Property sales rise – time to seek your first home loan?

Deciding when is a good time to get onto the property ladder isn't always simple. There are all sorts of factors to think about, including if you have enough of a deposit built up to whether there's a property that is suited to your needs.

However, now could be the ideal opportunity to think about applying for your first home loan. Sales are picking up all over the country and as a result, it's possible property prices might soon rise as well.

RP Data Research Analyst Cameron Kusher explained: "If demand is greater and more homes are selling, the likelihood is that values will rise."

"Alternatively, if fewer buyers are active in the market selling conditions become tougher and values fall."

Figures from the group show that at times when home sales dip below 80,000 across the nation's capitals on a quarterly basis, values tend to rise by less than 2 per cent.

It's not until quarterly sales fall to around 70,000 that values will start declining more considerably.

Details of the May RP Data-Rismark Home Value Index were released earlier in the week and showed capital city home values declined 1.9 per cent last month.

RP Data believes this is likely to be the result of seasonal factors, but could nevertheless signal that some changes are about to emerge in the wider market.

It's possible that the second half of the year will see a rebound in sales and values, or that volumes and value growth will start to moderate in the near future.

"While as yet we don't know the answer to this question, we do know is that last year values rose by 3 per cent over the first six months of 2013 followed by a 6.6 per cent capital gain over the second half," noted Mr Kusher.