Blaming NIMBYs Won’t Fix Broken Housing Policy
Hotspotting
Scapegoating has become Australia’s unofficial national sport — and nowhere is this more obvious than in the commentary surrounding our housing crisis. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the latest wave of finger-pointing, where so-called NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) and Baby Boomers are being blamed for everything from unaffordable housing to stalled development. But is the narrative that older Australians are refusing to downsize or that local residents are blocking new homes actually backed by evidence? Or is it a convenient distraction from deeper, more uncomfortable truths?...
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The Housing Crisis Scapegoat No One Should Believe
Hotspotting
In this episode, we challenge the growing media and political narrative blaming older Australians for the housing crisis. With new data from Australian Seniors and PropTrack, we unpack why the push to guilt Baby Boomers into downsizing is not only misguided — it's deeply unfair and factually wrong. We expose the lazy policy thinking behind the idea that empty nesters are hoarding homes, and explain why the real culprits are chronic supply shortages, failed planning systems, outdated pension rules, and a political class allergic to real reform. From rising relocation costs to a lack of...
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The Surprising City Outperforming Australia’s Major Markets
Hotspotting
In this episode, we dive deep into one of Australia’s most remarkable and resilient property markets—Adelaide. While other cities like Perth are losing momentum, Adelaide continues its upward trajectory, now entering its sixth year of steady growth. Backed by data from Hotspotting’s latest Price Predictor Index, we unpack why buyer demand remains high, which LGAs are leading the charge, and how Adelaide’s long-dismissed real estate market has evolved into a national frontrunner for capital growth. We’ll explore the suburbs showing the strongest signs of continued price increases, the...
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Beyond the Hype: Terry Ryder’s National Top 10 Best Buys | The Property Playbook
Hotspotting
With over 15,000 suburbs across Australia, how do you know where to invest next—and which markets are set to outperform? In this episode of The Property Playbook, host Tim Graham sits down with Australia’s leading property analyst, Terry Ryder, to reveal the latest insights from Hotspotting’s National Top 10 Best Buys report. Unlike media-driven “hotspots,” these locations have been handpicked for their long-term growth potential, strong local economies, and critical infrastructure investment. 🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the best investment markets aren’t the ones...
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Political Smoke & Mirrors: The Truth Behind the Housing Crisis Debate
Hotspotting
As the federal election approaches, housing policy has finally hit the spotlight — but not for the right reasons. In this episode, Terry Ryder cuts through the spin and dive into the political theatre playing out between major parties over Australia's housing crisis. From vote-chasing tax perks to demand-boosting band-aid schemes, he unpacks why both Labor and the Coalition are missing the mark — and how their policies could actually make things worse. Plus, he takes aim at the Greens’ rental rhetoric and ask the question no one seems to be answering: where are the real structural...
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Election Promises vs. Housing Reality | Tim Graham on TickerNews
Hotspotting
With housing affordability now a key battleground in the federal election, Tim Graham, Managing Director of Hotspotting, joins Ahron Young on TickerNews to unpack what the major parties are promising—and whether those policies will make any real difference. In this episode, Tim explains why most policies on offer are short-term, demand-side sugar hits that fail to address the root of Australia’s housing crisis: supply. 🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why tax deductions and super-for-housing schemes may push prices up The unintended consequences of government stimulus for first-home...
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Landlords Aren’t Winning — They’re Bleeding Cash
Hotspotting
In this episode, Terry Ryder dismantles the media myths surrounding landlords and reveals a far more sobering reality — most investors aren’t profiting, they’re bleeding cash. With 65% operating at a loss and many forced to sell, Ryder explores why the rental market is under serious threat. From rising interest rates to hostile policies, he exposes how the system is pushing mum-and-dad investors to the brink — and why that spells trouble for renters too. If you're a property investor, tenant, or just someone trying to make sense of Australia's housing mess, don’t miss this episode....
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Changing of the Guard: Perth’s Peak and the New Property Leaders
Hotspotting
Perth's Property Market at its Peak: Tim Graham discusses the shift in Perth's property market as it reaches its peak. He shares insights from Hotspotting's Price Predictor Index, explaining how rising sales activity often leads to price growth, and how Perth's market is now experiencing a slowdown due to decreasing sales. Why Perth Was Doing Well: The strength of Perth's recent growth can be attributed to a proactive state government, affordability, and a resurgence after many years of stagnant prices. Tim highlights how the state's openness to investors has played a key role in this boom....
