Australian Property Unpacked

For a top-bracket investor buying a $1m established property after 12 May 2026, the new rules mean about $70,000 less the bank will lend, or 7% off the purchase budget.

The direction was already turning before 12 May. Capitals fell 0.01% over the past 28 days while regionals are up 0.7%. The split between cities and regions is the bigger story.

Already-owned investments keep the old rules. For new buys of established property, the investment criteria tightens: yield now matters as much as growth potential.

The cash rate alone tells you very little about Australian property prices.