Buyers have more leverage, not complete control

Higher interest rates, affordability pressures and economic uncertainty have reduced demand in many areas.

At the same time, prices have generally held up well.

That means buyers may have more opportunities than they did a year ago, but they're not necessarily finding bargains.

Five ways to approach today's market

1. Get pre-approved before you start searching.

2. Focus on value rather than trying to pick the market bottom.

3. Compare multiple suburbs, not just one location.

4. Be prepared to negotiate.

5. Keep some flexibility in your budget.

Markets often change gradually, not suddenly.

If you're considering buying, I can help you understand your borrowing capacity and position yourself to act when the right opportunity appears.

The housing market has cooled, but that doesn't automatically mean buyers have the upper hand.

According to Cotality, Australia's median property price was unchanged in May.

That's a significant shift from the strong growth seen over recent years.

But it's important to keep the pause in perspective.

The national median remains at a record high, while four capital cities are also at record levels and the other four are not far behind.

Property investors are weighing up their next move after the federal Budget unveiled sweeping changes to property tax rules.

The proposed reforms would:

• Limit negative gearing on residential properties to new builds.

• Replace the 50% capital gains tax discount with inflation indexation.

• Introduce a 30% minimum tax rate on capital gains.

Most changes would start from 1 July 2027.

Why current owners may see little immediate impact

The reforms would largely ‘grandfather’ existing properties.

If you already own an investment property purchased before the 12 May 2026 announcement, you’ll still be able to negatively gear it in future years.

That transitional arrangement is designed to reduce disruption and avoid a rush of buying or selling.