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Streets Ahead
Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index
March 2011 • Second Edition




The right partner makes all the difference
Contents
Welcome to Streets Ahead: Second Edition .............................1


Executive summary ........................................................................2


About the Genworth Homebuyer
Confidence Index ...........................................................................3


2010–11: Natural disasters take
their toll on sentiment ..................................................................4


The lenders’ perspective ............................................................12


The economic backdrop .............................................................12


Conclusion .....................................................................................13



Charts

Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index (HCI)..........................4


The Genworth HCI would look very different without
Queensland and Western Australia’s fall in confidence.............5


Do you feel positive or negative about how the Australian
property market will perform over the next 12 months?............6


Index factors—change...................................................................9


Future repayment difficulties .......................................................10


Expectation vs experience of hardship .......................................11



Table

Economic indicators.......................................................................12




                     genworth.com.au/streetsahead
Welcome to Streets Ahead: Second Edition
Confidence in the property market is always a hotly contested topic.       needs. We are working closely with lenders to provide more relief
As Australia’s largest and oldest lenders mortgage insurer,                to borrowers whose financial situation has been adversely affected
Genworth Financial (Genworth) has been observing homebuyer                 by natural disasters in general.
attitudes and appetite for this market for over 45 years.
                                                                           It is heartening to find that over 60% of borrowers who have
We recognise that the property market underpins our economic
                                                                           accessed their lenders hardship programs are satisfied with this
prosperity as a nation and the personal wealth of many Australians.
                                                                           service. However, there is still much work to be done in improving
That’s why we developed the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence
                                                                           general awareness of these support programs as recognition of
Index (Genworth HCI); a biannual measure of confidence levels
                                                                           them remains low, at just under 40%.
among Australian homebuyers and aspiring borrowers, which
provides lenders, policy makers and consumers with valuable                Consumer sentiment may fluctuate, but what we know for certain
insights on what is happening in the mortgage industry across              is that borrowers who contact their lender early when faced with
the country.                                                               financial difficulties are likely to get back on track faster than
                                                                           those who don’t. So we’ll continue to work with lenders to raise
In this latest edition of the Index we find that the devastating
                                                                           awareness of our Hardship Solutions program, and in the process
natural disasters that have afflicted the nation throughout the
                                                                           help borrowers not only stay in their homes, but improve overall
past summer have caused homebuyer confidence to fall. As is to
                                                                           consumer confidence at the same time.
be expected, negative sentiment in Queensland and Western
Australia has driven this change. The floods in Queensland have            There is much more to be found in this edition of Streets Ahead.
also driven up food prices which in turn has dampened confidence           We hope you find it a useful report which helps you better under-
in other states. What we find as a consequence is that the rising          stand changing consumer sentiment in the mortgage market.
cost of living is overtaking rising interest rates as the primary
                                                                           Warm regards
concern for borrowers across the country.

These findings reflect what our hardship data is showing us, with
the number of applications for hardship spiking over the first
three months of 2011. Flood-affected borrowers are telling us              Ellie Comerford
they expect to struggle for longer, so we are in the process of            Chief Executive Officer
developing Hardship Solutions initiatives to meet these changing           Genworth Financial




                                                                       STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •        1
Executive Summary
        Welcome to the second edition of Streets Ahead and the results        Queensland and Western Australia the most fragile
        of the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index (Genworth HCI) for         It’s not just flooding, cyclones and bushfires that are impacting the
        March 2011. The report and biannual index detail current and          country’s resources states. Other data shows house prices are
        historical confidence levels among Australian homebuyers and          declining across Queensland and Western Australia after years of
        aspiring borrowers based on surveys of more than 13,000               strong economic growth. Residents of these states are not only
        Australians between 2005 and 2011.                                    showing greater pessimism about the housing market than the rest
                                                                              of the country, but are also experiencing greater difficulty servicing
        National disasters tip confidence
                                                                              their debt. In fact, 9% of Western Australia residents surveyed said
        In the 2010 Index released in September last year, we found
                                                                              they had trouble making their debt repayments every month,
        homebuyer confidence was on a delicate balance as borrowers
                                                                              compared to the national average of just 3%.
        remained cautious about rising interest rates and higher costs of
        living. The March 2011 Index, based on a survey of consumers          Higher cost of living adds to borrower hardship
        conducted in February, finds the recent devastating natural           The rising cost of living, in particular higher food prices, has
        disasters have weighed heavily on confidence. Growing debt            become the main concern for borrowers expecting difficulty
        discomfort and higher incidences of mortgage stress in affected       meeting mortgage repayments. This has overtaken concern over
        states have caused the Index to fall by 1.5% from 2010 levels.        interest rates rises, which most troubled borrowers in 2010.
        Indeed, national homebuyer sentiment would have increased by
                                                                              First homebuyers are upbeat but the year ahead will be
        0.8% if it wasn’t for the drop in consumer sentiment in Queensland;
                                                                              the real test
        the state most affected by events of the past summer.
                                                                              After some concern first homebuyers (FHBs) over-committed in
        Genworth’s hardship data, which helps paint a clearer picture of      the bid to take advantage of the government incentives in 2008
        borrower distress, tells a similar story. Total hardship requests     and 2009, Streets Ahead finds these borrowers are faring well.
        increased by over 70% in 2011 (to mid-March) compared to the          They’re more confident than the average, are less likely to have
        same period last year. Nearly half (40%) of these requests were       experienced mortgage stress and are also more comfortable with
        natural disaster-related, mainly driven by the flooding in            higher debt levels. But the year ahead could be crunch time, with
        Queensland.                                                           nearly one in four FHBs expecting to find it hard to meet their
                                                                              mortgage commitments.
        A telling trend from the survey showed that one in five (21%)
        respondents affected by the flooding in Queensland believed it
        would take them more than six months to get back on their feet,
        beyond the standard three month hardship solutions currently
        offered by many lenders.




2   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
By tracking
                                                                                   over 13,000
                                                                                      Australians the
                                                                                     Genworth HCI is
                                                                                       an invaluable          measure
                                                                                                          of the sentiments of
                                                                                                           mortgage holders




About the Genworth
Homebuyer Confidence Index

Market trends and borrower sentiment are keenly sought after in         The components used to create the Genworth HCI are:
today’s mortgage and property market—a market which underpins
                                                                        1. Proportion of monthly income currently used to service debts
Australia’s continued economic prosperity. From 2005–09
Genworth addressed this demand with the annual Genworth                 2. Maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR) comfortable in borrowing
Financial Mortgage Trends Report, providing a comprehensive             3. Last 12 months repayment history
overview of the changing attitudes of Australians to the mortgage
                                                                        4. Next 12 months repayment history
and property market.
                                                                        5. Whether it is a good time to buy a home.
In 2010, Genworth first used the data collected from surveys
conducted between 2005 and 2010, in combination with its own            The Genworth HCI is released biannually in March and September.
unique data built up over more than 45 years, to devise an index
which tracks important changes in sentiment within the mortgage
and property market. This report is the March 2011 edition of the
Genworth HCI and draws from our data, collected from over 13,000
Australians, to provide useful trends in homebuyer confidence.




