Soaring home prices are now so far outstripping wage growth that a single person in Brisbane needs at least 28 years to afford a house on their own, according to stunning new data.

The escalating national crisis is worst in Queensland, where the time needed to save for a 20 per cent house deposit has surged by up to six years in just 12 months — a jump exceeding any other capital city and up to three times the national average, depending on salary.

Financial comparison website Finder has found even the best careers in Australia will typically mean an individual now needs nearly three decades to save for a standard house deposit, or a minimum of 18 years for a unit.

Engineering, dentistry and computing and information systems were the top three jobs for affording a house in 2025, while those in creative arts would need a whopping 47 years to afford that same deposit.

Finder’s head of consumer research Graham Cooke said he found the statistics “shocking”, and that prices were often climbing faster than wages could increase.

“People think [interest] rates are the be all and end all and we hear so much about prices,” he said, “but what’s less discussed is the deposit.”

“People don’t realise just how long it now takes to save a deposit to get on the bottom rung of the property ladder. That bottom rung is just getting higher and higher.”

Finder’s analysis simulated the expenses of an average Aussie school leaver saving 22 per cent of their disposable income, while living out of home and renting in shared accommodation.

The study factored in university degrees, trade apprenticeships and median graduate incomes, along with annual wage growth of 3 per cent after the first five years.

On average, Brisbane homebuyers buying on their own would need to save for 35 years to get into the housing market, and 21 years to afford a unit.

Finder’s research found Brisbane sat in the typical “affordability range” for the country. By comparison, house prices in Sydney are so high that the model stopped measuring after 52 years.

While creative arts workers would need the most time to afford a house, renters working in communications or as a sign-writer, painter or glazer would also need more than 40 years to afford a typical house deposit.

If a single renter wants to afford a home the fastest, they would need to work for 18 years in IT, engineering, dentistry or as a roof tiler – at which point they could afford a deposit for a Brisbane unit.

Medicine is the only other professional field where a single Brisbane worker could afford a home in less than 20 years.

The majority of homeowners are still purchasing with a partner, but Mr Cooke said the statistics were “scary” for those who didn’t have that option.

“In our more expensive cities it will be difficult for nearly every career professional, apart from a few higher paid jobs like dentists,” Mr Cooke said.

Mr Cooke said the introduction of the First Home Guarantee Scheme, allowing 5 per cent deposits for first home buyers without lender’s mortgage insurance, might not do much against the rising wage concerns.

“You could get help with the deposit but you are borrowing more. You could be in a worse position,” he said.

Mr Cooke added he had seen rental stress grow higher than mortgage stress, making it harder for renters to save while dealing with cost of living expenses.

“Landlords were pretty quick to increase their rents as their mortgages went up, but they won’t be as quick to decrease as their mortgages get cheaper,” he said. “It’s getting harder for non-property owners.”

“Overall the best thing the government can do, an we’re seeing this from economists as well, is increase housing supply.”

Research gathered by HR recruitment company Employment Hero found 1 in 3 Aussies were now holding multiple jobs to handle their living expenses, with that number up to 56 per cent among 18-24 year-olds.

CEO and founder Ben Thompson said the problem was only growing deeper, with owning a home now out of reach for many working Aussies.

“For many, extra work is the only way to keep long-term goals like home ownership alive,” he said.

“Housing affordability is almost certainly a big driver [of work], but it’s not the only one. Everyday costs – rent, groceries, transport – are eating into paychecks, leaving one income stretched to cover life’s basics.”

Despite soaring house prices, the report found Queensland still lead the way in terms of job growth, having seen year-on-year increases between 5.8 and 8 per cent.

“There are a number of contributing factors here,” Mr Thompson said, “one being Queensland’s diverse economy, spanning resources, tourism and hospitality, all of which are strong employers.”

“Jobs are following the people, and people are following the jobs.”

Mr Cooke said while all careers now have a high threshold to afford a solo deposit, blue collar workers could save while taking apprenticeships and had better protections against Artificial Intelligence.

“We are already seeing headlines about banks letting go of customer staff and replacing them with AI,” he said. “It’s particularly concerning for those who don’t yet have a career and are coming out of uni.”

