| By :
Nadine Davis
Copyright (c) 2010 Nadine Davis Considering the major problems that the real estate markets in the U.S. and elsewhere have had to contend with recently, it seems odd that Australia hasn't had as many issues. There are several reasons why the global recession hasn't hit Australia nearly as hard; you can find out a few of them by reading on below. Stricter Property Lending Rules: Compared with many countries, especially the United States - Australia has fairly strict property lending rules. As most buyers agents can attest, getting approved for a mortgage in Australia is no easy feat. Concurrently, if you want to buy a home here in Australia, it's not like you have to be abundant in cash either; you simply have to clearly demonstrate your ability to pay for a mortgage. One of the biggest factors that precipitated the huge housing crisis in countries like the U.S. was lax lending rules. Amazingly, several banking corporations and financial lenders actually lessened their required criteria for homeloans to the point where an individual could basically sign written statements in explanation of their income with no actual proof - without providing any additional documentation. Needless to say, this meant that many sorely under-qualified people were getting approved for mortgages. As more and more people defaulted on their mortgages, the crisis began in earnest. In Australia, these lax lending rules didn't really crop up, so the problem never intensified to the same degree. Several other factors have helped Australia weather the global recession quite well. They include: Banks Working with Customers - In Australia, most banks try to work with their customers in order to help them avoid repossessions. Unlike in the US, where several thousands of people lost their homes, Australians are largely staying in theirs. This helps mitigate the effects of the global recession. Lots of Space - If there's one thing that Australia has in abundance, it's space. One of the precipitating factors of the mortgage crisis in the U.S. was rapid escalations in housing prices. This was brought on by housing shortages, in many cases due to a lack of space. There's plenty of room in Australia, so housing shortages aren't as likely. Employment - Although unemployment rates have been rising in Australia of late, they've been mitigated a little by labour shortages in the mines. This has helped to cushion the blow, which is important since when people don't have jobs, they can't buy or afford homes. Ask any buyers agent, and they'll tell you that the property market in Australia is more complex than this article makes it seem. Many factors go into its success or failure; for the time being, all looks quite well.
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