In this episode of the Australian Property Podcast, Pete Wargent and Chris Bates ask whether Australia’s housing market has moved from nerves to peak fear.
They unpack weaker auction results in Sydney and Melbourne, falling prices, softer new-home sales and why investor sentiment keeps deteriorating even as hopes build for lower rates later in 2026. A key focus is policy risk: how proposed negative gearing and capital gains tax changes could hit established-property demand, why self-managed super fund lending may become the next political battleground, and whether investors end up being pushed towards new builds or Melbourne apartments instead.
They also test a few narratives gaining traction right now, including whether peak fear may open a window for first-home buyers, why headlines about Melbourne apartments and boutique developments need more scrutiny, and what a genuine market reset would look like across owner-occupier suburbs, investor pockets and regional areas rather than just in headlines.
Pete and Chris then move from headlines to practical strategy, explaining what buyers should watch around confidence, supply, serviceability and sensational market narratives.
In the listener Q&A, they tackle whether to keep a townhouse when upgrading to a forever home, how the six-year CGT rule works in practice, and whether AI could become deflationary for households carrying big debt.
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