Creative fields, data analysis and journalism were among the fields Mr Cooke named as under threat by rising AI integration within businesses.

“All of those careers are going to face significant challenges,” he said. “Nobody quote knows what the impact of that might be.”

“Trades on the other hand pay pretty well. You get four years of pay for an apprenticeship and some trade skills could be far more valuable in the long-term … you can’t get AI to fix your toilet.”

The post 28 years later: Grim reality for single house hunters revealed appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Melbourne singles need more than 15 years to save a deposit for their first home, shock new analysis has revealed.

Finder data shows nurses, teachers and junior lawyers are among those locked out if they’re trying to buy alone, while tradies are leapfrogging them into the market thanks to early wages and job security.

The federal government’s expanded First Home Guarantee, which came into effect this week, now lets more buyers enter with a deposit as low as 5 per cent and avoid costly mortgage insurance.
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Salary caps have been scrapped and price limits raised to help more people break in.

But experts warn the scheme will fuel competition in Melbourne’s sub-$950,000 bracket, the entry level already under siege.

Finder head of consumer research Graham Cooke said the deposit had become the real killer.

“People think interest rates are the be-all and end-all, but the deposit is the problem,” Mr Cooke said.

“Prices are rising faster than wages and that bottom rung is just getting higher and higher.”

Mr Cooke said it was shocking how long it now takes to climb onto the ladder.

“You have to have a pretty decent income to buy as a single earner,” he said.
“It’s scary how far out of reach the market has become.”

The Finder expert warned Melbourne’s white-collar workforce faced an extra threat.

“People starting their careers are right to be concerned about the impact of AI on employment,” he said.
“Entry-level positions are the most at risk, particularly in creative and white-collar fields.
“On the other hand, you can’t get AI to fix your toilet. Trades still pay well and offer more security.”

Mr Cooke added that saving alone may not be enough.

“Combining a high-interest savings account with exchange traded funds (ETFs) can accelerate the journey,” he said.
“Rentvesting is another option, rent where you want to live, and have a tenant help pay your mortgage somewhere else.”

Though rentvesting is not an option for buyers accessing the home guarantee scheme.

Whitefox Stonnington sales director Michael Fava said the guarantee would “lift the threshold slightly” but add more pressure on cheaper listings.

“Buyers won’t need to wait as long to scrape together a bigger deposit, which means they can move sooner,” Mr Fava said.
“But it also adds pressure at the affordable end of the market.

“In many cases, mortgage repayments are actually less than what people are paying in rent, it’s not the ability to service the loan, it’s simply getting that cash deposit together.”

Mr Fava said couples pooling incomes had the advantage.

“Two salaries give you more firepower,” Mr Fava said.
“Singles cap out closer to $600,000, the dream of the quarter-acre block is still there, but many are happy to trade the backyard for the buzz of being close to cafes, shops and entertainment.
“Chapel St, coffee culture, live sport, lifestyle trumps square footage.”

Mr Fava said today’s buyers were arriving more prepared than ever.

“Five or 10 years ago we had to do all the guiding,” he said.
“Now they walk in with pre-approvals, spreadsheets and a clear sense of budget.

“But even with more knowledge, the reality is still tough — singles are at a disadvantage, and two incomes will always give couples the edge.”

He urged buyers to focus on clarity.

“Get crystal clear on your non-negotiables. Once you know that list, you can be flexible on the rest,” Mr Fava said.
“Too many first-home buyers get overwhelmed because they’re trying to tick every single box — and that’s just not realistic.”

Ni Advocacy director Kevin Ni said single buyers could still purchase, but the compromises were brutal.

“If you’re close to the CBD, you’re realistically limited to an apartment or a small unit,” Mr Ni said.
“For house-and-land, you’ve got to push right out into the outer suburbs. That’s the trade-off – distance versus dwelling type.”

Mr Ni said many of his clients were leaning on parents to make it possible.

“A lot of young professionals want to stay in the suburbs they grew up in, he said.

“Parents want them close too. But in reality, many are priced out unless Mum and Dad chip in with the deposit,” Mr Ni said.

Buyers were more likely to compromise on the product than the postcode, he said.

“Many are squeezing into smaller apartments – shoebox living, if you like – just to stay close to the city and enjoy that lifestyle,” he said.

