Episode 234: The Australian Dream of Home Ownership: Less Realistic Than Ever? | Brendan Coates, Grattan Institute

With the economic headwinds caused by rising interest rates, ballooning inflation, and wage stagnation, is it time for the majority to face reality and retire the great Australian dream of home ownership? 

Are government initiatives enough to ease the housing affordability crisis? Will there be any real housing policy changes after the elections? What should homebuyers do as prices increase? 

Brendan Coates, the Economic Policy Program Director at Grattan Institute, joins us in today’s episode to help us understand the economics behind the housing affordability crisis, government responses, inflation, and more.

If you enjoyed the show, do like, rate, subscribe, and share us on social media and if you have your own questions you need clarity on, email us at questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au!

See you in the episode!

Episode Highlights:

1. Insights on election pitches around housing [02:05]

2. Housing shortage & the lack of first home buyers [05:19]

3. Will Australia see any REAL housing policy changes anytime soon? [10:02]

4. Will the rate of renters in retirement go down eventually? [16:12]

5. The myth around the demographic of first home buyers [19:43]

6. Western Australia’s and Victoria’s housing schemes [24:27]

7. Should you worry about inflation and rising interest rates? [30:58]

8. Financial moves homebuyers should do amid the inflation [36:49]

9. What’s driving house prices to go up? [41:15]

10. Can we ever go back to a low-interest world? [46:50]

11. Why have wages in Australia stagnated? [53:26]

12. Defining productivity from an economic perspective [56:05]

13. What’s causing the inflation in Australia? [01:01:30]

14. Does Australia have a short term migration problem? [01:05:25]

About our Guest:

Brendan Coates is the Economic Policy Program Director at Grattan Institute, where he leads Grattan’s work on tax and transfer system reform, retirement incomes and superannuation, housing, macroeconomics, and migration.

Links from the show:

• Ep 89: Australia's home ownership crisis

• Ep 124: The new normal: will your household finances hold up?

• Ep 153: Accessing super for home buying? Do it or don’t?

• Ep 195: Is Australia Ready to Reopen?

• Grattan: Shared equity is a start…

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• Work with Veronica: https://linktr.ee/veronicamorgan

• Looking for a Mortgage Broker? www.wealthful.com.au

• Work with Chris: hello@wealthful.com.au 

• Send in your questions to: questions@theelephantintheroom.com.au 

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