                                                                    STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •     3
2010–11: Natural disasters take their toll on sentiment
        After remaining stable throughout 2009-10 the Genworth HCI fell                       Queensland borrowers the worst affected
        1.5% in early 2011 from 99.1 to 97.6. Despite Australia’s relatively                  Taking a closer look at borrower experiences in these affected areas,
        strong economic performance over the past few years, the                              the survey found one in three Queensland respondents (33%) were
        Genworth HCI has not reached the highs seen in 2007 and has now                       affected by natural disasters in some way, compared to the national
        seen two consecutive decreases since 2009.                                            average of 14%. A further 16% of Victorian respondents stated they
                                                                                              had been affected, compared to just 9% in New South Wales.
        While many major economic indicators including unemployment
        and GDP remain strong, official and lender interest rate rises in late                Genworth hardship data also shows the disasters have hit
        2010 placed further strain on many households. However, by far the                    Queensland hardest, with (at the time of printing this report)
        biggest contribution to the fall in confidence in early 2011 is the                   91% of all disaster-related hardship applications coming from
        spate of recent natural disasters, most notably Cyclone Yasi, the                     Queenslanders.
        floods in Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victoria, as
                                                                                              The incidence of natural disasters in the state has shaken
        well as bushfires in Western Australia.
                                                                                              Queensland homebuyer confidence. One in four (25%) surveyed




                                                                             106                                                                                106
        Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index                                  104                                                                                104
                                                                             102                                                                                102
        Source: Genworth Financial
                                                                             100                                                                                100
                                                              Genworth HCI




                                                                             98                                                  -0.3%
                                                                                                                                                                98
                                                                                                                                                 -1.5%
                                                                             96                                                                                 96
                                                                             94                                                                                 94
                                                                                      -7.7%                +7.7%
                                                                             92                                                                                 92
                                                                             90                                                                                 90
                                                                                   2007           2008                2009               2010            2011
                                                                                                                   Survey Year




4   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
One in three                                            Recent disasters
                                     Queensland respondents were                             …some 45% of affected households
                                     affected by natural disasters in                        are looking to take on more debt
                                     some way                                                to aid their recovery




feel negatively about the outlook for the property market over the                        in five (21%) believed they would be affected for more than six
coming year, compared to the national average of 19%. Demand                              months, an indicator that there is a need for the industry to develop
for property in flood and cyclone affected areas seems likely to                          longer-term hardship solutions beyond the standard three months
drop, with 16% of those affected by the natural disasters planning                        offered by most lenders.
to move to safer ground. Extensive media coverage of disasters is
                                                                                          With workplaces, food costs, transportation and housing all
also likely to affect tourism in and migration to these regions.
                                                                                          affected by floods, many households are likely to face considerable
The difference in sentiment in Queensland alone is such that if the                       strain. Some 45% of affected households are looking to take on
Queensland data were excluded from the Genworth HCI, the Index                            more debt to aid their recovery. With property and job security in
would have increased in 2011 to 99.9. This emphasises the extent                          some industries affected, many Queensland borrowers are likely to
of the impact of recent natural disasters on the state’s residents.                       face even greater difficulties servicing their mortgage and any
                                                                                          additional debt. As this survey was conducted in February 2011,
While the immediate impact on confidence is stark, most of those
                                                                                          more borrowers are likely to feel the effects of floods on their
affected by recent natural disasters were fairly optimistic about their
                                                                                          repayment abilities in the months to come.
recovery, with 60% expecting to recover in two months or less. One




                                                                        106                                                                                          106
The Genworth HCI would look very different                              104                                                                                          104
without Queensland and Western Australia’s
                                                                        102                                                                                          102
fall in confidence
                                                                        100                                                                                          100
                                                         Genworth HCI




Queensland and Western Australia have dampened
                                                                        98                                                                                              98
homebuyer sentiment in early 2011. The confidence
index in Queensland fell to 94.8 in 2011, while                         96                                                                                              96
Western Australia was slightly higher at 95.6.                          94                                                                                              94
In the past, these two states have benefitted from the                  92                                                                                              92
mining boom but sluggish house price growth in
                                                                        90                                                                                              90
2011 and natural disasters have affected confidence.
                                                                              2007           2008                     2009                   2010             2011
Source: Genworth Financial
                                                                                                                  Survey Year
                                                                               All data      All (excluding Queensland)         Queensland          Western Australia




                                                                                      STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •                      5
Western Australia also suffers from falling sentiment                        of 3%. Queensland borrowers also struggled, with 5% having
        Looking at future expectations for property markets in the worst             difficulties making repayments every month over the past year and
        disaster affected regions, Western Australia residents were the              21% having difficulty in some months, compared to the national
        most pessimistic about the property market in the coming year,               average of 18%.
        closely followed by Queensland residents. This drop in homebuyer
                                                                                     Significant affordability and repayment concerns, combined with
        sentiment is not unwarranted, with Queensland and Western
                                                                                     continuing uncertainty about the mining tax and the aftermath of
        Australia being the only states to see house price declines in their
                                                                                     recent flooding, bushfires and Cyclone Yasi means that Western
        capital cities in the December 2010 quarter, according to the
                                                                                     Australia and Queensland housing market sentiment is likely to
        Housing Institute of Australia (HIA).
                                                                                     continue to be subdued in 2011.
        Similarly, Western Australia and Queensland borrowers were more
        likely to be struggling with mortgage repayments, with 9% of
        Western Australia borrowers having difficulty making repayments
        every month over the past year, compared to the national average




                                                                100%                                                                                        100%
                                                                               6%            4%               2%             2%               3%
                                                                90%                                           14%           12%                             90%
                                                                                                                                             16%
                                                                                             21%
                                                                80%            23%                                                                          80%
        Do you feel positive or negative about how
        the Australian property market will perform             70%                                                         32%                             70%
                                                                                                              36%
        over the next 12 months?                                                                                                             36%
                                                                60%                                                                                         60%
                                                                               31%           39%
        Western Australia and Queensland sentiment has
                                                                50%                                                                                         50%
        been affected by falling prices and increases in
        arrears. Western Australia had the highest proportion   40%                                                                                         40%
        of residents who felt negatively about the property     30%
                                                                                                                            43%
                                                                                                                                                            30%
                                                                                                              37%                            37%
        market, and Queensland had the lowest proportion
                                                                20%            33%           32%                                                            20%
        who felt positively about it.
        Source:MortgageTrendsSurvey,analysisconducted by RFi    10%                                                                                         10%
                                                                                                              11%           11%               9%
                                                                               6%            5%
                                                                 0%                                                                                         0%
                                                                               WA           QLD               NSW           VIC              Total

                                                                       Strongly negative    Mildly negative     Neutral   Mildly positive   Very positive




