RP Data-Rismark December Hedonic Daily Home Value Index Results

Capital city home values fall over consecutive years, down -3.8% in 2011 and -0.4% in 2012.  With capital city dwelling values falling by -0.3% over the month of December, home values recorded an aggregate decline of -0.4% over the 2012 calendar year.
Highlights over the quarter:

• Best performing capital city: Darwin +2.5 per cent
• Weakest performing capital city: Hobart, -3.7 per cent
• Highest rental yields: Darwin houses with gross rental yield of 6.1 per cent and Darwin Units at 5.9 per cent
• Lowest rental yields: Melbourne houses with gross rental yields of 3.6 per cent and Melbourne units at 4.4 per cent
• Most expensive city: Sydney with a median dwelling price of $580,246
• Most affordable city: Hobart with a median dwelling price of $317,500

According to RP Data Senior Research Analyst, Cameron Kusher, we have now seen two successive years of annual value declines, however the annual rate of declines has improved substantially compared to last year.

“Home values in Brisbane, Perth and Hobart remain below where they were five years ago, whereas the other mainland cities have all recorded significantly lower rates of growth in home values over the past five years than they did over the preceding five year period."

Brisbane apartment prices (to 31 December 2012):
December 2012 - down 2.8%
Quarter - down 0.9%
Year to Date - down 3.5%
Year on Year - down 3.5%
Median price based on settled sales of Brisbane apartments over the quarter - $363,000.