“Don’t chase unicorns. You can’t expect a home to tick 10 out of 10 boxes on a first-home budget.
“Be clear on your must-haves and your deal breakers. Success comes from compromise and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll be holding the keys.”

Fastest to save — House (Melbourne)

Dentistry — 26 years

Computing & information systems — 26

Engineering — 26

Medicine — 27

Roof tiler — 29

Law & paralegal studies — 29

Business & management — 30

Rehabilitation — 30

Pharmacy — 30

Architecture & built environment — 30

Source: Finder, The figures were calculated by dividing a 20 per cent, Melbourne median house deposit by the annual savings capacity of each career, based on average incomes and a standard savings rate.

Slowest to save — House (Melbourne)

Creative arts — 42 years

Signwriter / painter / glazer — 41

Communications — 37

Nursing — 36

Veterinary science — 34

Psychology — 34

Bricklayer — 34

Plasterer — 34

Teacher education — 33

Plumber — 33

Source: Finder, The figures were calculated by dividing a 20 per cent, Melbourne median house deposit by the annual savings capacity of each career, based on average incomes and a standard savings rate.

Fastest to save — Unit (Melbourne)

Roof tiler — 14 years

Dentistry — 15

Computing & information systems — 15

Engineering — 15

Medicine — 16

Bricklayer — 16

Plasterer — 16

Plumber — 16

Carpenter/joiner/stonemason/tilelayer — 16

Law & paralegal studies — 17

Source: Finder, The figures were calculated by dividing a 20 per cent, Melbourne median house deposit by the annual savings capacity of each career, based on average incomes and a standard savings rate.

Slowest to save — Unit (Melbourne)

Creative arts — 23 years

Communications — 21

Nursing — 19

Signwriter / painter / glazer — 19

Psychology — 19

Science & mathematics — 18

Humanities/culture/social sciences — 18

Agriculture & environmental studies — 18

Social work — 18

Teacher education — 18

Source: Finder, The figures were calculated by dividing a 20 per cent, Melbourne median house deposit by the annual savings capacity of each career, based on average incomes and a standard savings rate.

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The post Melbourne deposit hell: Why singles can’t buy homes appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Nurses, teachers, vets and bricklayers must spend over half a century saving to buy a Sydney property, according to new research from Finder.com.au.

The data found it can take as long as 52 years for a single buyer in these professions to put down a 20 per cent deposit on a median Sydney property valued at $1.6m.

Social workers, psychologists and plumbers were also in the 52 year club, while dentists and engineers could take as long as 42 years.

Finder.com.au head of research Graham Cooke said it was “shocking” how long it would take to save a 20 per cent deposit following recent property price hikes.

He noted that prices were climbing in most areas at a faster rate than wages, with prospective homebuyers struggling to keep up.

“People think rates are the be all and end all and we hear so much about prices but what’s less discussed is the deposit,” Mr Cooke said.

“People don’t realise just how long it now takes to save a deposit to get on the bottom rung of the property ladder.

“That bottom rung is just getting higher and higher.”

Mr Cooke said the findings showed blue collar workers were in the best position when it came to buying a home.

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Tradies’ apprenticeship pay meant they could start saving faster than white collar workers who often only started to get an income above minimum wage after finishing university, he said.

Mr Cooke also said the findings showed how long it would take a single income earner to save a deposit and noted that while this did not reflect the reality of most buyers, it was “scary” just how out of reach the market had become for singles.

“You have to have a pretty decent amount of income to buy as a single earner,” he said.

Mr Cooke was doubtful that the federal government’s expansion of the First Home Guarantee Scheme would radically improve market accessibility for new buyers.

When it was announced back in August, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the expansion was focused on “Getting more Australians into their own home quicker, while saving them money along the way.”

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While the scheme now allows first-home buyers to purchase with deposits of five per cent, Mr Cooke said this could actually put buyers in a worse position financially.

“You could get help with the deposit but you are borrowing more,” he said.

Your Future Strategy managing director Gareth Croy echoed this, saying the scheme was drawing first home buyers into “really large mortgages”.

“After that, there’s no more borrowing capacity,” he said.

“Once they’ve got their home, they’re unlikely to be able to then start reinvesting as well.”

