Mortgage sweet spots: Suburbs where repayments cost less than $670 a week

The radical overhaul to property tax introduced in this year's federal budget has turned the housing market on its head, creating a new sweet spot for those weighing up renting against home ownership.Controversial changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax will come into play from next July – a move the government hopes will give first-home buyers a better chance to compete with investors and switch renting for home ownership.Levelling out the play field to give more Aussies a slice of the property pie has come at a cost, however. Investors demand for established properties has dropped off in recent months, tightening supply and driving up rent prices nation-wide.Australia’s median rent hit a record high in June of $670 per week, realestate.com.au data shows. This is led by capital cities where the median rent is $690, while rent in the regions is sitting at $600.While rent has increased 6.4% over the past year, the value of the housing market is just 3.9% more than it was in July 2025, opening a new door for prospective buyers.Tax changes combined with inflationary complications from the Iran War have seen home prices fall for four straight months, the realestate.com.au Hom...