With the election and winter behind us, the property market is once again set to spring into action.  Increased buyer activity, improved market conditions and stronger competition means those seeking a top price for their property have to work extra hard to catch buyers’ attention.

According to Stewart Bunn, National Communications Manager, First National Real Estate, money can be made with plants, shrubs and trees, especially with Spring in the air. So, now is the time for seeds to be sown and money to take root.

“Home owners should never underestimate the importance of landscaping a property to maximise the value of their home,” Mr Bunn said.

“Street appeal, especially landscaping, has the potential to add up to 10 per cent, or more, to an achievable sale price of a property.

“Make first impressions count starting from the letterbox. Make sure fences, gutters, paths and gardens are well maintained and make the right type of statement about your property.

“Then, stand at the front of your yard where a potential buyer will first set eyes on your property and cast a critical eye over it to see what improvements can be made.”

Mr Bunn says a rule to remember is to keep things simple, allowing buyers to feel they can add their own touch to a garden.

“Remove any personal aspects such as fairy lights which, while helping to create an ambience at night time for outside gatherings, can interfere with a buyer’s perception of what they may wish to design,” Mr Bunn said.

According to Mr Bunn, more and more buyers are seeking native drought tolerant gardens, which are best planted in springtime.  But, he cautions, make sure you know your product.

“Design the garden for the market you are selling to.  If it’s a family home, make sure there is plenty of room and grass, for the kids to run around.”

Cottage gardens with flowering shrubs and long blooming perennials are great for country style homes, while desert type plants finished with pebbles or river rocks are an excellent way to finish a Mediterranean style property.

Another tip, Mr Bunn said is to add colour, which can be added with the use of flowers and foliage plants, and tend to suit more contemporary homes.

“Your local garden centre is the best place to go for advice on the types of plants that will suit the positioning and soil type in the local area,” Mr Bunn said.

“Colour is also an excellent means of creating or reflecting moods.

“Softer cool colours such as blue, lavender and pink are ideal for relaxing areas of the garden, while yellow is a happy colour and provides a welcoming vista for visitors.

“Reds and oranges are perfect for tropical gardens and in areas generally used for family fun and high activity.”

An effective, yet inexpensive, way of sprucing up a garden is weeding, trimming and edging, applying a layer of mulch to finish it off and clearing away unsightly eyesores and toys.

“Mulch immediately neatens up the garden and is especially useful on sites that have not been particularly well prepared or where the ground is a little uneven,” Mr Bunn said.

“For an immediate tidy up, mow the lawn, pressure-clean paths and the outside of the house and put away belongings or children’s toys.”

Regardless of who wins the Federal Election later this week, now is the ideal time for those interested in investing in property to get on the bandwagon, according to Ray Ellis, CEO of First National Real Estate.

“Strong rental yields coupled with good buying conditions are creating a perfect market for would-be investors to build their wealth through property,” Mr Ellis said.

“There are many advantages to investing in property and at the start of a new financial year, when people’s minds are on tax, investors should look at capitalizing on the tax advantages in particular.

“Property as an investment is also an excellent vehicle for generating income and capital gains and it is relatively low risk.”

Mr Ellis said there are a lot of ways for people to take the first step on the property investment ladder, such as buying with family, friends or work colleagues – it’s just a matter of being a little more creative and strategic in their thinking.

“Investors are once again claiming the market space being vacated by first home buyers whose numbers are beginning to level out,” Mr Ellis said.

“So, now is the time to capitalize on market conditions before investor activity returns to normal levels and competition begins to heat up again.

“Existing home owners could consider using equity they have in their own home, or other investment properties.”

Over the last 12 months, rental yields have strengthened, vacancy rates have remained tight and there is an ongoing supply shortage in the face of strong and growing demand, especially as increasing interest rates erode housing affordability.

“This general trend in the rental market is expected to continue for some time, and certainly for as long as neither party plans to do anything to effectively manage the supply versus demand equation,” Mr Ellis said.

“Regardless of the political outcome, property will remain a strong contender for the investment dollar.”

Today more than 50 First National delegates attending the network’s National Rural Conference in Swan Hill were told that some of the secrets to success and happiness lie in strong mental health.

The annual conference, titled Down to Earth, is being held at the Best Western Swan Hill until 7 August and is designed to provide members with an opportunity to learn about matters affecting their communities and network with other rural agents from across the country.

Speaking at the conference, farmer John Harper from Stockinbingal in NSW, said he was keen to share his own experiences of depression so that others could benefit from his involvement in the Mate Helping Mate programme.

