The year to buy?

Owner occupiers and first home buyers made a good showing in the most recently released ABS housing finance figures.

First home buyers came out confidently in the market as 2017 rolled on, probably in response to more stable conditions and incentives, and there is nothing on the horizon to suggest that things will take a downturn for them in 2018.

That said, buying a home will still remain tough for those with hearts set on markets where prices remain high.

Capital city prices won’t suddenly plummet given rising populations and low interest rates, but even within capital cities there are different suburbs and different markets.

First home buyers typically hold onto their first home for much longer than a year, so if they find an affordable property in an outer-lying city suburb, or a regional centre with good employment opportunities, making their property move would be worth consideration.