Investment
Property prices gap between Sydney and other cities in Australia widens
The gap between property price growth rates in the eight Australian capital cities has widened, according to the latest figures to be published. The data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that said over the year to June 2015, the price index rose by 9.8% with a 4.7% increase occurring during the June 2015 quarter. Sydney led the way with price growth of 18.9% far more than any other capital city. Next Melbourne with growth of 7.8% but all other cities were some way behind, opening u a considerable gap. Brisbane saw price growth of 2.9%, followed closely by Canberra with growth of 2.8%, then Adelaide with 2.7% and Hobart with 1.5%. But in the other cities prices have fallen year on year. Perth saw a fall of 1.2% and Darwin a decline of 1.8%. Annual house price growth was 10.5% with prices in the semidetached home sector increasing by 7.5% over the same period and according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA), the voice of Australia’s residential building industry, the variation in price growth across the capital cities is remarkable. ‘On the one hand, price growth is very robust in both Sydney and Melbourne, while prices have actually eased back a little in cities like Perth and Darwin,’ said HIA Senior Economist, Shane Garrett. ‘The wide divergence of dwelling price growth across the capitals is indicative of the mixed economic conditions across Australia. It highlights the challenges in prescribing ‘one size fits all’ policy responses to the housing market,’ he explained. ‘The strength of dwelling price growth in Sydney is receiving much attention. However, the upturn in Sydney prices follows a decade which saw the city lag far behind the other seven capitals in terms of price growth,’ he pointed out. ‘Price pressures ultimately represent the inadequate response of supply to much stronger demand conditions. We need to see more flexibility in the planning process and in the release of new residential land in order to take the heat out of prices,’ he added. Continue reading
Investment in student housing set to rise in the UK
London’s full time student population is expected to rise by 50% in the next 10 years while capital flows into student housing is expected to triple reaching £5.7 billion by the end of 2015, new research shows. Indeed, direct investment in the UK student housing market has surged over the past two years, rising from under £500 million in 2010 to £3.8 billion over the first half of 2015 and £1.5 billion in London, says the report by property firm JLL. Non-European Union students have been the fastest growing segment, with numbers increasing by 50% over 10 years and a recent study by London First shows that international students bring a net benefit of £2.3 billion per annum to London's economy supporting 60,000 jobs in the capital. The research further highlighted that rising house prices and constraints on mortgage lending have forced more people into rented accommodation. More students are also renting and 28% of London’s student population are living in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). The provision of university managed accommodation has not kept pace with the growth in student numbers and the increasing quality and quantity of PBSA stock has provided students with a welcome alternative to the rising rental costs of HMOs, the report points out. Additionally, two of the fastest growing segments of London’s student population are overseas and postgraduate students, who have occupied much of the PBSA (Purpose Built Student Accommodation). ‘We have seen extraordinary growth in UK student numbers over the past 20 years and while UK student numbers are now stabilised, international student numbers set to rise dramatically in the next decade,’ said Philip Hillman, chairman of JLL’s Alternative Division. ‘The provision of good quality student accommodation was traditionally the responsibility of the universities but in recent years, most new accommodation had been provided by private investors and developers,’ he explained. ‘The Gross Value Added supported by student spending throughout the UK is of the order of £25 billion per annum. This represents 1.03% of UK GDP. Put in perspective, this figure is equivalent to one third of the total contribution of the aviation sector to UK GDP,’ he added. According to Himanshu Wani, associate director of UK research at JLL, purpose built student accommodation in the UK has seen a significant rise in investment activity, with projected capital flows into the sector of £5.7 billion by the end of 2015, up from £1.7 billion in 2014. ‘This is especially pronounced in London, with one of the largest student populations globally, supporting strong demand for student housing. Indeed, with the London student population expected to rise by 50% by 2025, one of the main challenges will be developing sufficient supply,’ he said. The report points out that student housing is one of the largest sub-sectors within the ‘alternative’ property asset class. Alternatives comprise all of the real estate sectors beyond traditional office,… Continue reading
Families in rented homes struggle to save a deposit, new research shows
Families who rent their homes are less likely to have a cushion of savings or protection products to protect them against financial shocks, according to a new financial report. Some 25% of private renting families, or 650,000 people would struggle to cope compared to 11% of those who have a home with a mortgage and 5% who own their home outright, says the research from insurance firm Aviva. Renting families are also less likely to have insurance in place to provide financial cover should they become ill or die. Just 20% families who rent privately have life insurance, compared to 25% who own their home outright and 48% who own their home with a mortgage. Similarly, 4% of renting families have critical illness cover and only 3% have income protection. The findings follow a significant rise in the proportion of families with dependent children living in rented accommodation, according to Aviva’s analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) In 2013 some 17.7% of couples with dependent children were private renters. This rose by 3.6 percentage points to 21.3% in 2014. The same trend is true for single parents with 31.9% in rented accommodation in 2014, compared to 30.2% in the previous year, a rise of 1.7%. As a result, there were 1.5 million families with dependent children in rented accommodation in 2014, a 19% rise since 2013 when it was 1.3 million. ‘Renters might not have a mortgage to pay, but they still have financial obligations like bills and monthly rent. Not having a savings cushion in place means unexpected costs could make day to day living a struggle, while a lack of income protection could be disastrous should they become ill and unable to work,’ said Louise Colley, managing director, protection at Aviva. ‘With growing numbers of parents in rented accommodation, it’s vital all families think about the future and put financial plans in place, regardless of whether they are a home owner or not,’ she added. Aviva’s Family Finances report also reveals renting families are less happy with their homes. While 32% of home owning families with a mortgage feel emotionally attached to their home, this falls to just 18% of families who are private renters. The take-up of home contents insurance is also lower amongst renting families, with 42% owning this product compared to 81% of families with a mortgage. Unsurprisingly, the majority of renters have ambitions to move on. Only 4% of privately renting families want to stay in their current home for the rest of their lives versus 20% who own their home with a mortgage and 76% would like to become home owners in the future. However, the need to save for a deposit is the main barrier to the property market for today’s renters and 30% of families who rent privately say they cannot afford the deposit and fees associated with purchasing a house, equating to 775,800 households. On top of this some 574,500… Continue reading
