Pete Wargent and Chris Bates unpack the RBA’s latest rate hike, what higher mortgage rates could mean for borrowing power and sentiment, and why Australia’s housing shortage is still intensifying. They move from the macro picture into the real pressure points on the ground: tighter rental markets, a split housing cycle, and the conditions that may create both risk and opportunity over the next 12 months.
Together, they discuss:
- RBA lifted rates and could do so again if inflation persists
- Oil s reigniting inflation risk, feeding into rate expectations and dampening buyer confidence
- The hidden costs of moving house in Australia
- First-home buyers still active but adjusting budgets; upgraders slowing, especially in key markets
- Market turning K-shaped: premium softening while entry-level demand stays strong via 5% deposit schemes
- Rental pressure intensifying: how long will shortages last?
- Structural challenges: dwelling numbers, demographic shifts, and mismatched supply
- Development conditions are constrained: what can builders do?
- Listener Q&A
