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						<title><![CDATA[Negotiator Finance - Blogs]]></title>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - November 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/17/Interest-Rates-News---November-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Good news this month &#8211; another interest rate drop of 0.75%.
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The Australian Federal Government has announced that it will guarantee deposits up to $1 million, at no charge, for a period of three years commencing from Sunday 12 October 2008. This includes all retail and wholesale deposits and applies to deposits in any currency.&#160;The guarantee applies to deposits held by banks for all types of customers, including individuals (and joint accounts), partnerships, businesses, trusts and government entities.&#160; 
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What this means is that if any financial institution was to fail, then its customers would be able to access any monies held in deposit by that financial institution. Everyone should take comfort in the fact that financial institutions in Australia are highly regulated, and the deposits of consumers are now 100% guaranteed by the Government. In addition, the regulator, (APRA) regularly reviews and stress tests the financial position of banks.&#160;
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Due to the global financial situation, banks are being much tighter and stricter with credit policy when it comes to lending. 
However, with two recent interest rate cuts and continuing uncertainty in the share market, now is a good time to look for opportunities in the property market.
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Which ever way you look at the Australian residential property market, the long-term fundamentals are still there.&#160; With strong immigration levels and a rising birth rate as major contributors, Australia&#8217;s population continues to rise and&#160; there are not enough homes to go around. 
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Rental vacancy rates are at, or around the lowest on record, so for investors looking for good returns with long term capital growth potential, property continues to offer great opportunities. Add to this the governments increase to the First Home Owners grant and we see potential for more activity in the housing market over the coming months.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - October 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/16/Interest-Rates-News---October-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
A lot has taken place over these last few weeks - American banks falling over, stock market roller coaster rides all over the world and doom and gloom every time we open a newspaper or listen to the news. I think we need to put what is happening in the world economies into perspective. The Reserve Bank have met this month and decided to reduce interest rates by&#160;a full 1%.&#160;&#160;Lenders will decide how much of this reduction they will pass on but competition is a great leveller between the lenders and even if they don't immediately pass all of it on, we will see some reduction and when things stabilize a little we could see more.
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Housing prices in Perth have declined by 3.14 per cent in the June quarter and risen by just 2.9 per cent over the last financial year. Prices have declined following phenomenal growth which has seen Perth experience an average gain of 13.8 per cent over the last 10 years.&#160;However, the&#160;Western Australian economy continues to surge ahead and this should ensure that the housing market remains relatively stable. The rental demand for residential properties remains strong.
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The market is poised to take off again on the back of cuts to interest rates and stamp duty. Now is an ideal time for investors to accumulate more properties in the market. Just remember, during panic is where wealth exchanges hands&#160; and you can set yourself up to reap the rewards when the market takes off in the near future. I always position myself for success in the future so I buy property and hold on for the long term.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - September 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/15/Interest-Rates-News---September-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Another month, another reserve bank meeting. The Reserve Bank has cut interest rates for the first time in almost seven years. This time they have decided to drop interest rates by 0.25%. Hopefully the lenders will pass this on to all of you with variable loans as quickly as they increased them in the past. It looks as though we may now be entering a falling rate cycle for a little while, lets hope it continues for some time.
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Everyone knows the property market goes through cycles - I personally believe that there is more money to be made purchasing in a flat market&#160; than there is in a peak market. Being able to identify the market's current position in the property cycle allows you to strategise more effectively. Remember to always position yourself for success. As you all know, I buy and hold for the long term.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - August 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/14/Interest-Rates-News---August-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[The Reserve Bank have decided to leave rates on hold this month, however they have given the strongest indication that they may consider moving rates downward soon. Many economic forecasters are also predicting a drop in interest rates in the coming months. It is starting to look like we have reached the peak of this cycle. Let's hope this is the case and rates drop soon.You would have also noticed that there has been no shortage of doom and gloom in the media regarding the state of the property market. Most investors however, view property as part of a long-term investment strategy. Even many young investors view their properties as part of their nest egg. So the short-term ups and downs of the property market should be of no concern. I always say &#34;When everyone is running for the hills, it's time to be accumulating property&#34;.In Perth, a strong economic environment continues to maintain house prices. Prices have increased by 3.8 per cent in the March quarter according to Residex despite the fact that prices were expected to decline following phenomenal growth in recent years. Employment opportunities in Western Australia have seen an increase in population of around 40,000 per annum and a lack of supply in the rental market has seen demand for rental properties remain firm. This is great news for property investors.Till next month, keep well and if any of your friends or family need help with education or finance, feel free to call me anytime.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - July 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/12/Interest-Rates-News---July-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
The Reserve Bank of Australia has decided to leave interest rates on hold this month giving homeowners some relief on mortgage payments, although lenders have been raising rates outside the official RBA moves and this I think is where the risk will remain for the immediate future. 
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After eight interest rate rises in three years, the central bank is hoping that slowing economic growth will cool inflation.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - June 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/11/Interest-Rates-News---June-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Home owners will be relieved this month as the RBA has decided to keep rates on hold as economic growth slows. The central bank is hoping that a slowing economy can cool inflation, rather than more interest rate rises. 
Don&#8217;t forget, this is the time where you should have your tax variation for the next financial year done, if you have investment properties. ]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - May 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/10/Interest-Rates-News---May-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Another month of relief, with the Reserve Bank deciding to leave rates on hold. 
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While there has still been some pressure on rates as inflation has continued to grow at higher than expected rates, the reserve believes the past rate increases are starting to have the desired effect and slow consumer spending, so they are taking a view of &#8216;Wait and See&#8217;. Hopefully we have seen the last of rises for some time but as always there are no guarantees and it is still possible we will see another rise yet. 
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It will be some time however, before rates start to drop and the general consensus is that it will be 12 to 18 months before this could possibly happen.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - April 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/9/Interest-Rates-News---April-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
Finally, a reprieve this month from rising interest rates. The reserve bank has decided to leave official interest rates on hold after their meeting this month. However, May is still the biggest hurdle to get over and if they are going to rise again in the short term the most likely time will be May, as some key economic data is due out early that month. 
Let us hope though that they will remain stable and that maybe we have seen the worst of it.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - March 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/8/Interest-Rates-News---March-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
The reserve bank met again and has put interest rates up another quarter of a percent. Likely we will get one or 2 more rises and HOPEFULLY that will be it.
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As always, if you would like to discuss anything please don&#8217;t hesitate to contact me.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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					  <title><![CDATA[Interest Rates News - February 2008]]></title>
					  <link>http://www.negotiator.com.au/blogs/7/Interest-Rates-News---February-2008.html</link>
					  <description><![CDATA[
As you may well have already heard the Reserve Bank met and decided to lift interest rates by a quarter of one percent (.25%). While this was expected it still is never pleasant. General consensus between most reputable economic forecasters and Journalists seems to be that we will have one more rate rise this year. Are they guessing? Who knows, but we can only listen to the experts for our guidance.
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Always keep things in perspective and remember, bad news sells more papers than good news, so if a negative twist can be put on anything they often will. 
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The Western Australian economy continues to boom. After massive house price growth over 2005 to 2006, prices are now consolidating. Economic conditions are expected to remain favourable.]]></description>
					  <author>Gregg Mountford</author>
					  <pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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