John told the delegates that strong minds equip people with the strength and resilience to be motivated and gives them the determination and passion to develop and implement life and business skills.

“With the tough economic and climactic conditions many rural and remote communities have faced in recent times, depression is one more reality that they shouldn’t have to deal with,” Mr Harper said.

“Poor mental well-being is often the beginning of depression, and often starts with negative thoughts and feelings.

“But if you know the warning signs, you can get in early and hopefully prevent it getting any worse.”

Mr Harper said the Mate Helping Mate program was particularly useful in rural and remote communities who are often isolated and where access to professional help and health services is limited.

“By introducing a program like this, everyone in the community can help themselves as well as others by learning to recognize the signs, and introduce strategies such as different types of social activities that will slow, if not stop, the spiralling cycle of decline so synonymous with depression.

“But by gaining, or reinforcing, their sense of belong through networking with others in the community, keeping communication lines open and getting the support they need, they will remain resilient during these tough times.”

Other speakers at the conference included Mick Keogh, Executive Director of the Australian Farm Institute and Mr Frank Tierney, previous National Chairman of the First National network who provided advice and guidance on how to build local business.

Commenting on today’s announcement by the RBA that it will hold interest rates at 4.5 per cent, Ray Ellis, Chief Executive of First National Real Estate says there are plenty of opportunities around for home buyers and sellers, given current market conditions, as long as the fundamentals are focused on.

“At times like these, homes that are properly presented, appropriately priced and well marketed will always do well, regardless of what happens with interest rates,” Mr Ellis said.

“It’s a matter of making sure you get the basic factors right and plum properties should bear fruit.”

When there is relatively high business confidence, strong levels of immigration and low unemployment, the market becomes suitable for buyers.  However, those seeking to sell can also make sure they take advantage of these prime conditions.

“In a slower market, there is less pressure on sellers and buyers and during the cooler months, there is less volume of stock around from which buyers can choose, so houses are more likely to sell,” Mr Ellis said.

Mr Ellis said currently there are growing investment returns in the property market, which should prove lucrative for the astute investor.

“Investors, in particular, can benefit greatly from the current market conditions and pick up some terrific properties that offer strong returns,” Mr Ellis said.

It’s all academic, or that’s what First National Real Estate is saying about its new on-line training and support system, called Academy.

The system is designed to change forever the way information is shared amongst its members, who often experience difficulty finding the time to leave their busy work schedules and attend centralised training sessions.

“All members can now access training events, in most cases using nothing more than the computer equipment already in their office,” National Communications Manager, First National Real Estate, Stewart Bunn said.

“This will revolutionise the way our members can keep abreast of industry trends and changes and make sure they stay at the forefront of the real estate market.

“They can do the training where it is most convenient to them. Gone are the days when members missed out because they weren’t able to physically attend a training session.”

The inaugural training session was held recently, and covered the full gamut of information on the growing marketing tool of Social Media.

“This was a solid introduction to a tool that is growing in popularity and has become vital to the way real estate professionals conduct their business,” Mr Bunn said.

“It explained what social media really is, why it is important to have a social media presence, the do’s and don’t’s of successful social media interaction, how to get started and how to make money using the tool.”

Remote First National members agree that the new system heralds unprecedented flexibility for them.

‘The Online Academy is a great initiative,” Deanne Lamprey, a First National member based in northern Tasmania said.

“We normally travel two hours to attend training in our state.

“Now with the ability to have online training this will definitely minimise time out of the office. 

“It is also great to be able to revisit training sessions at a later time if a staff member was unavailable at the time of the live session, or for a quick refresher.”

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, is calling for scaremongering real estate analysts to be held accountable, after predicting a ‘housing bubble burst’ or ‘affordability crisis’, amidst claims Australia has the most overpriced property in the world.

“These types of claims are incredibly frustrating when you know they are based on a lack of understanding of the complexities and dynamics of the Australian property market,” Mr Ellis said.

“The reality is that we probably have one of the best buyers’ markets at the moment and houses at some of the most affordable levels in decades.  Strong population growth is driving demand, and a crucial undersupply of stock is putting a floor under house prices.”

According to Mr Ellis, the market is already softening, with the slowing of house price increases creating some real opportunities for bargain hunters, first time buyers and investors.

“In our recent 2010 Property Outlook Mid-Year Update, we highlighted Australia’s leading mortgage aggregator’s figures which show almost 40 per cent of loans drawn in April were to investors -  the highest number recorded,” Mr Ellis said.

