28/01/2026
More investors are stepping back into the market – and the data shows it’s a big shift.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the value of investor loan commitments jumped 17.6% in the September 2025 quarter, and was 18.7% higher than a year earlier.
Investors now account for 40.6% of the value of all new loan commitments, the highest share since 2016. That tells us investor confidence is building, even as affordability pressures remain.
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If you’re shopping in the ‘affordable’ bracket, competition may be getting tougher, not easier.
Since the federal government expanded the 5% Deposit Scheme in October 2025, Cotality analysis shows homes under the scheme’s price caps have generally outperformed homes above them. In the December quarter, median prices rose 3.6% under the cap versus 2.4% above the cap.
Smart investing in 2026 may be less about pushing limits and more about keeping your lending options flexible.
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A few trends are already shaping how investors approach the year ahead:
• Tighter lending for bigger loans. From February, banks must limit how many higher debt-to-income loans they write, which may reduce borrowing power for some investors and make outcomes vary more from lender to lender.
• Rates still matter – even between Reserve Bank meetings. Lenders can change pricing and serviceability settings independently, which can affect your borrowing capacity and your cash flow.
• More investors are using alternative pathways. Self-managed super fund investing and rentvesting are staying popular for people balancing lifestyle choices with longer-term wealth building.
With rules and lender settings moving around, the difference often comes down to which lender you use and how the loan is set up – repayment type, offset strategy, buffers and making sure today’s choice doesn’t block tomorrow’s plans.
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If you have any questions in the above DM me and we can book a chat!
Contact JSB Financial or Illawarra Home Loans today:
• 🏡 Illawarra Home Loans- 🏡02 4226 5555
• 💼JSB Financial – 💼 02 4226 4666