SYDNEY - Australia's red-hot rental housing market, supercharged by record migration and a chronic supply shortage, could be reaching a breaking point for affordability as tenants grapple with rising costs of living.
That in turn would push up the variable rate mortgages held by most Australian landlords who are typically private investors with one or a few properties rather than large corporations, pressuring them to lift rents further and forcing tenants to make tough decisions. Prices across Australia's entire rental stock rose 7.6% in the third quarter from a year ago, the largest increase since 2009, according to official data, and similar to gains seen in the U.S. where rental costs have also surged.Rent inflation is expected to peak at an annual rate of 10% in the next few quarters before easing, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock said at a Senate hearing on Thursday.
If you're a prospective homebuyer, you're likely in a tough spot. While you may be tempted to wait for interest rates to drop, if you wait too long, you could be dealing with a surge in home prices....Retirement is a time to kick back, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. For many, this means downsizing to save money and simplify their lives. Downsizing can free up equity, reduce maintenance...Like the cost of everything else these days, purchasing a home has risen to new heights.
The late actor recalled in his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," how he got to have the very last word after 10 seasons of the sitcom.With thousands of tributes pouring in for Matthew Perry, following his death at home on Saturday, one of the most simple but moving has come from the team behind Friends, the sitcom that defined an era and made a star of Perry and his castmates.