Investor property loan growth back to pre-GFC levels: RBA

Investor property loan growth back to pre-GFC levels: RBA
Jonathan ChancellorJuly 31, 2014

Divergent trends are apparent in the housing market of late, with investors continuing to show momentum, while credit to owner-occupiers has consolidated since the end of last year.

Andrew Hanlan, the Westpac senior economist was commenting after investment property loan growth accelerated sharply last month, at the fastest year-on-year growth since the first quarter of 2008.

The surge in investment loan lending to pre-GFC levels saw loans to investors in June jump 0.9%, according to Reserve Bank of Australia data published Thursday.

Annual investment loan growth has now hit 8.7%.

Loans to households – including owner-occupiers – rose by a more modest 0.6%, taking the annual gain to 6.4%.

"Notably, low and falling interest rates in 2013 triggered a sharp lift in new lending for housing," Andrew Hanlan noted.

Jonathan Chancellor

Jonathan Chancellor is one of Australia's most respected property journalists, having been at the top of the game since the early 1980s. Jonathan co-founded the property industry website Property Observer and has written for national and international publications.

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