The author has been described by News Ltd as an "iconoclast", "Svengali", a pollie's "economist muse", and "pungently accurate". Fairfax says he is a "Renaissance man" and "one of Australia’s most respected analysts." Stephen Koukoulas concludes that he is "85% right", and "would make a great Opposition leader." Terry McCrann claims the author thinks "‘nuance’ is a trendy village in the south of France", but can be "scintillating" when he thinks "clearly". The ACTU reckons he’s "an enigma wrapped in a Bloomberg terminal, wrapped in some apparently well-honed abs."

Friday, February 3, 2012

40% increase in AFG's mortgage volumes in January

From AFG:

Mortgage sales for January were much higher than in the same month last year, when floods in Queensland, and other natural disasters impacted sales, according to AFG, Australia’s largest mortgage broker. AFG Mortgage Index shows that overall national mortgage sales increased by 40% this January, compared to last, marking a return to more normal trading levels. Sales in Queensland were up 80.6% and in South Australia 84.5%, with other states showing significant uplifts compared to January 2010 – WA (+ 37.4%), Vic (+25%), NSW (+14.5%). January also saw WA take over from NSW as the most popular state for First Home Buyers. Almost one in five new mortgages (19.1%) in WA was arranged for First Home Buyers compared to 14.0% in NSW. Through the second half of last year, NSW led the country as the most active First Home Buyers market. However NSW retains its position as the most popular state for investment, with 40.2% of loans there arranged for investment purposes, compared to 36.8% in Victoria, 34.9% in Queensland, 32.6% in Western Australia and 32.0% in South Australia.
at 5:52 AM