6   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
More are aware of Government relief than lender                           Generally, using a lender’s hardship solutions service was a positive
hardship programs                                                         experience, with 61% satisfied with the service and only 22%
As the extent of the damage in Queensland from the floods                 dissatisfied. While some borrowers questioned the long-term
emerged, the state and federal governments announced financial            impact of the relief many said it had helped them through
and hardship assistance for those affected. Streets Ahead found           a tough time.
awareness of these government initiatives was high. Almost four
                                                                          Genworth has approved over 1000 hardship requests to those
in five (78%) respondents nationwide, including 92% of people
                                                                          affected by natural disasters so far in 2011 (to mid-March), with
whose homes had been damaged or destroyed by natural
                                                                          weather events behind a 70% increase in total hardship requests
disasters, were aware of government relief programs.
                                                                          during this period (compared to the same period in 2010). The
Many lenders and insurers augmented government initiatives by             majority (91%) of these natural disaster-related requests were from
providing their own measures to help affected borrowers. Borrower         Queensland, with northern New South Wales and Victoria among
awareness of these lender-provided hardship solutions was lower           other affected areas. Almost all (96%) of the claims were due to
at 39%, with 14% of those who were aware having used them in              floods, rather than bushfires or Cyclone Yasi.
the past. Those affected by the floods were more likely to be aware
of lenders’ hardship solutions, with 46% aware of them and 18%
having used them in the past.




                                                                                       Western
                                                                                     Australia and
                                                                                     Queensland
                                                                                      borrowers more likely
                                                                                          to struggle to
                                                                                               make             mortgage
                                                                                                               payments every
                                                                                                              month at 9% and 5%


                                                                                                       compared
                                                                                                     to the national
                                                                                                     average of 3%




                                                                      STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •           7
Growing discomfort despite unchanged debt levels                      Mortgage stress up, but borrowers remain optimistic
        Turning back to trends across the nation, household debt levels did   Though household debt levels have remained constant, the rising
        not change during the period, with 27% of respondents in both         cost of living and the effects of natural disasters have led to a
        2010 and 2011 surveys putting half or more of their monthly income    greater degree of borrower stress with 21% of borrowers finding it
        to paying off debt. However, households have become more              difficult to meet their mortgage repayments in the 2011 survey, up
        conservative about how much debt they are willing to take on, with    from 15% in September 2010. This increased stress sees borrowers
        the proportion willing to borrow more than 80% of a property’s        less willing to become more leveraged or invest in new property.
        value falling 10% from 39% to 29%. This suggests that other factors
                                                                              Unsurprisingly, Queensland and Western Australia residents were
        such as the rising cost of living are causing borrower concern.
                                                                              more likely to have experienced trouble making repayments,
        Queensland residents have a larger debt burden than other             with Western Australia residents having the highest proportion
        Australians, with one in three using more than half their income to   of borrowers who experienced trouble meeting repayments in
        service debt. Although the level of debt is increasing for            every month.
        Queensland and Western Australia, these residents are only
                                                                              Despite past strain, borrowers remain fairly optimistic about their
        marginally less comfortable in borrowing larger amounts.
                                                                              ability to meet repayments over the coming year, perhaps due
                                                                              to the expectation interest rates will remain unchanged in the
                                                                              short-term.




                                        1in3 Queensland                          Western Australia
                                        residents are using more than            has the highest proportion of
                                        half their income to service debt        borrowers experiencing trouble
                                                                                 meeting repayments




8   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
2011 a better time to buy a home
Pushing up the Index was an increase in the proportion of
respondents who believed now is a good time to buy a home (up
from 25% to 38% in March 2011). This was the only positive
movement in the Index over this six month period, and the only
                                                                                        Households
area in which Queensland and Western Australia residents were
more optimistic than others. In fact, 40% of Queenslanders and
                                                                                         are more
                                                                                     conservative with fewer
49% of Western Australians believe now is a good time to buy
                                                                                       choosing to borrow
a home, compared to the national average of 38%.                                         more than 80%
                                                                                         of a property’s
                                                                                                                    Despite
                                                                                              value         past strain, borrowers
                                                                                                              remain optimistic
                                                                                                             with an expectation
                                                                                                              that interest rates
                                                                                                                  won’t rise




                                                        45%                                                                                45%
                                                                                                                      2010      2011
                                                        40%                                                                                40%
Index factors—change
                                                        35%                                                                                35%
‘Good time to buy’ was the only index factor to see
a positive change between the past two surveys,         30%                                                                                30%

with household debt levels and expectation of           25%                                                                                25%
mortgage stress remaining unchanged. The fall in
                                                        20%                                                                                20%
the index was driven by an increase in experience
of mortgage stress and decreased comfort with           15%                                                                                15%
higher debt levels.
                                                        10%                                                                                10%
Source: Mortgage Trends Survey, analysis conducted by
RFi, 2010 survey conducted by UMR                       5%                                                                                 5%

                                                        0%                                                                                 0%
                                                               Over 50%      Good time to   Comfortable    Experienced Expect difficulty
                                                              of income to    buy a home     borrowing       difficulty   repaying
                                                              service debt                  over 80% LVR     repaying    mortgage
                                                                                                            mortgage




                                                                 STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •               9
First homebuyers more confident overall but pessimistic                But it’s not all good news for this segment. Nearly one in four (24%)
        about future                                                           expect to find it difficult to meet repayments over the next
        Overall, FHBs—those that have purchased their first home in the        12 months compared to the national average of 19%. This
        last 12 months or are looking to purchase their first home in the      pessimism is largely fuelled by the threat of further rate rises, in
        next 12 months—are more confident than the average homebuyer.          contrast to the average borrower who was most likely to be
                                                                               concerned by the rising cost of living. Interest rates are likely to be
        Despite concerns by some that FHBs may have entered the
                                                                               of greater concern to FHBs because they are more heavily geared,
        property market too early in order to take advantage of
                                                                               with one in three spending more than half their monthly income on
        government incentives offered during 2008 and 2009, Streets
                                                                               servicing debt, compared to the national average of 27%.
        Ahead finds indebted FHBs were slightly less likely to have
        experienced stress in the past year at 17% compared to the average     Cost of living overtakes interest rate rises as top concern for
        of 21%.                                                                strugglers
                                                                               Nationally, the proportion of borrowers expecting to have difficulty
        FHBs are also more comfortable with higher debt levels. Almost
                                                                               meeting repayments over the coming year has held steady since
        two in five (38%) are comfortable taking on an LVR of more than
                                                                               2010 at 19%. However, while interest rates have risen and are
        80%, compared to the average of 29%. This is likely due to strong
                                                                               expected to rise further, more borrowers expecting to struggle to
        house price appreciation making high LVRs inevitable if FHBs are
                                                                               meet repayments cite the rising cost of living rather than rising rates
        to realise their dream of home ownership.
                                                                               as the key problem, at 66% compared to 51%.



