Lending cools
Housing prices increased by a steadier 0.6 per cent in February, as prices in Sydney and Melbourne flattened out.
Housing finance remained at very high levels in the month, albeit down slightly from previous peaks.
First homebuyer numbers are retracing from boom levels now, although both sides of politics will pledge guarantees to help first-timers into the market later in the year.
The monthly pullback was mainly driven by owner-occupiers, with most states recording a similar trend.
Although the volume of home loans was down somewhat, the average loan size to buy an established dwelling hit a record high of $635,000.
Overall, a cooler housing market climate than last year beckons, despite record high employment.
