Tax overhaul sparks fierce clash between investors and first-home buyers

Property wars: Investors clash with first-home buyers for new builds A property turf war has erupted as seasoned investors and desperate first-home buyers clash over low-cost new builds, with investors pumping a massive $1.92 billion into new housing in just three months. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data reveals investor loans for the construction of new Queensland dwellings hit an all-time high of 1,877 in the June 2026 quarter following the Albanese government’s controversial tax overhaul. The state’s swift shift to new builds was confirmed by latest broker data. Loan Market figures show overall Queensland investor applications plunged 31.8 per cent between March and July. But the share of investors targeting new dwellings spiked to a record 5.42 per cent in May, with outer growth hubs like Toowoomba, Ipswich, Coomera, and Caloundra West taking the highest volume of applications. New townhouses selling in Marrambi Estate, Kallangur Combined, the data shows sweeping federal budget reforms have driven property investors straight into competition with first-timers for off-the-plan townhouses and units, and suburban house-and-land packages. To claim Queensland’s $30,000 Fir...