Australian housing boom "doesn't have long to run"

The big hole in Australia's housing market

On a trend basis, growth in the value of loan approvals to owner occupiers slowed to 0.1 per cent in April (compared with 1.7 per cent in October) while for investors, growth slowed to 0.5 per cent (compared with 4.0 per cent in September). This should come as little surprise, though to the best of my knowledge it has received little emphasis elsewhere, and is a trend that we should keep an eye on. Low interest rates have encouraged owner-occupiers and investors to bring their purchases forward, but that eventually creates a void that must be filled. If it can’t be filled — and it is unlikely that anything can replace investor speculation — then loan approvals will tank and house prices, which are demand-driven, will inevitably follow suit.