        Future repayment difficulties                         Why will you find it difficult to meet your mortgage repayments in some/all months?
        The higher cost of living has overtaken interest
                                                                         66%
        rate rises as the number one concern for those                61%           61%                                2009      2010       2011
        expecting to face problems meeting mortgage             48%                    51%
        repayments.
                                                                                                 26%              27%
        Source: Genworth Financial                                                                  24%                             21%
                                                                                                          18%        19% 20%
                                                                                                                                          6% 7%


                                                                 Higher cost       Interest      Other debt     Unemployment/   New job
                                                                  of living       rate rises     obligations    Redundancy of with less pay
                                                                                (none in 2009)                    self/partner




10   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
First homebuyers                           Confidence
                                       are more confident than the                should be returning among
                                       average homebuyer and are                  borrowers but natural disasters
                                       more comfortable with higher               are likely to weigh on sentiment
                                       debt levels




The higher cost of living is driven by factors including the higher       Hardship expectations reflect reality; outlook continues
cost of energy exacerbated by unrest in the Middle East, and              to be subdued
the rising food prices resulting from widespread flooding in              For the first time since the Index began, Streets Ahead finds
Queensland. Between September and December 2010 the                       expectations of hardship were almost in-step with actual
greatest increase in the Consumer Price Index was on food,                experiences in 2010–11, suggesting confidence should be
increasing 2.2% over the quarter, which is likely to have a noticeable    returning among borrowers. Indeed, at a national level homebuyer
impact on all households and on consumer confidence generally.            sentiment has been fairly strong and were it not for the Queensland
Electricity and other utility prices are expected to increase further     floods the Genworth HCI would have ticked up in early 2011.
across the country, with utility prices having increased around           However, the effects of the natural disasters are likely to be a
$1000 a year in Western Australia, and privatisation expected to          continuing weight on sentiment in the coming year with a further
put upward pressure on energy prices in New South Wales.                  decline predicted in the second half of 2011.




                                                       30%                                                                              30%
Expectation vs experience of hardship
                                                       25%                                                                              25%
The proportion of mortgage holders who expected
hardship in the 12 months following a survey are
                                                       20%                                                                              20%
compared to the proportion who actually experienced
hardship in the 12 months prior to the subsequent
                                                       15%                                                                              15%
survey—effectively providing a comparison over
the same period of time.
                                                       10%                                                                              10%
Source: Genworth Financial
                                                                                    Experience       Expectation
                                                        5%                                                                              5%

                                                        0%                                                                              0%
                                                                2004     2005    2006     2007     2008     2009     2010      2011
                                                                2005     2006    2007     2008     2009     2010     2011      2012




                                                                     STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •          11
The lenders’ perspective                                                          The economic backdrop
        2010 was a tough year for most lenders in the mortgage industry                   Unemployment continued to fall from its peak of 5.8% in August
        as the rising cost of funding and weaker consumer demand                          2009, reaching 5.0% in December 2010. While unemployment and
        adversely affected the housing market. FHB demand was also                        interest rates have become less of a concern to borrowers, the
        weak following the withdrawal of government stimulus while                        rising costs of food, petrol and housing are placing a strain
        investor activity remained subdued. In early 2011, the focus for                  on households.
        growth has shifted to refinancers, with several larger players
                                                                                          Meanwhile, interest rates rose 25 basis points in November 2010,
        investing in substantial advertising to attract customers from
                                                                                          and many economists expect the RBA to leave rates unchanged
        their competitors.
                                                                                          for the short-term while consumer sentiment and retail spending
        Lenders are now also re-entering the high LVR segment of the                      continue to be subdued. That being said, rate increases are
        market in a bid to grow their lending books. This trend was flagged               predicted for mid to late 2011. The expected moderate interest
        by lenders in Genworth’s Home Grown: Mortgage Industry                            rate rises this year should contribute to a stabilisation in housing
        Perspectives report last November as a key strategy to gain market                affordability.
        share and address continuing affordability concerns.




                                              Economic indicators*                  2007            2008             2009              2010            2011
        Economic Indicators
                                                 Official cash rate                 6.25%           7.25%            3.00%            4.50%            4.75%
        Sources: ABS, RBA, HIA, NYMEX
                                                      Inflation                     2.4%             4.5%            2.5%              3.1%             2.7%

                                                  Unemployment                      4.3%             4.3%            5.8%              5.1%             5.0%

                                             Oil prices per barrel US$             $66.30          $127.76          $67.73            $75.69           $96.97

                                         HIA Housing Affordability Index            100.0            92.4             69.5             69.5             53.5

                                                Average FHB loan                  $238,600        $243,100         $270,200          $283,300        $280,800

                                        *As at June of each year, in 2011 figures are as at February 2011, or the most recent available at the time of writing




12   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
Flooding, fires,                        As the cost of                         Yet more of us
                  cyclones, and moderating house          living increases and interest          believe now is a good time
                  prices have weighed heavily             rates rise, Australians have           to buy a property
                  on Queensland and Western               become more conservative
                  Australia’s residents                   in their borrowing




Conclusion
Conditions over 2010–11 have so far been mixed with positive             During the past three months Genworth has helped over 1000
economic data undercut by the effects of several natural disasters,      disaster-affected borrowers by working with lenders to offer
particularly the Queensland flooding. This has resulted in               hardship relief. However, all borrowers experiencing hardship need
homebuyer confidence dipping slightly for the second consecutive         to be encouraged to contact their lender as soon as difficulties
period. Had it not been for these disasters, the Genworth HCI            arise, as early action is essential to a fast recovery.
would have increased in the March 2011 edition.
                                                                         For the rest of the country, expectations for a stable interest rate
While flooding, cyclones and bushfires combined with moderating          environment and soaring food and petrol prices has meant the
house prices in Queensland and Western Australia weighed heavily         rising cost of living now tops the list of consumer concerns. As a
on residents in these states, their steely determination is reflected    result, Australians are becoming more conservative in their
in their optimism with most expecting to bounce back in two              borrowing. This is despite more of us believing now is a good time
months or less. The focus will be on managing additional debt            to buy a property.
burdens, with almost half of affected Queensland households
                                                                         First homebuyers have fared well despite the higher cost of living
looking to take on more debt to aid their recovery.
                                                                         and rising interest rates. There was some concern this segment may
It’s pleasing to see most of those affected are aware of government      have over committed in the rush to take advantage of government
support and of those aware of lender initiatives, most were happy        incentives in 2008 and 2009. We will continue to watch this FHBs
with the service. Still, more needs to be done to help the one in        group closely as nearly one in four (24%) expect to face problems
five expecting longer-term hardship as a result of natural disasters.    in the year ahead.



