There is consensus amongst First National members, and most commentators, that interest rates will continue to rise by the end of the year, but there is a difference of opinion about how big these rate rises will be. First National members are predicting anywhere from 0.25 per cent up to 2 per cent (in a small number of cases).

The impact of interest rate increases to date is already being felt with around 25 per cent of respondents saying there had been an increase in forced sales due to mortgage defaults.  It is predicted that mortgages will be further stressed in the second half so the rate of mortgage defaults could rise, along with forced sales.

Sales volumes, in general, are expected to increase by the majority of First National members responding to the survey, with around 70 per cent predicting sales to increase in the coming 6 months.

House and Apartment Prices
In the first half of 2010, as predicted in our January 2010 Property Outlook, house prices generally increased across Australia...Click here to read more

Rental Market
The rental market continued to be tight for the first six months of 2010.  While it is predicted rental vacancy rates...Click here to read more

Emerging Market Trends
First National members continue to report strong desirability by home buyers for energy efficient features when looking to buy a new home...Click here to read more

Most Affordable Suburbs
Our research shows that there are a number of hot spots for affordability around Australia. The following table is our pick of the cheapest...Click here to read more