Arabic version: مستثمرون من الولايات يستهدفون عوائد الإيجار في أليس سبرينغز

According to ABC News, interstate investors have been buying homes in Alice Springs to pursue high rental yields after the federal government removed negative gearing benefits. Real estate agents say buyers, particularly from Melbourne and Sydney, are purchasing properties quickly, including sight unseen.

First National Real Estate Alice Springs principal Eli Melky said investors were seeking houses priced between $400,000 and $500,000 and were buying within 24 hours of listings appearing. He said his business had sold about 25 houses in the previous month, compared with a prior record of five houses per month, describing sales figures as “astronomical”.

Marion Burton of Marion Burton Real Estate estimated interstate investors had bought about 40 to 50 homes in the first quarter of the financial year and expected the figure could reach closer to 100. She said demand remained extremely strong and had encouraged some local owners to put their homes on the market.

The average weekly rent for a three-bedroom Alice Springs home is $650, up 31 per cent from 10 years ago, while the rental vacancy rate is 1.4 per cent. Mr Melky said limited housing stock, insufficient land for construction and high building costs were driving demand for rentals. NT Shelter chief executive Annie Taylor said changing ownership of a finite housing supply would not increase the overall stock, calling for enough housing at an affordable price.

Ms Burton said investor purchases could allow sitting tenants to remain in their homes because properties would continue as rentals. However, she and Mr Melky said local first home buyers could lose out when competing with experienced investors who already have finance in place.