Property Market

Almost weekly if not more frequently we are being made aware of surveys predicting rises in property prices for 2014. In today’s Financial Review we are told that property is in for a bumper year, with higher prices, increased building and more jobs according to a new survey. The bullish outlook, based on the views of 2500 property professionals, is apparently the strongest recorded in the four-year history of the Property Council-ANZ Property Confidence Index. Property Council chief executive Peter Verwer said expectations of house-price growth and new housing construction were driving a strong increase in confidence. ANZ head of property research Paul Braddick said momentum would continue into 2014. More solid house-price growth is expected in 2014, led by Queensland. Mr Braddick predicted the national median house price would rise around 6 per cent , with rises of up to 7.5 per cent in Sydney and Brisbane. All sectors are expected to be positive. It is expected that the upturn will flow through to the broader economy, through employment in construction, through increased stamp duties for government and from the wealth effect on consumer spending. This excerpt is based on an article entitled “Housing bulls run rampant into 2014”, in the property section of the AFR of 16 January 2014.