Stratified Median Housing Prices (quarterly)

Houses
Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Canberra Perth Hobart Darwin Dec-11
$636,822 $538,448 $425,551 $437,649 $552,218 $521,973 $323,278 $578,702

Sep-11
$636,822 $532,623 $430,675 $435,434 $555,669 $528,262 $321,572 $581,726

Jun-11
$648,455 $544,870 $443,892 $444,048 $572,453 $534,070 $321,572 $596,816

Dec-10
$644,924 $555,705 $459,920 $455,532 $571,963 $550,748 $340,385 $622,108

QoQ % 0.0% 1.1% -1.2% 0.5% -0.6% -1.2% 0.5% -0.5%

YoY % -1.3% -3.1% -7.5% -3.9% -3.5% -5.2% -5.0% -7.0%

National

$533,650

$533,521

$544,430

$552,731

0.0%

-3.5%

Stratified Median Unit Prices (quarterly)

Units
Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Canberra Perth Hobart Darwin Dec-11
$449,231 $399,883 $354,204 $301,369 $414,217 $353,205 $225,973 $400,386

Sep-11
$454,114 $403,586 $352,724 $301,369 $402,711 $345,884 $243,907 $395,318

Jun-11
$454,114 $402,598 $358,150 $306,848 $414,217 $350,953 $276,026 $416,346

Dec-10
$453,404 $400,794 $376,167 $308,430 $418,606 $365,079 $268,621 $413,277

QoQ % -1.1% 0.9% 0.4% 0.0% 2.9% 2.1% -7.4% 1.3%

YoY % -0.9% -0.2% -5.8% -2.3% -1.0% -3.3% -15.9% -3.1%

National

$406,584

$408,821

$410,667

$413,284

-0.5%

-1.6%

Stratified Median House Prices - Houses

$700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000 $300,000 $200,000 $100,000 $0
Dec-11 Dec-10 Sydney $636,822 $644,924 Melbourne $538,448 $555,705 Brisbane $425,551 $459,920 Adelaide $437,649 $455,532 Canberra $552,218 $571,963 Perth $521,973 $550,748

Stratified Median House Prices - Units

$500,000 $450,000 $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $0
Dec-11 Dec-10

Sydney $449,231 $453,404

Melbourne $399,883 $400,794

Brisbane $354,204 $376,167

Adelaide $301,369 $308,430

Canberra $414,217 $418,606

Perth $353,205 $365,079

Median Price % Change - Quarter on Quarter

Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Adelaide Canberra Perth -1.2% -0.6% -1.1% -0.9% -1.2% 0.4% 0.0% 0.5% Adelaide 2.9% 2.1% Canberra Perth 0.0% 1.1% Sydney Melbourne

Median Price Yearly % Change - Year on Year

-1.3% -0.9% -3.1% -5.8% -3.9% -3.5% -5.2% -3.3% -2.3% -1.0% -0.2%

-7.5% Brisbane

Houses

Units

Houses

Units

Capital City Results

Sydney
House prices were flat over the December quarter after recording a fall of - 1.8% in the previous quarter Unit prices fell by - 1.1% over the quarter following a flat result in September Sydneys median house price is now $636,822 and the median unit price is $449,231 Annual house prices have declined by - 1.3% with units down by - 1.1%

Melbourne
Melbourne house prices rose by +1.1% over the quarter which was the best result of all the capitals and the first rise since December 2010 Unit prices in Melbourne fell by - 0.9% Melbourne house prices fell by - 3.1% for the year ending December 2011 The median house price for Melbourne is now $538,448, with the median unit price $399,883

Brisbane
Median house prices fell by - 1.2% in the December quarter which was the best result since December 2010 Annual house prices fell by - 7.5% with unit prices down by - 5.8% over the year the worst performance of the mainland capitals Unit prices rose by +0.4% in Brisbane over December which was the first rise since June 2010

Perth
House prices continued to decline in December with a fall in the median of - 1.2% - the sixth consecutive quarterly decline in growth Annual median houses prices for Perth have fallen by - 5.2%, with unit prices down by - 3.3%

Canberra
Median house prices fell by - 0.6% with unit prices rising by +2.9% - the strongest unit performance of all the capitals over the quarter Annual median houses prices have fallen by - 3.5% The median house price for Canberra stands at $552,218

Adelaide
Adelaide house prices rose by +0.5%, the first rise since the June quarter 2011 The median price for units recorded flat growth over the December quarter after falling by - 1.8% over the September quarter The Adelaide median house price over the quarter was $437,649

Hobart
Hobart median house prices rose by +0.5% over the December quarter The median house price for Hobart is now $323,278

Darwin
Darwin median house prices fell by - 0.5% with unit prices rising by +1.3% Darwin remains the second most expensive capital with a median house price of $578,702

Comments and forecasts

Commenting on the APM House Price Report: Dr Andrew Wilson, Senior Economist - Australian Property Monitors
Australian house prices have risen nationally for the first time since September 2010, indicating tentative signs of a recovery in the housing market generally expected to gather momentum through 2012 in most capital cities. The latest Australian Property Monitors December Quarter House Price Report has revealed that national house prices rose marginally over the December quarter from $533,521 to $533,650. Although the rise was minimal, this was the first rise in the national median house price following five consecutive quarterly falls. The rise in national median house prices essentially reflects the impact of an increase in the Melbourne housing market over the December quarter. Melbourne led the nation in capital city median house price growth, increasing by +1.1%. Sydney home prices were flat over the quarter, having recorded only one quarterly fall in median house prices (September 2011, down - 1.8%) over the 13 quarters since the height of the GFC in September 2008 a remarkable performance. Adelaide and Hobart also recorded increases in median house prices each rising by +0.5% over the quarter. Canberra, Darwin, Brisbane and Perth however all recorded falls in median house prices over the December quarter, with the greatest falls in Brisbane and Perth. Brisbane and Perth continue to be the house price underperformers with both cities having now recorded six consecutive quarters of median house price decreases. In contrast to the rise in houses prices, national unit prices fell by - 0.5% over the December quarter. This was mainly a consequence of falls in both Sydney and Melbourne where median unit prices were down by - 1.1% and - 0.9% respectively. Hobart unit prices also fell over the quarter down significantly by - 7.4%. All other capitals, with the exception of Adelaide where prices were flat, recorded rises in median unit prices. An improvement in housing affordability as a result of falling interest rates and subdued house price growth together with the continuing prospect of strong economic growth, particularly in the resource sector exposed states, should see most Australian capital city housing markets recover through 2012. Early signs are already emerging of increased buyer activity in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra. (APM) About Australian Property Monitors (APM) APM is a leading national supplier of property price information to home buyers and sellers, professional real estate agents, mortgage brokers, valuers, banks and financial markets. APM has been helping our customers make informed decisions about property since 1989. APM monitors residential property activity from a variety of sources including auctions, government and semi- government agencies, real estate advertising, real estate agents and APM's own researchers. This vast pool of information ensures APM's databases contain the latest and most detailed house price information available.

Copyright Australian Property Monitors 2012. Any reproduction of or reference to any part of this report must attribute Australian Property Monitors as the source of the report.