BRW --- Page: 12 : 12 April 2007 Original article by Chris Larsen
ABIX Summary
A survey in Australia has found that high prices are deterring people from buying houses. Terry Ryder conducted an online poll and found that 28% of those surveyed believe that high buying costs such as stamp duty are the biggest worries. Just 9% of those surveyed said that interest rates were their biggest concern. Ryder says the key issue is lack of affordability and he wants something done about it. Ryder notes that stamp duty adds to the cost of buying a house and is a big deterrent. Ryder says that politicians at all levels of government are ignoring the issue of housing affordability and are engaging in "cheap political point-scoring". Experts have called for an end to stamp duty on house purchases.