While it is true that immigration levels, the highest since World War II, are generating significant demand for housing, much of this debate is overheated by the political agenda.

“But what no one is talking about is the fact that Government is one of the major barriers to increasing supply of housing.  Ineffectual planning and approvals processes are the major barriers to increasing supply, so it is Governments that will continue to drive the market into the future,” Mr Ellis said.

“Compounding all this is the Prime Minister’s comments that she no longer supports a ‘Big Australia’, but a ‘Sustainable Australia’ which can only beg the question ‘does that mean you are going to lower immigration levels’, which will impact significantly on the Australian property market.
 
“When it comes to price trends, they correlate more with the level of public confidence than the level of interest rates, which can have a positive influence on confidence as they are a sign of an improving economy.

“Price growth revived late last year, along with confidence, as emphasis shifted to news of recovery, falling rates of unemployment and a resurgent resources sector, all factors unique to the Australian market

Mr Ellis said while he supported ‘free speech’, analysts needed to be responsible and look at all sides of the story when making pronouncements about the property market.

Home owners and buyers are once again feeling the pinch to keep their dreams of home ownership alive as housing affordability returns to the property market agenda.  But, First National Real Estate chief executive, Ray Ellis says it’s a matter of rethinking options and developing creative strategies.

Impending future rate rises, along with tightening lending conditions and increasing mortgage stress concerns have started to take their toll on home buyers’ ability to own their own home.  According to Mr Ellis, home buyers need to take action on an individual level to tear down the wall of housing affordability in any way they can.

Recent research has found a decline in the number of home loans with a high loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 95 per cent or above.  LVR refers to the amount of money borrowed for a property, compared to what the property is worth.

Mr Ellis says while lending criteria has toughened in recent months, there are still lenders willing to negotiate a better deal around a number of factors such as fees or rates or the actual LVR itself.

“Lending institutions need to be willing to negotiate and be a little more flexible,” Mr Ellis said.  “And there are plenty of lenders out there who are willing to do just that, if home buyers are willing to shop around a little and do a bit of homework themselves.  It’s up to the individual to take matters into their own hands and ask.

“But they need to have the facts that support their case as well.”

Some key tips for overcoming housing affordability concerns include:

• Time your purchase for when there is a lull in the market, such as Winterwinter, when the market generally slows and lower demand can potentially tip the balance in favour of buyers.
• Calculate what you can afford to spend, factoring in any interest rate increases, probably 2 per cent higher than current levels.  Match this to your list of preferred suburbs and concentrate on properties that are genuinely within your range.
• Be flexible and adjust expectations as required.  You may dream of buying a home in a particular area, but consider a smaller home, or even a unit or apartment, with a view to upgrading later.  Alternatively, consider an area a suburb or two removed from your where you would like to live.
• Start a disciplined saving strategy immediately.  Set realistic savings goals and set up an achievable budget for household expenditure.

Mr Ellis also had some sage advice for home owners currently experiencing mortgage stress.

“Home owners can consider extending the life of the mortgage,” Mr Ellis said.

“In recent years, all the focus has been on how quickly a family can pay back the mortgage and then move another rung up the ladder.

“Obviously, that is the most desirable situation, but times are changing and it may be more useful to focus instead on how to get into the market in a way that is financially manageable.

“But whatever they do, they should seek the services of a qualified, reputable and trustworthy financial advisor.”

First National Real Estate has received strong praise from well-respected animal welfare organization, Animal Welfare League, for its innovative Pet Friendly Search feature.

According to National Communications Manager, Stewart Bunn, the network introduced the unique search feature to its member websites in an effort to help families with pets who are searching for rental properties, as well as to reduce the increasing number of animals being surrendered each year due to the lack of available pet friendly accommodation.

“The Pet Friendly Search feature has already attracted thousands of hits and with more than 4,000 cats and dogs being surrendered to AWL in South East Queensland alone last year, the AWL’s Queensland chapter were keen to recognise our efforts,” Mr Bunn said.

“With appropriate screening, tenants with good rental histories who have pets with references often take great care of their rental properties. So we believe we can help keep families and their pets together while also serving the best interests of property investors.

“Of the animals that are abandoned yearly, 23 per cent of cats and 30 per cent of dogs were surrendered due to accommodation issues, largely as a result of the lack of pet friendly accommodation.

“So, AWL was very impressed with our commitment to work towards a solution for this major community problem.”

