Market Pulse

Suburb spotlights, investor playbooks, and market analysis — for everyday Australians, grounded in data.

A young woman at a kitchen table working out her home deposit on a laptop and notepad in a renovated weatherboard cottage
First-Home Guides

How much deposit to buy a house in Australia? The real 2026 numbers

How much deposit to buy a house in Australia in 2026 — 5%, 10% and 20% compared, with real LMI costs, scheme price caps and the settlement cash you also need.

· 7 min read
Straight-on symmetrical view of the boundary where a newly built white rendered townhouse abuts a 1950s cream weatherboard cottage under flat overcast light
Investor Playbooks

Capital gains tax property australia 2026: how the budget reshapes your sale decision

Capital gains tax property australia 2026: what the May budget changed, when the 50% discount ends, and how to decide whether to sell before 1 July 2027.

· 8 min read
Overhead still life of an opened land tax assessment notice on a worn oak kitchen bench beside house keys and a folded rental statement in hard raking morning light
Investor Playbooks

Victoria land tax property investors 2026: why some are selling up

Victoria land tax property investors 2026: the cost layers stacked onto Victorian rentals, the scale of the investor exit, and the contrarian case for buying.

· 7 min read
Aerial photo of a house beside an apartment block at golden hour with a translucent data overlay showing a 4.8% yield figure and a ledger-style grid, evoking the calculation behind a rental yield
Investor Playbooks

Good rental yield Australia 2026: what counts as 'good' and how to calculate it

What's a good rental yield in Australia in 2026? We break down the benchmarks by city and property type, the cash-flow-positive threshold, and where investors get it wrong.

· 8 min read
Young couple on the porch of an affordable Melbourne home checking their borrowing power on a phone
First-Home Guides

How much can I borrow? Borrowing power calculator Australia 2026 explained

A plain-English borrowing power calculator australia 2026 guide: how APRA's buffer, HECS debt and rate hikes shape what a lender will actually approve.

· 7 min read
A young couple holding keys at the front door of their first home on a quiet suburban street
First-Home Guides

First Home Buyer Guide 2026: Step-by-Step in Plain English

A first home buyer guide 2026 buyers can actually follow: deposits, the First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy, stamp duty and the mistakes to avoid.

· 9 min read
Elevated view over a Melbourne suburban streetscape at golden hour, representing the scale of property data buyers need to navigate
Investor Playbooks

Abora vs CoreLogic vs Microburbs: what actually helps you buy a property

Abora vs CoreLogic vs Microburbs compared for individual buyers — data depth, explainability, workflow, and price — so you can pick the right research tool.

· 10 min read
New apartment tower under construction against Melbourne's CBD skyline at golden hour
Investor Playbooks

Negative gearing changes 2026: what Victorian property investors must know before July 2027

The 2026 federal budget abolished negative gearing for established properties from 1 July 2027. Here's exactly what it means for Victorian investors and what to do next.

· 8 min read
For Sale sign on a quiet Melbourne outer suburban street under an overcast sky, city skyline faintly visible on the horizon
Market Trends

The impact of interest rates on Victoria's property market in 2026

How the RBA's three 2026 rate hikes are reshaping Victorian property prices, which suburbs are most exposed, and what buyers and investors should watch before the June 16 decision.

· 6 min read
Young couple researching Melbourne suburbs using the first home buyer scheme in 2026
First-Home Guides

First home buyer scheme 2026: price cap traps and how to navigate them

The first home buyer scheme 2026 now has no income cap, no place limit, and a new $950k Melbourne price cap. But real traps remain. Here's what VIC buyers must know.

· 8 min read
Header image contrasting Box Hill's rising high-rise skyline with Glen Waverley's leafy suburban streetscape
Market Pulse Comparisons

Box Hill vs Glen Waverley: who wins the Suburban Rail Loop jackpot in 2026?

Box Hill vs Glen Waverley Suburban Rail Loop 2026 — comparing house prices, investor fit scores, SRL development risks, and which eastern suburb wins for your portfolio.

· 9 min read
Wide new-estate street in Melbourne's western growth corridor showing rows of newly completed detached houses with a rail infrastructure project on the horizon
Market Pulse Comparisons

Tarneit vs Point Cook 2026: which western suburb wins for investors?

Tarneit vs Point Cook 2026 head-to-head: median prices, rental yield, West Tarneit Station, demographics and infrastructure to find which western Melbourne suburb wins.

· 10 min read
Established Australian house with For Sale sign and construction crane on the horizon representing the 2026 Federal Budget property tax reforms
Market Trends

The 2026 Australian Federal Budget: what property investors and wealth managers need to know

The 2026 Australian Federal Budget property investors must understand: CGT discount abolished, negative gearing quarantined, trust tax incoming. Here's what changed and how to respond.

· 23 min read
For Sale board at the gates of a prestige Toorak home on a quiet tree-lined street
Market Trends

Is Melbourne's luxury property market cooling in 2026?

The luxury property market Melbourne is sending mixed signals in 2026 — our comparable sales data tracks what's really happening across Toorak, Brighton, Hawthorn, and Kew.

· 6 min read
First home buyer suburbs in Victoria: the under-$700k shortlist for 2026
First-Home Guides

First home buyer suburbs in Victoria: the under-$700k shortlist for 2026

Discover the best first home buyer suburbs in Victoria with median prices under $700k — with real price data, government scheme details, and what to watch out for in 2026.

· 8 min read
The future of proptech Australia: 2026 trends reshaping how you buy property
Market Trends

The future of proptech Australia: 2026 trends reshaping how you buy property

Proptech Australia has 519 active businesses, a USD $5B market value, and AI adoption surging. Here's what it means for property buyers in 2026.

· 5 min read
Capital growth vs rental yield Melbourne: what the 2026 data says
Investor Playbooks

Capital growth vs rental yield Melbourne: what the 2026 data says

Chasing capital growth or rental yield in Melbourne? We break down the trade-offs, the 2026 suburb data, and the tax risks every investor needs to model before buying.

· 7 min read
Rentvesting strategy Australia: how to enter the market in 2026 without buying where you live
Investor Playbooks

Rentvesting strategy Australia: how to enter the market in 2026 without buying where you live

Rentvesting strategy Australia 2026: rent where you love to live, invest where the numbers work. Learn the tax case, the Victorian suburbs, and the real risks.

· 7 min read
Metropolitan vs Rural Victoria: Where Is the Growth in 2026?
Market Trends

Metropolitan vs Rural Victoria: Where Is the Growth in 2026?

Frankston vs Greater Geelong, side by side: ABS demographics, last 12 months of sold prices, 10-year medians, and 12 months of building permits. The data is clearer than the headlines.

· 8 min read
Richmond Suburb Profile: Demographics, Data, and Who Actually Lives There
Suburb Spotlights

Richmond Suburb Profile: Demographics, Data, and Who Actually Lives There

What Richmond's 2021 ABS Census, current rental data, and 2025 market activity reveal about who lives there and whether it fits your buying brief.

· 6 min read