                                                                                                             genworth.com.au/streetsahead




                                                                    STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •           13
About Genworth                                                        About RFi
        Genworth Financial (Genworth) is a leading provider of lenders        RFi is a strategic research business that delivers research and
        mortgage insurance (LMI) in Australia and New Zealand.                analysis by identifying and formulating projects within the arena
        In partnership with lenders, our aim is to make home ownership        of retail finance. RFi’s business model is underpinned by B2B and
        more accessible to borrowers through provision of LMI solutions.      B2C primary research, a factor which enables RFi to determine the
                                                                              key issues affecting any market.
        Working with close to 200 lenders, Genworth has built a reputation
        for its expertise in understanding the evolving mortgage market.      For more information visit rfintelligence.com.au
        Our financial strength is underpinned by our A$3 billion investment
        portfolio, and our rich data gained through insuring mortgages for
        over 45 years.

        Our Hardship Solutions team was formed in 2006 and, in
        conjunction with lenders, has assisted over 18,000 (as at Q4 2010)
        borrowers to stay in their own homes.

        For more information visit genworth.com.au

            genworthaustralia




              Home Grown: Mortgage Industry Perspectives
              Home Grown, Genworth’s biannual report exploring borrower and would-be borrower sentiment.
              The November 2010 edition is now available. Find out more at genworth.com.au/homegrown




14   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
Disclaimer
The report is based on survey results of over 13,000 adults and,
while the information contained in this report is current as at the
date of publication, it is subject to change without notice.
Genworth is under no obligation to update the information or
correct any inaccuracy which may become apparent at a later date.
Permissions should be sought from Genworth for use of this report
by third parties. Genworth does not take any responsibility for
reliance on the information contained in this report, nor for its
accuracy and completeness.




                                                                  STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 •   15
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK




16   • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
genworth.com.au/streetsahead
genworth.com.au/streetsahead



           Australia and New Zealand contacts:
           Head Office and New South Wales
           Level 26, 101 Miller Street
           North Sydney, NSW 2060
           Phone: 1300 655 422
           Victoria and Tasmania
           Level 3, 174 -176 Queen Street
           Melbourne, VIC 3000
           Phone: 1300 655 528
           Queensland
           Central Plaza 2
           66 Eagle Street
           Brisbane, QLD 4000
           Phone: 1300 652 864
           South Australia and Northern Territory
           Suite 6, 79 Pennington Terrace
           North Adelaide, SA 5006
           Phone: 1300 652 954
           Western Australia
           Level 3, 77 St. George’s Terrace
           Perth, WA 6000
           Phone: 1300 652 853
           New Zealand
           Regus Plaza Level, AXA Building
           Suite 120, 41 Shortland Street
           Auckland, New Zealand
           Phone: 0800 601 702




                                                    Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Pty Limited
                                                    ABN 60 106 974 305 • ® Registered Trade Mark of Genworth Financial, Inc.

                                                    genworth.com.au

                                                        genworthaustralia




GHCI0311

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Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index March 2011