Common properties attracting interest from first home buyers include four-bedroom, two-bathroom houses in the outer west, and inner west terraces.

Recent sales suggest these types of properties sell for in-and-around Sydney’s new median house price of $1.602m.

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Mr Croy said the danger of the scheme was creating more demand than the market could handle.

“If there’s a shortage of property, then it’s invariably going to have an impact on the increase of property prices, as opposed to getting more people into properties,” he said.

SINGLE MUM’S BIG PROPERTY MOVE

This is why single mum Kate Heussler chose to buy before the scheme came into effect, aiming to avoid price hikes and a massive mortgage.

Ms Heussler said she realised her first home loan was going to get even larger if she did not buy when she did.

“Even though I could have been loaned more, I didn’t want to be a first homeowner dealing with a million dollar loan,” she said.

“If I didn’t get something then, I was going to be priced out for another five years.”

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Ms Heussler saved up for the best part of a decade while raising her daughter, before buying her one-bedroom unit in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

She said “everything changed” when she started educating herself on budgeting and investing.

“Everything I earned, I prioritised into the bare essentials like rent and groceries and childcare,” she said.

“I rented a very tiny apartment that was affordable.

“So, I was happy to live below my means for a significant portion of 10 years, and that’s how I got to where I am today.”

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Ms Heussler recalled it being a difficult journey getting into Sydney’s highly competitive property market.

“I had to completely park my ego and recognise that I can’t compete with a dual income,” she said.

“I can’t compete with parents who are supporting their kids or buying it on their behalf and I can’t compete with generational wealth, which is what I saw at every open home.”

She said she had to “stick it out” when times got tough.

“After two months of just making offers and having them fall through simply because someone came in with a much higher offer, I was starting to feel a bit deflated,” she said.

“But soon I found somewhere in the right place at the right time and here we are.”

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CAREERS THAT COST A HOME

Source: Finder.com.au.

The post Everything changed’: Single Sydney mum’s homebuying epiphany appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A homeowner’s delayed roof repair turned into a startling wildlife encounter when two large carpet pythons, weighing a combined 20kg, crashed through the ceiling of his Russell Island property, off the coast of Brisbane.

The dramatic incident highlights the risks of leaving cyclone-damaged homes unrepaired in Australia’s wildlife-rich regions.

According to Yahoo News, the man, in his 80s, was jolted awake by a loud thud in late September.

Upon investigation, he discovered the two snakes locked in combat on his kitchen floor.

The reptiles, believed to have entered through a hole in the roof caused by Category 2 Cyclone Alfred six months ago, showed no signs of backing down.

Despite his best efforts, the homeowner had struggled to secure a tradesperson to fix the minor damage, a delay that had now led to a major disruption.

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Reptile rescuer Trish Harris was called to the home after a tip-off from emergency services. She found the man was standing outside, well away from the commotion in his kitchen.

Standing just 155cm tall and weighing 56kg, Trish faced the daunting task of removing the massive snakes, one of which she estimated to be over two metres long and thicker than her leg.

She later captured the two snakes fighting on the kitchen floor.

“I came around the corner and two massive snakes were tangled and fighting it out,” she told Yahoo News.

“They didn’t want to play ball. There was no chance in hell I was going to be able to successfully lift him if he decided to wrap around me.

“The floors were very smooth timber, so there was no issue of him getting hurt if I dragged him. So I just grabbed him by the back half and pulled him out.

“But he decided to try and latch onto everything he possibly could – door jams, bags, the rubbish bin, he sent things flying.”

Both snakes were eventually released into nearby bushland, unharmed.

The incident underscores the importance of timely home repairs, particularly in areas prone to wildlife encounters.

Cyclone-damaged homes can create entry points for snakes and other animals, especially during warmer months when snake activity peaks.

Snake season is now also in full swing and typically runs from September to April.

Experts advise leaving snakes alone unless they are inside your home or in immediate danger.

Most snake bites occur when individuals attempt to move or attack the animals.

All native snakes are protected under Australian law, and harming them is an offence.

The story was originally published by Yahoo News Australia.

The post Russell Island man’s cyclone damage leads to 20kg python encounter appeared first on realestate.com.au.