The supply of new apartments and a retreating, resource-based economy is starting to weigh on the market, with more units selling at a loss in the June quarter than the previous three months.
The proportion of apartments selling for less than the purchase price rose in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Darwin in the second quarter, bringing the capital city average to 8.4 per cent from 8.1 per cent in June, CoreLogic RP Data's latest Pain & Gain report shows. Nationally, loss-making apartment sales ticked up to 12.6 per cent from 12.5 per cent.
The greatest effect of new supply on prices was seen in the Melbourne central business district CBD, where as many as 20 per cent of all sales – where the product is overwhelmingly apartments – were sold at a loss, for a median figure of $28,125 per transaction.
Sydney, where new supply is less and there is greater unmet demand, bucked the trend. The proportion of loss-making apartments stood at 1.8 per cent in the June quarter compared with 1.9 per cent in March.
The figures are consistent with the widely-expected slowdown in the market and no indication of a fall in prices to come, said CoreLogic RP Data head of research Tim Lawless.
However, they demonstrated the greater willingness of investors – who are more exposed to apartments than houses – to take losses from which they could harness a tax gain. Changes justified
They also showed that the Reserve Bank of Australia and banking regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, were justified in tightening the lending rules to investors, Mr Lawless said.
"If we were to see a situation where investors were selling en-masse, then there is potentially a larger chance of significant downwards pressure in prices," Mr Lawless said.
"That's a scenario, but it's not one we're saying is playing out at the moment. The two key markets [of Sydney and Melbourne] aren't showing any sign they're slipping into a correction."
The pain was greatest in the resource-dependent capitals of Perth and Darwin. Loss-making apartment sales in Perth jumped to 18.7 per cent of all transactions from 11.9 per cent in March, while in Darwin the figure jumped to 25.3 per cent – meaning more than a quarter of all apartments and units are selling for less than their purchase price – from 17.3 per cent.
The figures paint a cautious note for investors.
"With housing finance data having showed a surge in housing investment over recent years, investors should pay attention to these figures," the report said.
"When it comes time to re-sell a property, owner-occupier stock is much more likely to turn a gross profit than investment stock. This is most likely due to the fact that investment is more prevalent in the unit market than detached houses."
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