  • 1. Streets Ahead Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index March 2011 • Second Edition The right partner makes all the difference
  • 2. Contents Welcome to Streets Ahead: Second Edition .............................1 Executive summary ........................................................................2 About the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index ...........................................................................3 2010–11: Natural disasters take their toll on sentiment ..................................................................4 The lenders’ perspective ............................................................12 The economic backdrop .............................................................12 Conclusion .....................................................................................13 Charts Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index (HCI)..........................4 The Genworth HCI would look very different without Queensland and Western Australia’s fall in confidence.............5 Do you feel positive or negative about how the Australian property market will perform over the next 12 months?............6 Index factors—change...................................................................9 Future repayment difficulties .......................................................10 Expectation vs experience of hardship .......................................11 Table Economic indicators.......................................................................12 genworth.com.au/streetsahead
  • 3. Welcome to Streets Ahead: Second Edition Confidence in the property market is always a hotly contested topic. needs. We are working closely with lenders to provide more relief As Australia’s largest and oldest lenders mortgage insurer, to borrowers whose financial situation has been adversely affected Genworth Financial (Genworth) has been observing homebuyer by natural disasters in general. attitudes and appetite for this market for over 45 years. It is heartening to find that over 60% of borrowers who have We recognise that the property market underpins our economic accessed their lenders hardship programs are satisfied with this prosperity as a nation and the personal wealth of many Australians. service. However, there is still much work to be done in improving That’s why we developed the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence general awareness of these support programs as recognition of Index (Genworth HCI); a biannual measure of confidence levels them remains low, at just under 40%. among Australian homebuyers and aspiring borrowers, which provides lenders, policy makers and consumers with valuable Consumer sentiment may fluctuate, but what we know for certain insights on what is happening in the mortgage industry across is that borrowers who contact their lender early when faced with the country. financial difficulties are likely to get back on track faster than those who don’t. So we’ll continue to work with lenders to raise In this latest edition of the Index we find that the devastating awareness of our Hardship Solutions program, and in the process natural disasters that have afflicted the nation throughout the help borrowers not only stay in their homes, but improve overall past summer have caused homebuyer confidence to fall. As is to consumer confidence at the same time. be expected, negative sentiment in Queensland and Western Australia has driven this change. The floods in Queensland have There is much more to be found in this edition of Streets Ahead. also driven up food prices which in turn has dampened confidence We hope you find it a useful report which helps you better under- in other states. What we find as a consequence is that the rising stand changing consumer sentiment in the mortgage market. cost of living is overtaking rising interest rates as the primary Warm regards concern for borrowers across the country. These findings reflect what our hardship data is showing us, with the number of applications for hardship spiking over the first three months of 2011. Flood-affected borrowers are telling us Ellie Comerford they expect to struggle for longer, so we are in the process of Chief Executive Officer developing Hardship Solutions initiatives to meet these changing Genworth Financial STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 1
  • 4. Executive Summary Welcome to the second edition of Streets Ahead and the results Queensland and Western Australia the most fragile of the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index (Genworth HCI) for It’s not just flooding, cyclones and bushfires that are impacting the March 2011. The report and biannual index detail current and country’s resources states. Other data shows house prices are historical confidence levels among Australian homebuyers and declining across Queensland and Western Australia after years of aspiring borrowers based on surveys of more than 13,000 strong economic growth. Residents of these states are not only Australians between 2005 and 2011. showing greater pessimism about the housing market than the rest of the country, but are also experiencing greater difficulty servicing National disasters tip confidence their debt. In fact, 9% of Western Australia residents surveyed said In the 2010 Index released in September last year, we found they had trouble making their debt repayments every month, homebuyer confidence was on a delicate balance as borrowers compared to the national average of just 3%. remained cautious about rising interest rates and higher costs of living. The March 2011 Index, based on a survey of consumers Higher cost of living adds to borrower hardship conducted in February, finds the recent devastating natural The rising cost of living, in particular higher food prices, has disasters have weighed heavily on confidence. Growing debt become the main concern for borrowers expecting difficulty discomfort and higher incidences of mortgage stress in affected meeting mortgage repayments. This has overtaken concern over states have caused the Index to fall by 1.5% from 2010 levels. interest rates rises, which most troubled borrowers in 2010. Indeed, national homebuyer sentiment would have increased by First homebuyers are upbeat but the year ahead will be 0.8% if it wasn’t for the drop in consumer sentiment in Queensland; the real test the state most affected by events of the past summer. After some concern first homebuyers (FHBs) over-committed in Genworth’s hardship data, which helps paint a clearer picture of the bid to take advantage of the government incentives in 2008 borrower distress, tells a similar story. Total hardship requests and 2009, Streets Ahead finds these borrowers are faring well. increased by over 70% in 2011 (to mid-March) compared to the They’re more confident than the average, are less likely to have same period last year. Nearly half (40%) of these requests were experienced mortgage stress and are also more comfortable with natural disaster-related, mainly driven by the flooding in higher debt levels. But the year ahead could be crunch time, with Queensland. nearly one in four FHBs expecting to find it hard to meet their mortgage commitments. A telling trend from the survey showed that one in five (21%) respondents affected by the flooding in Queensland believed it would take them more than six months to get back on their feet, beyond the standard three month hardship solutions currently offered by many lenders. 2 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 5. By tracking over 13,000 Australians the Genworth HCI is an invaluable measure of the sentiments of mortgage holders About the Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index Market trends and borrower sentiment are keenly sought after in The components used to create the Genworth HCI are: today’s mortgage and property market—a market which underpins 1. Proportion of monthly income currently used to service debts Australia’s continued economic prosperity. From 2005–09 Genworth addressed this demand with the annual Genworth 2. Maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR) comfortable in borrowing Financial Mortgage Trends Report, providing a comprehensive 3. Last 12 months repayment history overview of the changing attitudes of Australians to the mortgage 4. Next 12 months repayment history and property market. 5. Whether it is a good time to buy a home. In 2010, Genworth first used the data collected from surveys conducted between 2005 and 2010, in combination with its own The Genworth HCI is released biannually in March and September. unique data built up over more than 45 years, to devise an index which tracks important changes in sentiment within the mortgage and property market. This report is the March 2011 edition of the Genworth HCI and draws from our data, collected from over 13,000 Australians, to provide useful trends in homebuyer confidence. STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 3
  • 6. 2010–11: Natural disasters take their toll on sentiment After remaining stable throughout 2009-10 the Genworth HCI fell Queensland borrowers the worst affected 1.5% in early 2011 from 99.1 to 97.6. Despite Australia’s relatively Taking a closer look at borrower experiences in these affected areas, strong economic performance over the past few years, the the survey found one in three Queensland respondents (33%) were Genworth HCI has not reached the highs seen in 2007 and has now affected by natural disasters in some way, compared to the national seen two consecutive decreases since 2009. average of 14%. A further 16% of Victorian respondents stated they had been affected, compared to just 9% in New South Wales. While many major economic indicators including unemployment and GDP remain strong, official and lender interest rate rises in late Genworth hardship data also shows the disasters have hit 2010 placed further strain on many households. However, by far the Queensland hardest, with (at the time of printing this report) biggest contribution to the fall in confidence in early 2011 is the 91% of all disaster-related hardship applications coming from spate of recent natural disasters, most notably Cyclone Yasi, the Queenslanders. floods in Queensland, northern New South Wales and Victoria, as The incidence of natural disasters in the state has shaken well as bushfires in Western Australia. Queensland homebuyer confidence. One in four (25%) surveyed 106 106 Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index 104 104 102 102 Source: Genworth Financial 100 100 Genworth HCI 98 -0.3% 98 -1.5% 96 96 94 94 -7.7% +7.7% 92 92 90 90 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Survey Year 4 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 7. One in three Recent disasters Queensland