The President of peak body, Australian Companion Animal Council (ACAC) had also congratulated First National on its proactive initiative, after animal welfare groups called on landlords and real estate agents to relax their “no pet” policies for rental properties and enable people to keep their pets.

“As our social demographics change and increased high density living and changing lifestyles are becoming the norm, a lack of understanding by landlords is creating an environment in which pet ownership is becoming increasingly more difficult,” Dr Kersti Seksel, President, ACAC said.

“Pets are wonderful companions and provide significant psychological and physiological benefits to owners.

“Australia has one of the highest levels of pet ownership per capita in the world with almost two thirds of Australian households currently owning at least one pet. With pets being treated more like ‘one of the family’ than ever before, First National is to be congratulated for making it easier for people and pets to find a home together.”
 
The Australian Veterinary Association President, Dr Mark Lawrie, echoed Dr Seksel, saying, ”We’ve fallen behind the United States and Europe in respect to the pet-friendliness of our living situations, although there are clear signs that is changing. We do need to see more inclusion of pets in our daily lives such as in cafes and on public transport as well as in our residential situations.

“It’s great to see First National taking the lead in Australia and having the vision to realise this search feature as a progressive pathway to take. We highly commend them for supporting those who value pets in their lives.”

First National have more than 100 ‘Pet Friendly’ property matches listed nationally on its national website www.firstnational.com.au

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis says under the recently introduced Intestacy Laws, millions of Australians risk cheating their loved ones out of a fortune in property if they neglect to implement the right type of asset protection.

“Around 5 million or 40% of Australians are without a current will which means if they are part of a blended or molded family, the intended inheritors may find themselves out in the cold due to recent amendments to the Success Amendment (Intestacy) Bill 2009,” Mr Ellis said.

“After all their hard work to build a property portfolio, they run the risk of letting their families lose a lot of it to legal fees and death taxes, or worse still, be administered in a way that they never intended which may no longer be appropriate.

“All because they don’t have a will clearly setting out their wishes in relation to their hard-earned real estate assets.”

Mr Ellis said the legislative changes were driven by changes in our society, where families have become more complex, due mainly to the high number of divorces, second marriages and new de-facto relationships.

“Simply breaking up an estate on someone’s death and distributing it among surviving family does not necessarily provide the best outcomes for the family,” Mr Ellis said.

“Under the new legislation, spouses or partners of people who have not made Wills, will receive 100 per cent of their estate upon death and children will not benefit.

“This does not bode well for a lot of people with blended and molded families, and has the potential to leave a lot of distraught, unhappy family members behind, potentially resulting in hugely expensive, protracted court cases where no-one comes out a winner.

“It may see the family home of a man still legally married to his first wife while living in another de facto relationship with children, going to his wife instead of his current family.”

Having worked in the area for a number of years First National Real Estate Mr Ellis, has forged strong relationships with local financial planners who are able to help their clients with the appropriate advice and support to ensure they have a Will to Succeed where their legacy is left to the people they want.

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, welcomed the Prime Minister’s appointment of a new Minister for Population, saying he hoped appropriate action would finally be taken in addressing the challenges facing the property market.

“We have been calling for some time for a consistent unified and national approach to the property market,” Mr Ellis said.

“It is heartening to see someone in the government at last taking responsibility for this but I hope they will take into account all the relevant factors, and not just an isolated few.

“The issues we face as an industry are not limited to population growth, although it is a key driver of the property market.

“Other considerations include protracted, complicated and inappropriate planning processes, high taxes and imposts and the whole supply versus demand issue which is producing a chronic shortage of supply for this country in basically every state.”

According to Mr Ellis, if the government, and in particular, the new Minister for Population are really serious about making sure Australia is ready and well prepared for projected population growth in the next 50 years, they need to ensure representatives from all areas of the industry have a say in what is happening and how the future should look.

“There should be an appropriate forum established where key players in the industry are able to voice their opinions and concerns and put all matters on the table,” Mr Ellis said.

“Then, vehicles can be created to drive the necessary changes forward. Real estate is an industry that dominates government revenues, as demonstrated by the New South Wales Government’s recent tax windfall of 600 million dollars in unbudgeted stamp duty.

“This is on top of the reported $1 billion bounce in state and territories’ budgets as a resurgent property market boosts stamp duty receipts around the nation.”

Mr Ellis said the critical component here was getting a strong representation of appropriate industry members, and not just limited to the usual suspects of industry and peak bodies.

“To effect the right kind of change, the people who are at the coalface of the real estate and the property market should be involved,” Mr Ellis said.

