REAL ESTATE

The housing market is at a "crucial inflexion point", an economist has claimed.

The MFAA and FBAA should merge to present a united voice for the mortgage and finance broking industry.

Sydney and Canberra have dodged the trend of falling house prices across Australia's capital cities.

The availability of rental homes in Melbourne continues to improve, the July rental vacancy rates from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria shows.

Vacancy rates have remained tight in July, staying at 1.9% for the second consecutive month.

Vast changes to the reverse mortgage market in tandem with the recent NCCP introduction is leaving a large pool of older borrowers without access to funds.

Household incomes in 2009-2010 showed no change from the year before, ABS figures have indicated.

Australia’s home building approvals saw its first rise in four months, albeit still below economist forecasts.

New home sales have seen a "sharp decline" in July, the HIA has indicated.

A glut of recent prime time renovation shows is inspiring Australians across the nation to renovate and create our dream kitchen - despite the fact that for many of us, the process of transforming this space can be a real nightmare.

We’ve compiled some expert tips to help you land a hot mortgage deal that delivers on price and on features.

Many people put off bathroom renovations, fearing the hip pocket won’t be able to handle the whopping cost – but we’re here to show you that a bathroom refresh doesn’t have to cost the earth.

Consumers have undergone a 'quantum shift' toward online transactions, Firstfolio has suggested.

Banks are failing to differentiate on customer service, a survey has indicated.

Australia's two-speed economy is evident in the building sector, industry advocates have claimed.

The company's full-year results, released today, show a 7.4% increase in net profits to $15.9m. Likewise, the group has grown its loan book to $42.4bn, up from $40bn in 2010.

Suncorp has seen its profits hit hard by the impact of natural disasters, but has claimed bad debts as a result of the disasters have not caused significant losses.

Banks could have further to move on fixed rates before the current wave of cuts is over, it has been claimed.

The Australian Bankers' Association has claimed there are already high levels of switching between financial institutions, but has committed the banking industry to working with the government to ease switching following the release of proposed legislative reforms.

Australian First Mortgage has made its second round of fixed rate cuts in a week.

Non-profit property developer group the Urban Taskforce has blasted the Council of Australian Governments, saying it has failed to take any action on housing affordability.

When applying for a rental property tenant history is methodically and ruthlessly checked ̶ and with good reason. There's a lot on the line if an agent accepts a tenant who goes on to trash the place.

Living and working as a real estate broker in The Riviera Maya, Mexico, I am constantly engaged in conversations with folks who recently purchased their "dream home" in Mexico.

Australia's small and big banks have cut down the term deposit rates of their bank products, which could discourage consumers from hoarding cash and explore other investment options.

National Australia Bank's direct asset management business, NabInvest, has announced it has acquired a 35 percent equity in AREA Property Partners (AREA), a global real estate fund manager based in New York.

The idea of real estate portals having direct contact with vendors was first tabled by Realestate.com.au CEO Greg Ellis in March 2011, where he indicated REA would consider selling products directly to property vendors.

Potential home buyers are being frightened away from the market by the government's proposed carbon tax, it has been claimed.

Broker businesses that do not harness the growing power of internet lead generation are likely to suffer in an increasingly cluttered market, according to Money Quest.

It might appear that I'm not supporting initiatives that protect and save the environment but this is not the case. I am and I do. For instance, at home we've installed solar power, put in a grey water system, planted drought tolerant native plants and buy organic fruit and vegetables and buy recycled products wherever possible - for instance, recycled paper and wood products. And in the office we're careful about our carbon footprint and are mindful of unnecessary waste. I'm confida...