respondents were …some 45% of affected households affected by natural disasters in are looking to take on more debt some way to aid their recovery feel negatively about the outlook for the property market over the in five (21%) believed they would be affected for more than six coming year, compared to the national average of 19%. Demand months, an indicator that there is a need for the industry to develop for property in flood and cyclone affected areas seems likely to longer-term hardship solutions beyond the standard three months drop, with 16% of those affected by the natural disasters planning offered by most lenders. to move to safer ground. Extensive media coverage of disasters is With workplaces, food costs, transportation and housing all also likely to affect tourism in and migration to these regions. affected by floods, many households are likely to face considerable The difference in sentiment in Queensland alone is such that if the strain. Some 45% of affected households are looking to take on Queensland data were excluded from the Genworth HCI, the Index more debt to aid their recovery. With property and job security in would have increased in 2011 to 99.9. This emphasises the extent some industries affected, many Queensland borrowers are likely to of the impact of recent natural disasters on the state’s residents. face even greater difficulties servicing their mortgage and any additional debt. As this survey was conducted in February 2011, While the immediate impact on confidence is stark, most of those more borrowers are likely to feel the effects of floods on their affected by recent natural disasters were fairly optimistic about their repayment abilities in the months to come. recovery, with 60% expecting to recover in two months or less. One 106 106 The Genworth HCI would look very different 104 104 without Queensland and Western Australia’s 102 102 fall in confidence 100 100 Genworth HCI Queensland and Western Australia have dampened 98 98 homebuyer sentiment in early 2011. The confidence index in Queensland fell to 94.8 in 2011, while 96 96 Western Australia was slightly higher at 95.6. 94 94 In the past, these two states have benefitted from the 92 92 mining boom but sluggish house price growth in 90 90 2011 and natural disasters have affected confidence. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Source: Genworth Financial Survey Year All data All (excluding Queensland) Queensland Western Australia STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 5
  • 8. Western Australia also suffers from falling sentiment of 3%. Queensland borrowers also struggled, with 5% having Looking at future expectations for property markets in the worst difficulties making repayments every month over the past year and disaster affected regions, Western Australia residents were the 21% having difficulty in some months, compared to the national most pessimistic about the property market in the coming year, average of 18%. closely followed by Queensland residents. This drop in homebuyer Significant affordability and repayment concerns, combined with sentiment is not unwarranted, with Queensland and Western continuing uncertainty about the mining tax and the aftermath of Australia being the only states to see house price declines in their recent flooding, bushfires and Cyclone Yasi means that Western capital cities in the December 2010 quarter, according to the Australia and Queensland housing market sentiment is likely to Housing Institute of Australia (HIA). continue to be subdued in 2011. Similarly, Western Australia and Queensland borrowers were more likely to be struggling with mortgage repayments, with 9% of Western Australia borrowers having difficulty making repayments every month over the past year, compared to the national average 100% 100% 6% 4% 2% 2% 3% 90% 14% 12% 90% 16% 21% 80% 23% 80% Do you feel positive or negative about how the Australian property market will perform 70% 32% 70% 36% over the next 12 months? 36% 60% 60% 31% 39% Western Australia and Queensland sentiment has 50% 50% been affected by falling prices and increases in arrears. Western Australia had the highest proportion 40% 40% of residents who felt negatively about the property 30% 43% 30% 37% 37% market, and Queensland had the lowest proportion 20% 33% 32% 20% who felt positively about it. Source:MortgageTrendsSurvey,analysisconducted by RFi 10% 10% 11% 11% 9% 6% 5% 0% 0% WA QLD NSW VIC Total Strongly negative Mildly negative Neutral Mildly positive Very positive 6 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 9. More are aware of Government relief than lender Generally, using a lender’s hardship solutions service was a positive hardship programs experience, with 61% satisfied with the service and only 22% As the extent of the damage in Queensland from the floods dissatisfied. While some borrowers questioned the long-term emerged, the state and federal governments announced financial impact of the relief many said it had helped them through and hardship assistance for those affected. Streets Ahead found a tough time. awareness of these government initiatives was high. Almost four Genworth has approved over 1000 hardship requests to those in five (78%) respondents nationwide, including 92% of people affected by natural disasters so far in 2011 (to mid-March), with whose homes had been damaged or destroyed by natural weather events behind a 70% increase in total hardship requests disasters, were aware of government relief programs. during this period (compared to the same period in 2010). The Many lenders and insurers augmented government initiatives by majority (91%) of these natural disaster-related requests were from providing their own measures to help affected borrowers. Borrower Queensland, with northern New South Wales and Victoria among awareness of these lender-provided hardship solutions was lower other affected areas. Almost all (96%) of the claims were due to at 39%, with 14% of those who were aware having used them in floods, rather than bushfires or Cyclone Yasi. the past. Those affected by the floods were more likely to be aware of lenders’ hardship solutions, with 46% aware of them and 18% having used them in the past. Western Australia and Queensland borrowers more likely to struggle to make mortgage payments every month at 9% and 5% compared to the national average of 3% STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 7
  • 10. Growing discomfort despite unchanged debt levels Mortgage stress up, but borrowers remain optimistic Turning back to trends across the nation, household debt levels did Though household debt levels have remained constant, the rising not change during the period, with 27% of respondents in both cost of living and the effects of natural disasters have led to a 2010 and 2011 surveys putting half or more of their monthly income greater degree of borrower stress with 21% of borrowers finding it to paying off debt. However, households have become more difficult to meet their mortgage repayments in the 2011 survey, up conservative about how much debt they are willing to take on, with from 15% in September 2010. This increased stress sees borrowers the proportion willing to borrow more than 80% of a property’s less willing to become more leveraged or invest in new property. value falling 10% from 39% to 29%. This suggests that other factors Unsurprisingly, Queensland and Western Australia residents were such as the rising cost of living are causing borrower concern. more likely to have experienced trouble making repayments, Queensland residents have a larger debt burden than other with Western Australia residents having the highest proportion Australians, with one in three using more than half their income to of borrowers who experienced trouble meeting repayments in service debt. Although the level of debt is increasing for every month. Queensland and Western Australia, these residents are only Despite past strain, borrowers remain fairly optimistic about their marginally less comfortable in borrowing larger amounts. ability to meet repayments over the coming year, perhaps due to the expectation interest rates will remain unchanged in the short-term. 1in3 Queensland Western Australia residents are using more than has the highest proportion of half their income to service debt borrowers experiencing trouble meeting repayments 8 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 11. 2011 a better time to buy a home Pushing up the Index was an increase in the proportion of respondents who believed now is a good time to buy a home (up from 25% to 38% in March 2011). This was the only positive movement in the Index over this six month period, and the only Households area in which Queensland and Western Australia residents were more optimistic than others. In fact, 40% of Queenslanders and are more conservative with fewer 49% of Western Australians believe now is a good time to buy choosing to borrow a home, compared to the national average of 38%. more than 80% of a property’s Despite value past strain, borrowers remain optimistic with an expectation that interest rates won’t rise 45% 45% 2010 2011 40% 40% Index factors—change 35% 35% ‘Good time to buy’ was the only index factor to see a positive change between the past two surveys, 30% 30% with household debt levels and expectation of 25% 25% mortgage stress remaining unchanged. The fall in 20% 20% the index was driven by an increase in experience of mortgage stress and decreased comfort with 15% 15% higher debt levels. 10% 10% Source: Mortgage Trends Survey, analysis conducted by RFi, 2010 survey conducted by UMR 5% 5% 0% 0% Over 50% Good time to Comfortable Experienced Expect difficulty of income to buy a home borrowing difficulty repaying service debt over 80% LVR repaying mortgage mortgage STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 9