“They are the ones who are dealing with both buyers and vendors, the financiers, conveyancers and lawyers and all the other aspects of operating in this property space.

“Who are better qualified than those to know what is going on and the impact of proposed changes on the man in the street?

Mr Ellis also warned of the kind of situation that can arise as a result of inappropriate property planning laws and increased levels of immigration.

In one instance, he was advised by a First National agent that no local buyers bought any of the 160 apartments available in an off-the-plan development because lawyers advised the foreign builder held nothing more than an option over the development and that title was not sufficiently secure. As a result, the vast majority of apartments were rapidly snapped up, and are believed to have been sold to foreign investors.

 “Housing approvals are still falling, and we already face a net shortfall of 50,000 new houses per annum on current figures and forecasts predict Housing Affordability to decline even further.

“Recent ABS figures show the prices of established houses rose again in the December quarter, in keeping with our own members’ experience, as outlined in our recent 2010 Property Outlook.

“In addition, there is no indication of an easing in rental vacancy rates for most areas in Australia, and, even with additional housing stock coming onto the market, there is still not enough to meet projected population growth figures.”

“You can develop all the infrastructure you like, but if the required number of homes can’t be built to meet the number of people seeking to live in this country, then you still won’t overcome the real issue.”

Principal of Chambers and Frewin First National, Dennis Riva, operates a First National agency in Hornsby, Sydney. He says the supply shortage is so dire that there wasn’t one new development released in Hornsby last year.

“As a result of dramatic changes in the Federal Government’s immigration intake in recent years, there has been a massive increase in immigration numbers and most of this pressure falls on Sydney and Melbourne,” Mr Riva said.

“Hornsby is situated close to high quality schools and has excellent transport links to city and suburban employment. As a result, we’ve seen more demand than the local market can supply.”

Children are always at risk of injury, but never more so than in the family home.  According to Ray Ellis, CEO of First National Real Estate there are many simple measures that can be taken to prevent simple accidents, often with far-reaching and serious long-term effects, from occurring in the home.

“It’s a simple case of taking a critical view of objects around your home and understanding where the potentials for hazards are,” Mr Ellis said.

“Take the time to get down and crawl around the home so that you can see for yourself where curious hands and adventurous spirits might roam.”

While childproofing the home is important for families, investors should also take the time to understand how child-friendly their investment property is, as it may represent a marketing point for their investment property.

Injuries are the leading cause of death in Australian children aged one to fourteen, accounting for nearly half of all deaths in this age group.  More children die from injury than of cancer, asthma and infectious diseases combined.

Unintentional injuries make up around 95 per cent of all child injury deaths, with young children under the age of five years most at risk of unintentional injury.

“The most common place for young children to be injured is in their own home, so ensuring the safety of our homes should be paramount for parents to keep their children safe,” Mr Ellis said.

“There are so many things that are precariously balanced, just waiting to be pulled down, knocked over, bumped into or climbed on.

“And as the child becomes more mobile and dexterous, they love to put things in their mouths and they don’t discriminate between toxics or poisons and lollies or biscuits.”

Click here for First National Real Estate's Tip Sheet to assist parents, and investors, create a safe environment in the home for children to thrive and grow.

Property Managers and business owners from across the country who met in Sydney this week heard that property management is the unsung hero of the property industry. 

“We had 140 property managers in the room and between them we estimated the market value of the properties under management to be more than $2.6 billion dollars,” said First National Board member and Tasmanian State Chair Deanne Lamprey. 

“Each of our property managers are looking after millions of dollars worth of assets, they play a very important role in the real estate industry, economy and the community”.

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, agreed. 

“All the data and analysis focus on the sales side of the property industry,” Mr Ellis said.

“When people work hard to put away money for an investment, they want to make sure that asset is looked after so they earn good returns and the value of their investment will continue to grow in the future.  

“In real estate, the people who look after those assets are property managers.

“With our housing stock in such short supply and vacancy rates tight across the country, effective property management is a vital part of our economy.

“Without good property management, the value of Australia’s housing stock would deteriorate in condition and then in value.”

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, supports the call from the Australian Local Government Association for a national planning authority but says Australia’s problems with its planning processes go far beyond the single issue of coastal climate change planning and require a major overhaul.

“It’s very myopic to just consider this one issue in isolation of what is happening in other areas of the property market around this country,” Mr Ellis said.

“In Queensland, they are working off two year old planning approvals, while NSW planning approvals have dropped dramatically in recent times.

“And, while Victoria has just posted strong planning approval figures for some years, this is a result of a minister wielding a big stick rather than systemic structural changes.”

