National home prices set records as prices climb
Home prices across Australia have hit new highs, with the median value of a home in a capital city shooting to $832,000.
Month-on-month, national home prices set new records, growing by 0.34 per cent.
Dwelling prices in capital cities increased by 0.4 per cent, and are now 7.64 per cent above prices in March 2023, and a shocking 35.2 per cent higher than in March 2020.
The figures, released on Monday in PropTrack’s Home Price Index report, found homes in all capital cities bar Hobart had increased in price since February.
Home prices in Tasmania’s capital fell by a slight 0.03 per cent month-on-month, and have dropped by 1.65 per cent year-on-year, however they were still up 36.1 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.
Costs were rising fastest in smaller capital cities, with year-on-year growth in Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane soaring by 18.62 per cent, 13.47 per cent and 12.90 per cent respectively.
PropTrack’s senior economist Eleanor Creagh said that while more homes had been listed in the first few months of this year, sustained demand “has absorbed the surge”.
“As was widely expected, the Reserve Bank kept the cash rate on hold at 4.35 per cent in March and many expect the next move for interest rates will be down, though timing remains uncertain,” she said.
“The expectation that interest rates may begin to move lower in late 2024 will sustain buyer and seller confidence.”
The median value of a home in Sydney ($1,069,000) is still considerably higher than the $832,000 average price of a home in other capital cities.
In comparison, the median dwelling value of a home in Melbourne is $802,000, and $801,000 in Brisbane.
While rising home prices in capital cities outpaced regional areas, regional home prices also peaked in March, increasing 0.19 per cent month-onmonth.
Ms Creagh said home prices would likely continue to increase throughout 2024.