  • 12. First homebuyers more confident overall but pessimistic But it’s not all good news for this segment. Nearly one in four (24%) about future expect to find it difficult to meet repayments over the next Overall, FHBs—those that have purchased their first home in the 12 months compared to the national average of 19%. This last 12 months or are looking to purchase their first home in the pessimism is largely fuelled by the threat of further rate rises, in next 12 months—are more confident than the average homebuyer. contrast to the average borrower who was most likely to be concerned by the rising cost of living. Interest rates are likely to be Despite concerns by some that FHBs may have entered the of greater concern to FHBs because they are more heavily geared, property market too early in order to take advantage of with one in three spending more than half their monthly income on government incentives offered during 2008 and 2009, Streets servicing debt, compared to the national average of 27%. Ahead finds indebted FHBs were slightly less likely to have experienced stress in the past year at 17% compared to the average Cost of living overtakes interest rate rises as top concern for of 21%. strugglers Nationally, the proportion of borrowers expecting to have difficulty FHBs are also more comfortable with higher debt levels. Almost meeting repayments over the coming year has held steady since two in five (38%) are comfortable taking on an LVR of more than 2010 at 19%. However, while interest rates have risen and are 80%, compared to the average of 29%. This is likely due to strong expected to rise further, more borrowers expecting to struggle to house price appreciation making high LVRs inevitable if FHBs are meet repayments cite the rising cost of living rather than rising rates to realise their dream of home ownership. as the key problem, at 66% compared to 51%. Future repayment difficulties Why will you find it difficult to meet your mortgage repayments in some/all months? The higher cost of living has overtaken interest 66% rate rises as the number one concern for those 61% 61% 2009 2010 2011 expecting to face problems meeting mortgage 48% 51% repayments. 26% 27% Source: Genworth Financial 24% 21% 18% 19% 20% 6% 7% Higher cost Interest Other debt Unemployment/ New job of living rate rises obligations Redundancy of with less pay (none in 2009) self/partner 10 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 13. First homebuyers Confidence are more confident than the should be returning among average homebuyer and are borrowers but natural disasters more comfortable with higher are likely to weigh on sentiment debt levels The higher cost of living is driven by factors including the higher Hardship expectations reflect reality; outlook continues cost of energy exacerbated by unrest in the Middle East, and to be subdued the rising food prices resulting from widespread flooding in For the first time since the Index began, Streets Ahead finds Queensland. Between September and December 2010 the expectations of hardship were almost in-step with actual greatest increase in the Consumer Price Index was on food, experiences in 2010–11, suggesting confidence should be increasing 2.2% over the quarter, which is likely to have a noticeable returning among borrowers. Indeed, at a national level homebuyer impact on all households and on consumer confidence generally. sentiment has been fairly strong and were it not for the Queensland Electricity and other utility prices are expected to increase further floods the Genworth HCI would have ticked up in early 2011. across the country, with utility prices having increased around However, the effects of the natural disasters are likely to be a $1000 a year in Western Australia, and privatisation expected to continuing weight on sentiment in the coming year with a further put upward pressure on energy prices in New South Wales. decline predicted in the second half of 2011. 30% 30% Expectation vs experience of hardship 25% 25% The proportion of mortgage holders who expected hardship in the 12 months following a survey are 20% 20% compared to the proportion who actually experienced hardship in the 12 months prior to the subsequent 15% 15% survey—effectively providing a comparison over the same period of time. 10% 10% Source: Genworth Financial Experience Expectation 5% 5% 0% 0% 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 11
  • 14. The lenders’ perspective The economic backdrop 2010 was a tough year for most lenders in the mortgage industry Unemployment continued to fall from its peak of 5.8% in August as the rising cost of funding and weaker consumer demand 2009, reaching 5.0% in December 2010. While unemployment and adversely affected the housing market. FHB demand was also interest rates have become less of a concern to borrowers, the weak following the withdrawal of government stimulus while rising costs of food, petrol and housing are placing a strain investor activity remained subdued. In early 2011, the focus for on households. growth has shifted to refinancers, with several larger players Meanwhile, interest rates rose 25 basis points in November 2010, investing in substantial advertising to attract customers from and many economists expect the RBA to leave rates unchanged their competitors. for the short-term while consumer sentiment and retail spending Lenders are now also re-entering the high LVR segment of the continue to be subdued. That being said, rate increases are market in a bid to grow their lending books. This trend was flagged predicted for mid to late 2011. The expected moderate interest by lenders in Genworth’s Home Grown: Mortgage Industry rate rises this year should contribute to a stabilisation in housing Perspectives report last November as a key strategy to gain market affordability. share and address continuing affordability concerns. Economic indicators* 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Economic Indicators Official cash rate 6.25% 7.25% 3.00% 4.50% 4.75% Sources: ABS, RBA, HIA, NYMEX Inflation 2.4% 4.5% 2.5% 3.1% 2.7% Unemployment 4.3% 4.3% 5.8% 5.1% 5.0% Oil prices per barrel US$ $66.30 $127.76 $67.73 $75.69 $96.97 HIA Housing Affordability Index 100.0 92.4 69.5 69.5 53.5 Average FHB loan $238,600 $243,100 $270,200 $283,300 $280,800 *As at June of each year, in 2011 figures are as at February 2011, or the most recent available at the time of writing 12 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 15. Flooding, fires, As the cost of Yet more of us cyclones, and moderating house living increases and interest believe now is a good time prices have weighed heavily rates rise, Australians have to buy a property on Queensland and Western become more conservative Australia’s residents in their borrowing Conclusion Conditions over 2010–11 have so far been mixed with positive During the past three months Genworth has helped over 1000 economic data undercut by the effects of several natural disasters, disaster-affected borrowers by working with lenders to offer particularly the Queensland flooding. This has resulted in hardship relief. However, all borrowers experiencing hardship need homebuyer confidence dipping slightly for the second consecutive to be encouraged to contact their lender as soon as difficulties period. Had it not been for these disasters, the Genworth HCI arise, as early action is essential to a fast recovery. would have increased in the March 2011 edition. For the rest of the country, expectations for a stable interest rate While flooding, cyclones and bushfires combined with moderating environment and soaring food and petrol prices has meant the house prices in Queensland and Western Australia weighed heavily rising cost of living now tops the list of consumer concerns. As a on residents in these states, their steely determination is reflected result, Australians are becoming more conservative in their in their optimism with most expecting to bounce back in two borrowing. This is despite more of us believing now is a good time months or less. The focus will be on managing additional debt to buy a property. burdens, with almost half of affected Queensland households First homebuyers have fared well despite the higher cost of living looking to take on more debt to aid their recovery. and rising interest rates. There was some concern this segment may It’s pleasing to see most of those affected are aware of government have over committed in the rush to take advantage of government support and of those aware of lender initiatives, most were happy incentives in 2008 and 2009. We will continue to watch this FHBs with the service. Still, more needs to be done to help the one in group closely as nearly one in four (24%) expect to face problems five expecting longer-term hardship as a result of natural disasters. in the year ahead. genworth.com.au/streetsahead STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 13
  • 16. About Genworth About RFi Genworth Financial (Genworth) is a leading provider of lenders RFi is a strategic research business that delivers research and mortgage insurance (LMI) in Australia and New Zealand. analysis by identifying and formulating projects within the arena In partnership with lenders, our aim is to make home ownership of retail finance. RFi’s business model is underpinned by B2B and more accessible to borrowers through provision of LMI solutions. B2C primary research, a factor which enables RFi to determine the key issues affecting any market. Working with close to 200 lenders, Genworth has built a reputation for its expertise in understanding the evolving mortgage market. For more information visit rfintelligence.com.au Our financial strength is underpinned by our A$3 billion investment portfolio, and our rich data gained through insuring mortgages for over 45 years. Our Hardship Solutions team was formed in 2006 and, in conjunction with lenders, has assisted over 18,000 (as at Q4 2010) borrowers to stay in their own homes. For more information visit genworth.com.au genworthaustralia Home Grown: Mortgage Industry Perspectives Home Grown, Genworth’s biannual report exploring borrower and would-be borrower sentiment. The November 2010 edition is now available. Find out more at genworth.com.au/homegrown 14 • STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011
  • 17. Disclaimer The report is based on survey results of over 13,000 adults and, while the information contained in this report is current as at the date of publication, it is subject to change without notice. Genworth is under no obligation to update the information or correct any inaccuracy which may become apparent at a later date. Permissions should be sought from Genworth for use of this report by third parties. Genworth does not take any responsibility for reliance on the information contained in this report, nor for its accuracy and completeness. STREETS AHEAD • GENWORTH HOMEBUYER CONFIDENCE INDEX, MARCH 2011 • 15
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  • 20. genworth.com.au/streetsahead Australia and New Zealand contacts: Head Office and New South Wales Level 26, 101 Miller Street North Sydney, NSW 2060 Phone: 1300 655 422 Victoria and Tasmania Level 3, 174 -176 Queen Street Melbourne, VIC 3000 Phone: 1300 655 528 Queensland Central Plaza 2 66 Eagle Street Brisbane, QLD 4000 Phone: 1300 652 864 South Australia and Northern Territory Suite 6, 79 Pennington Terrace North Adelaide, SA 5006 Phone: 1300 652 954 Western Australia Level 3, 77 St. George’s Terrace Perth, WA 6000 Phone: 1300 652 853 New Zealand Regus Plaza Level, AXA Building Suite 120, 41 Shortland Street Auckland, New Zealand Phone: 0800 601 702 Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Pty Limited ABN 60 106 974 305 • ® Registered Trade Mark of Genworth Financial, Inc. genworth.com.au genworthaustralia GHCI0311