Many would-be home buyers have given up the dream of home ownership, hit by a triple whammy of rising interest rates, tougher lending conditions and an end to the federal government’s more generous grant.

A survey by mortgage broker Loan Market found 28 per cent of respondents said they had put off their home buying plans indefinitely, while 32 per cent said they were trying to save for a larger deposit.

The online survey of 260 potential first time home buyers found 33 per cent of respondents were still looking to buy a property this year.
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The value proposition of aggregation groups is on the rise considering the results of Choice Aggregation Services’ (Choice) 2009 member survey.

The recently conducted survey, which analysed the business habits, needs and opinions of Choice members, revealed that 79.2 per cent perceived Choice as a key partner in their business - up 64 per cent on 2008’s figures and 71 per cent on 2007’s.

Just 11.8 per cent said they didn’t perceive Choice as a partner while 9.0 per cent were unsure.

Of those brokers that viewed Choice as a key partner in their business, 62.1 per cent said the value they placed on the relationship was ‘high’ whereas 32.7 per cent said ‘medium’ and only 5.2 per cent said ‘low’.

Brendan O’Donnell, CEO of Choice, said the result affirmed that recent initiatives to increase member support were gaining traction.
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The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to leave interest rates unchanged this week, as economists consider when the central bank is likely to begin winding back large cuts made over the past year.

All 18 economists surveyed by AAP last week believe the RBA will decide on Tuesday to keep the cash rate at a 49-year low of three per cent for a fifth straight month.

While there was broad agreement that the RBA had finished cutting rates in this cycle, opinions differed on when and how quickly it would start removing the “emergency” interest rate settings that have been in place since April this year.

Nomura Australia chief economist Stephen Roberts expects the first rate hike to come in May 2010.
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2008 has been a tough year for so many people in our industry that sometimes you think - something’s gotta give.

We’ve seen comments here at Lending Central that have a great spin on them that people are doing really well for themselves and business is better than ever to other people saying that they just can’t even find a loan.
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Business confidence hit a fresh record low in November as the bleak global economic outlook overshadowed positive policy actions at home, a survey says.

The National Australia Bank’s (NAB) monthly business survey, released on Tuesday, found despite aggressive interest rate cuts and the upcoming $10.4 billion fiscal stimulus package, businesses expected things to get worse before they get better.
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The turbulent economy will not stop young Australians travelling in the next year, and travellers of all ages will rely on credit or debit cards to pay for their trips, a survey shows.

An Australia Post survey of over 500 Australians shows 46 per cent of respondents were planning to travel in the next year.
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Almost 60 per cent of Australians have concerns or doubts about the quality of service from their finance provider, a survey has found.

An online poll conducted by leading mortgage broker Loan Market Group, which includes X Inc Finance, found 38.75 per cent of those surveyed thought their lender did a poor job while 18.75 per cent were “ambivalent” about their financial provider.

However, 42.5 per cent of respondents said they were happy with the service they received.
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Mortgage Choice found that despite the international credit crunch and high interest rates, almost three quarters of Australians regard their current financial situation in a positive light. Surprisingly, mortgage holders were even more likely to do so than those without.
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One in four borrowers expects to struggle to pay their mortgage at some time during the next year, a new survey shows.
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Rising interest rates have overtaken concerns about job loss or illness as the biggest worry facing home loan borrowers, a new survey shows.
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A new report says businesses are bracing for a grim start to the new financial year as they continue battling the double whammy of soaring fuel costs and difficult credit conditions.

Nine out of 10 respondents to the Dun and Bradstreet national business expectations survey say rocketing fuel costs are hurting their bottom line.
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Australians are finding it more difficult to obtain housing finance as home lenders battle to deal with the global economic slowdown, a new survey has found.

An online poll in June conducted by Loan Market Group’s X Inc Finance, Australia’s fastest growing mortgage broker, found 60 per cent of respondents felt they were finding it harder to get a home loan in the wake of the credit crunch.

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