Property prices jump, mortgage rates drop: what it means for Aussie borrowers

Australia’s property market appears to be bouncing back as median property values have gone up across most capital cities. Plus, home loan lenders have continued to slash rates - so what does this mean for Aussie borrowers? 

CoreLogic’s latest Hedonic Home Value Index which showed that housing values jumped up by 1.1% nationally from last month. 

CoreLogic’s Head of Research Tim Lawless says that based on the current run rate growth, he predicts that prices will hike up even more and believes the national index will probably hit another high over the next two months. 

“Structural factors may also be at play, including a rise in borrowing capacity following changes to serviceability assessment from APRA in July 2019, and the dominance of owner occupier buyers (rather than investors) through the recovery phase to date.” 

“With lenders favouring ‘high quality’ borrowers, buyers with a large deposit and low level of debt relative to their incomes, are likely to be those who receive the lowest mortgage rates - another factor that could be supporting demand at the more expensive end of the market.”

Sydney and Melbourne’s property markets saw the biggest jump not only month on month but year on year as well - with Sydney hiking up by 10.9% from last year and Melbourne by 10.7%. And notably, Sydney’s house median value has crept above $1 million again, sitting at $1,001,357. 

Rundown of the current Australian Capital City property market 

City Month ChangeYear ChangeTotal Dwellings Median Value House Median ValueUnit Median Value
Sydney+1.7%+10.9%$872,934$1,001,357$763,962
Melbourne+1.2%+10.7%$689,088$809,719$583,294
Brisbane+0.6%+1.9%$503,265$551,766$384,396
Adelaide+0.1%+0.4%$439,453$477,129$325,243
Perth+0.3%-4.0%$442,691$458,582$357,593
Hobart+0.8%+5.0%$488,968$520,201$398, 394
Darwin-1.4%-7.8%$386,345$469,526$271,847
Canberra+0.8%+4.1%$631,862$704,865$445,354

Why could now be a good time to take out a home loan? 

With house prices only expected to rise and mortgage rates at an all time low, for Aussies looking to take out a home loan - if you were already thinking about jumping into the property market now may be a good time to do it. 

While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) didn’t cut its official cash rate in February experts are predicting they will cut tomorrow, thus 13 mortgage lenders in Mozo’s database made cuts to existing loans or introduced new competitive home loan products in the last month. 

Currently, the average variable rate amongst lenders is 3.67%, compared to 4.34% this time last year. Plus, with a potential RBA cut coming either this month or in the next few months, rates could drop even lower across more lenders.

RELATED ARTICLE: Australia’s cheapest home loans unveiled 

If you are itching to get your hands on a property and can’t wait to lock in a killer home loan, check out some mortgage options below or jump over to our home loan comparison tool. 

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Last updated 24 December 2024 Important disclosures and comparison rate warning*
What are your home loan needs?

Your loan-to-value ratio (LVR): 50%

Loan amount and LVR will affect interest rates.

  • Promoted

    Unloan Variable

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.99 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.90 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,995
    Go to site

    Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.

  • Promoted

    Neat Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.11 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.

  • Promoted

    Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.89 % p.a.
    Fixed 1 year
    Comparison rate
    6.30 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,867
    Go to site

    Lock in a competitive fixed interest rate and enjoy peace of mind for the fixed period with SWS Bank’s Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan.There are no application, ongoing or banking fees to pay and first home buyers and refinancers can apply with a speedy online application. Get the flexibility of loan split options and redraw facility. No offset account available for fixed rate proportion of loan. Other fees may be applicable. T&Cs apply.

  • Promoted

    Fixed Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <95%
    Interest rate
    5.69 % p.a.
    Fixed 2 years
    Comparison rate
    6.34 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,899
    Go to site

    Get the security of a competitive fixed rate home loan for 2 years with IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Up to 12 months repayments in advance without penalties. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.

  • Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.89 % p.a.
    Fixed 1 year
    Comparison rate
    6.30 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,867
    Go to site

    Lock in a competitive fixed interest rate and enjoy peace of mind for the fixed period with SWS Bank’s Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan.There are no application, ongoing or banking fees to pay and first home buyers and refinancers can apply with a speedy online application. Get the flexibility of loan split options and redraw facility. No offset account available for fixed rate proportion of loan. Other fees may be applicable. T&Cs apply.

  • Fixed Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <95%
    Interest rate
    5.69 % p.a.
    Fixed 2 years
    Comparison rate
    6.34 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,899
    Go to site

    Get the security of a competitive fixed rate home loan for 2 years with IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Up to 12 months repayments in advance without penalties. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.

  • Flex Home Loan

    • Fixed
    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    5.79 % p.a.
    Fixed 2 years
    Comparison rate
    6.27 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,931
    Go to site

    Competitive Fixed rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 40% deposit required.

  • Unloan Variable

    • Owner Occupier
    • LVR <80%
    Interest rate
    5.99 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    5.90 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $2,995
    Go to site

    Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.

  • Budget Home Loan

    • LVR <80%
    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    Interest rate
    6.04 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.07 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,011
    Go to site

    Enjoy a discounted variable home loan from IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Life-of-loan discount off IMB’s standard variable interest rate. Unrestricted additional repayments. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). No monthly fees to pay. Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.

  • Neat Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.11 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Competitively-priced variable rate loan. Ideal for owner occupiers and investors. No service fees to pay. Make free extra repayments and redraws. Flexible repayment schedule available.

  • Flex Home Loan

    • Owner Occupier
    • Principal & Interest
    • LVR <60%
    Interest rate
    6.09 % p.a.
    Variable
    Comparison rate
    6.33 % p.a.
    Initial monthly repayment
    $3,027
    Go to site

    Competitive variable rate. Multiple offset accounts available. Borrowers can also make extra repayments. Redraw facility available. Simple online application process. 40% deposit required.

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* WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.

** Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.

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