with a 5 per cent deposit.

Another option is to source a deposit from elsewhere – either by using a parental guarantee or by drawing out equity from another property.

As a general rule, mortgage repayments should be less than 30 per cent of your pre-tax income to avoid falling into mortgage stress. When mortgage repayments exceed this amount it becomes hard to budget for other living expenses and your lifestyle quality may be diminished.

A home loan is considered to be too large when the monthly repayments exceed 30 per cent of your pre-tax income. Anything over this threshold is officially known as ‘mortgage stress’ – and for good reason – it can seriously affect your lifestyle and your actual stress levels.

The best way to avoid mortgage stress is by factoring in a sizeable buffer of at least 2 – 3 per cent. If this then tips you over into the mortgage stress category, then it’s likely you’re taking on too much debt.

If you’re wondering if this kind of buffer is really necessary, consider this: historically, the average interest rate is around 7 per cent, so the chances of your 30 year loan spending half of its time above this rate is entirely plausible – and that’s before you’ve even factored in any of life’s emergencies such as the loss of one income or the arrival of a new family member.

A loan-to-value ratio (otherwise known as a Loan to Valuation Ratio or LVR), is a calculation lenders make to work out the value of your loan versus the value of your property, expressed as a percentage. Lenders use this calculation to help assess your suitability for a home loan, and whether you need to pay lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI). As a general rule, most banks will require you to pay LMI if your loan-to-value ratio is 80 per cent or more. LVR is worked out by dividing the loan amount by the value of the property. If you are looking for a quick ball-park estimate of LVR, the size of your deposit is a good indicator as it is directly proportionate to your LVR. For instance, a loan with an LVR of 80 per cent requires a deposit of 20 per cent, while a 90 per cent LVR requires 10 per cent down payment.

LOAN AMOUNT / PROPERTY VALUE = LVR%

While this all sounds simple enough, it is worth doing a more accurate calculation of LVR before you commit to buying a place as there are some traps to be aware of. Firstly, the ‘loan amount’ is the price you paid for the property plus additional costs such as stamp duty and legal fees, minus your deposit amount. Secondly, the ‘property value’ is determined by your lender’s valuation of the property, not the price you paid for it, and sometimes these can differ so where possible, try and get your bank to evaluate the property before you put in an offer.

Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) can be avoided by having a substantial deposit saved up before you apply for a loan, usually around 20 per cent or more (or a LVR of 80 per cent or less). This amount needs to be considered genuine savings by your lender so it has to have been in your account for three months rather than a lump sum that has just been deposited.

Some lenders may even require a six months saving history so the best way to ensure you don’t end up paying LMI is to plan ahead for your home loan and save regularly.

Tip: You can use RateCity mortgage repayment calculator to calculate your LMI based on your borrowing profile

A deposit of 20 per cent or more is ideal as it’s typically the amount a lender sees as ‘safe’. Being a safe borrower is a good position to be in as you’ll have a range of lenders to pick from, with some likely to offer up a lower interest rate as a reward. Additionally, a deposit of over 20 per cent usually eliminates the need for lender’s mortgage insurance (LMI) which can add thousands to the cost of buying your home.

While you can get a loan with as little as 5 per cent deposit, it’s definitely not the most advisable way to enter the home loan market. Banks view people with low deposits as ‘high risk’ and often charge higher interest rates as a precaution. The smaller your deposit, the more you’ll also have to pay in LMI as it works on a sliding scale dependent on your deposit size.

No, given the way the loan and title transfer works, you will not have to pay two mortgages at the one time. You will make your last monthly repayment on loan number one and then the following month you will start paying off loan number two.

No Cost Refinancing is an option available in the US where the lender or broker covers your switching costs, such as appraisal fees and settlement costs. Unfortunately, no cost refinancing isn’t available in Australia.

Whether you’re a new borrower or you’re refinancing your home loan, many lenders require you to be in a permanent job with the same employer for at least 6 months before applying for a home loan. Different lenders have different requirements.

If your work situation changes for any reason while you’re applying for a mortgage, this could reduce your chances of successfully completing the process. Contacting the lender as soon as you know your employment situation is changing may allow you to work something out.

Some lenders will allow you to apply for a mortgage if you are a contractor or freelancer. However, many lenders prefer you to be in a permanent, ongoing role, because a more stable income means you’re more likely to keep up with your repayments.

If you’re a contractor, freelancer, or are otherwise self-employed, it may still be possible to apply for a low-doc home loan, as these mortgages require less specific proof of income.

There is no set limit to how many times you are allowed to refinance. Some surveyed RateCity users have refinanced up to three times.

However, if you refinance several times in short succession, it could affect your credit score. Lenders assess your credit score when you apply for new loans, so if you end up with bad credit, you may not be able to refinance if and when you really need to.

Before refinancing multiple times, consider getting a copy of your credit report and ensure your credit history is in good shape for future refinances.

Some lenders still allow you to apply for a home loan if you have impaired credit. However, you may pay a slightly higher interest rate and/or higher fees. This is to help offset the higher risk that you may default on your repayments.