An article released this week by realestate.com.au discussed the predicted ramifications of interest rate rises moving forward. With the election now behind us, the next four weeks will likely give us an insight into where the property market is heading.

Our experiences over the past month suggest that market conditions are changing quickly. This is best illustrated by the fact that our open home attendee numbers this month are currently down by almost 30% when compared to April.

What a week ! Following on from the weekend election, last week's report focuses on the Labor party's major property policies. In addition to this we look at HTW Valuers latest monthly report for the month of May 2022 and we also dive into the RBA's latest findings which suggest interest rate increases will be front of mind for the remainder of 2022 with a 0.40% now likely in June.

Last week the Urban Developer released a report encompassing data up to and including the end of April 2022. The information in the report is predominantly based on sales that took place during 2021 due to the fact that government departments have a three month lag between settlements occurring and results being published.

From a real estate perspective, whilst we always try to find a balance between positive and negative property information each week, it's fair to say that last week has been a challenge.

The vast majority of articles produced over the past seven days have discussed reduced affordability, further interest rate rises and likely price falls.

Our role as agents has always been to look after our sellers and that will clearly remain our focus however I sit here now and ask myself how would I feel reading the current negativity in the media if I were a buyer?

This week we have a collection of newspaper and online articles that all seem to be focusing on the impact that interest rate rises will have on the property market.

Whilst no-one can ever be sure of what the market will do moving forward, if a vendor/seller had ambitions of selling in the short to medium term, it would seem prudent to take advantage of what is left of the current buyer activity and sell now.

A mix of property market reports have come to light this week however one stood out for its relevance to the Gold Coast marketplace and Robina in particular. The article discusses the suburbs on the Gold Coast that have seen house price growth and those that have recorded declines.

With the release last week of the HTW (Herron Todd White) Valuers property report for March 2022, we have decided to follow the HTW lead and focus on investors and the investment market.

There is mounting concern in property markets around the country with multiple articles written and released this week discussing instability in the real estate market.

Whilst we are still seeing some incredible results here on the Gold Coast, the facts presented to us show that we are moving in to some significant headwinds that can't be ignored.

There has been a significant amount of commentary last week on the property front. With so many variables currently at play it is almost impossible to predict just what will happen moving forward. Having said that, the vast majority of property experts are still tipping significant price falls as soon as interest rates move higher.

This week Realestate.com.au released an article discussing what will happen to eight key property fundamentals when interest rates rise. With rate rises now all but guaranteed in 2022, the discussion raised by REA's news department makes for interesting reading.

An article that appeared last week in the Australian Financial Review should act as a call to action for all would-be sellers.

Whilst the banking system has downgraded their outlook for property prices over 2022 and 2023, none had suggested that prices had now peaked. This has now changed.

Whilst more sellers are now coming to market there is no doubt that the vast majority of would-be sellers are still waiting to list their home in the belief that prices will still continue to rise for some time, is this you ?

Last week the focus on interest rates was intense. After consistently denying that rates could rise any earlier than 2024, the RBA has now left the door open for rate rises as early as later this year and it has many commentators and analysts predicting that this news will impact the housing market.

Forecasting future property price rises or falls is fraught with danger but it is important to understand many of the property fundamentals that determine eventual price outcomes.

As we work our way through January we are seeing the same level of activity that propelled the property market forward through the later parts of 2020 and throughout the entirety of 2021. As is the case with every industry, there are factors that could influence the future direction of prices. Arguably the most important factor when it comes to real estate is interest rates.

Whilst everyone debates whether or not we are in fact at the top of this housing cycle, one question that is often overlooked is if we are at the top, what happens next?

Corelogic released an article this week discussing exactly this point by focussing on historical data to see what follows a property cycle high point.

The full corelogic article "Peak, peaking, peaked - how to read Australia's housing market" is a great read for any potential seller looking to sell in the near future. As you will see below, if a seller waits to long and misses the peak, it can be several years before they get the chance to achieve a similar price again.

A report released last week demonstrated just how far property prices & rents have jumped across the Gold Coast and also specifically in Robina.

The report, which appeared on REA last Friday, discussed the time it takes to save for a house deposit as well as the percentage of income now needed in certain areas to pay rent. Whilst the Gold Coast was represented by several areas, the fact that Robina was specifically named shows how difficult it has now become to save for a deposit and also how hard it is to keep up with increases in rent.

The big question is once rates do start to rise; how high will they go?

Australian households are among the most indebted in the developed world. As of June, total household debt as a share of incomes reached 184% according to the RBA, and close to record levels.

Following on from the report a fortnight ago, last week there has again been many articles written about the current property variables and what these various factors may mean for property prices moving forward.

Warren Buffet is arguably the most successful investor of all time and one of the richest men in the world. He has a simple formula when it comes to assets which includes property - "Be greedy when people are fearful and be fearful when people are greedy".