Mr Ellis agreed that the confusion created by inconsistent sea level rise predictions makes planning and development increasingly difficult on coastal regions, but more importantly have the potential to impact negatively on the property market in general.

“Home owners and other property market pundits need certainty around property prices so that they can make decisions based on facts and consistent information,” Mr Ellis said.

“It’s all well and good to say that the responsibility for planning rests with state and local government, but ultimately, a consistent, unified and national approach needs to be considered in the property market.

“This is unsustainable and I can’t think of any other industry that would operate with this level of uncertainty and confusion.”

As consumer confidence continues to fall in the face of increasing concerns over future rate rises, Ray Ellis, Chief Executive of First National Real Estate advises home owners to plan now to avoid unnecessary stress and the potential of losing the family home.

While the Reserve Bank has held interest rates for the time being, further rate rises in 2010 are inevitable, along with the strong possibility that living costs will also go up,” Mr Ellis said.

“Which is why we are suggesting people take a good look at the household budget and start factoring in how they will meet these challenges in the coming year.

“Even a 1 per cent increase in interest rates, which is expected by the end of 2010, will translate to extra repayments of $193 per month on a $300,000 home loan, which may force many homeowners to default on their mortgages and lose much of the value they have built up in their homes.

“But there are some simple steps we advise homeowners should consider when planning for these future interest rate rises.”

Minimise the home loan balance.  Pay off as much as you can over and above the minimum monthly repayments.  There are a number of ways this can be done, including making fortnightly rather than monthly repayments; putting any additional cash into the mortgage (e.g. live off the amount of last year’s wages and put any wage increases into the home loan), chart spending and expenses and any surplus achieved as a result should go into the mortgage.

Consider re-financing.  There are often better deals to be found in a competitive market and even a small reduction in the home loan rate can significantly reduce the mortgage over the long term.   Even if you do not re-finance, make sure the valuation on your home is up to date and reflects recent price increases.

Prepare a budget.  Draw up a budget, clearly outlining all your expenses and spending and factor in rates 2 per cent above the actual current level.

Consolidate Debt.  Put all debts under the one umbrella – the housing loan.  Home loan rates are often much lower than those of credit cards or car and personal loans.
 
“Your home is not just your major asset, it is also where you live, so it is important that it does not cause you stress,” Mr Ellis said.

First National Real Estate CEO, Ray Ellis, is calling for state and federal governments to release more vacant land to meet increasing demand across Australia.

“This country is facing one of the worst housing shortages in its history with no foreseeable easing of the situation in the near future,” Mr Ellis said.

“Housing approvals are still falling, and we are already facing a net shortfall of 50,000 new houses per annum on current figures.

“These rates leave us with a chronic shortage of supply to meet the needs of the more than 35 million people expected to live in Australia within the next 40 years.  To keep up with demand, Australia should be building around 180,000 homes a year.”

Mr Ellis makes the call following forecasts that Housing Affordability is to decline further as strong demand and the ongoing lack of newly built homes keeps house prices increasing.

“This is in addition to recent ABS figures that show the prices of established houses rose again in the December quarter, in keeping with our own members’ experience, as outlined in our recent 2010 Property Outlook” Mr Ellis said.

The December figures showed house prices increased 5.2 per cent nationally, more than at any other time in 2009.

Mr Ellis said even the government’s National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) falls well short of addressing the issue.

“The NRAS seeks to increase the supply of affordable housing for workers who service our cities,” Mr Ellis said.

“But there is no indication of an easing in rental vacancy rates for most areas in Australia, and, even with additional housing stock coming onto the market, there is still not enough to meet projected population growth figures.

“Our estate agents are reporting strong demand for property before it is even on the market.  In one case, buyers enquired about properties that were available in stages two, three and four of an estate’s development, when they were just releasing the first stage.

“And in Queensland, developers are still working on 2007 planning approvals, further impacting on the state’s ability to address its housing shortage dilemma.”

The Northern Territory will also continue to have an issue around housing stock availability in an increasingly tight rental and property market.

“The government has already released land in an effort to cope with increasing demand and the impending Inpex and Sunrise projects will only increase pressure on the Northern Territory’s property market,” Mr Ellis said.

“But every state across Australia is facing this demand and supply issue, and the only real way to address it is to make more land available.”

According to Mr Ellis, there is still plenty of land that could be freed up so that Australians living and working here are able to enjoy their patch of grass, which research shows is what Australians, and those coming to live in Australia, are looking for.