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📈 Australia’s Property Market Is Moving – Here’s Where the Growth Is Happening Now!
Hotspotting
In this update, Tim Graham from Hotspotting breaks down the key insights from the Autumn 2025 edition of the Price Predictor Index — revealing which Australian property markets are rising, which are steady, and which are slipping into decline. We analyse 14 major jurisdictions across the nation — from capital cities like Darwin, Melbourne, and Adelaide to regional powerhouses like Regional South Australia, Regional Queensland, and Regional Victoria. With detailed suburb-level insights and sales activity trends, this update highlights the suburbs and towns with real momentum behind them....
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$1 Million Homes: Australia’s Housing Crisis
Hotspotting
One of the most significant housing stories in the past year has slipped under the radar of news media, with very little commentary. The latest official data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that it now costs over $500,000 to build the average house in this country. That’s the cost of construction of the dwelling and doesn’t include the land price. Given that the price of residential land is also escalating to record price levels, the reality is that the typical house and land package in a capital city is beyond the reach of most young buyers. This, in...
info_outlineRumours of the death of ‘the national property boom’ are greatly exaggerated – especially since we didn’t have a national property boom in 2024.
Rather, over the past 12 months, we have seen differing market cycles in many locations - as is the usual state of play in real estate throughout Australia.
Strong property price growth was recorded in Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane in 2024, but not in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Darwin or Hobart.
Similarly, in the regional areas, there were declining and stagnating markets, as well as some where prices were showing good price growth.
This is situation normal in Australian real estate. It’s a big country and real estate markets are very local in nature.
So, a national property boom? We haven’t had one. So you ignore headlines declaring that the national property boom is over.
So, what can we expect in residential real estate in 2025?
Firstly, the major bank economists will predict price declines in 2025 – as they did at the start of 2023 and again at the start of 2024 - and will be proven wrong yet again because it they fail to understand the basic dynamics that drive prices in residential real estate.
Politicians will continue to scapegoat their traditional targets of foreigners (migrants, international students and foreign investors) as well as mum-and-dad Australian investors – and enlist the help of shallow journalists to infer that these cohorts are the cause of all the problems in the housing markets.
The reality is that investors, local and foreign, are not the problem – they are the solution. They hold the keys to solving the housing crisis.
Meanwhile, most State Governments will continue to make the housing crisis worse with anti-investor policies - with the negative ramifications of recent rental reforms to become more apparent as 2025 unfolds.
Vacancy rates will remain low, but the rate of rental growth generally will slow because markets have hit a ceiling due to limits in the capacity of tenants to pay more.
However, restrictive rental legislation by various state and territory governments will continue to motivate some investors to sell up – thereby making the rental shortage worse.
The Greens will continue to embarrass themselves and lose voter support with anti-investor rants, with the Federal Election due early in the year likely to see their influence reduce even more.
Investors will continue to pile into the frenzied markets, mostly in regional Queensland -however, the smart money will target locations early in the growth cycle, not at the end.
Evidence that the Perth market has passed its peak will become more apparent with a similar slowdown forecast for regional WA.
The solid economic and market fundamentals in Adelaide means it will continue to show solid growth next year as well as Brisbane and regional Queensland.
Melbourne did not have a good year in 2023 or in 2024, but I believe it will start to rise next year, thanks to the price differential with Sydney and its high population growth. This will occur despite Melbourne having the worst state government and the highest taxes in the nation.
Darwin will be targeted by investors and will begin to show some price growth next year, too. More and more indicators are favourable for the Northern Territory capital, with investors seeking its affordable houses and high rental yields.
The Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle will continue, boosting many regional markets, as more big city residents seek a different and more affordable way of living, enabled by technology and the ability to work remotely.
What we have termed the ‘second-wind markets’ will ignite.
These are locations where the market sprinted (with major price growth) from 2022 to 2024, has been catching it breath since then, and now, having got its second wind, is starting to run again.
They include regional cities such as Albury-Wodonga and Tamworth in NSW, the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay in Queensland, Bendigo and Ballarat in Victoria, as well as Launceston and Burnie in Tasmania.
There will continue to be a lot of conjecture about interest rates next year, but the potential impact of any rate reductions will be largely irrelevant and greatly over-rated by many economists and news media.
As we’ve learned from the past two years, trends with interest rates are not the major influence on real estate outcomes.
If they were, prices would have fallen everywhere over the past two years.
And that, clearly, has not been the case.