Redlend Weekly 10
Edition 10 - 28 September 2026
How good is AFL Grand Final weekend! I cant believe Brisbane did it, 2 weeks in a row they just found a way. I reckon wharfie time ends up on the grand final scrapheap with the power stance after that.
The RBA meets this week and its all looking like a rate hike taking the majors predictions. Hopefully not.
Talk soon!
Adam
This Week…
RBA Decision Looms: What It Means for the Market
Know Your Buffer Before the RBA Does
Double Fronted period home in Seddon
Suburb Spotlight in Seddon
Mortgage News
RBA Decision Looms: What It Means for the Market This Week
The Reserve Bank meets Monday and Tuesday (28 & 29 September), and all four major banks are tipping a 25 basis point hike, taking the cash rate from 4.35% to 4.60%. It would be the fourth rise this year, driven by inflation that's proving stubborn: July's core inflation measure held at 3.6%, still above the RBA's target. Futures markets were pricing the move at over 90% likely by mid September.
For agents, the practical question is what this does to buyer behavior in the weeks ahead. The early signs already point to caution: mortgage demand has fallen for five straight months, first home buyer applications are down 20%, and national dwelling values eased 0.9% in August. A further hike is likely to add a short bout of hesitation at inspections and auctions, particularly from investors and first home buyers, who are the most sensitive to borrowing costs. But it's rarely a full stop, buyers who need to move (relocating, upsizing, downsizing) tend to adjust their budget or search area rather than exit the market entirely.
For clients, the message is simple: don't wait to find out what a rate rise means for you. If it goes ahead, repayments on a typical variable loan will increase, and borrowing capacity for anyone not yet approved will tighten. The best move either way is a quick loan health check, comparing your current rate against what's available, and understanding exactly how an extra 0.25% changes your budget.
If you're an agent with a buyer or seller weighing up timing, or a client wanting to know where you stand before Tuesday, get in touch this week, we will be running rate reviews.
Mortgage Tip
Know Your Buffer Before the RBA Does
Most lenders assess your loan using a serviceability buffer, typically 3% above the actual rate, to make sure you could still make repayments if rates kept rising. It's a good habit to run the same check on yourself.
Take your current mortgage rate, add 0.25% (this week's possible hike) or even 1% for a bigger stress test, and recalculate your monthly repayment. If that number still fits comfortably in your budget, you're in good shape. If it's tight, now's the time to look at options, extra repayments while rates are lower, a fixed rate split, or simply reviewing whether your current lender is still offering a competitive deal.
The clients who feel least rattled by an RBA decision are usually the ones who already know their number. Takes five minutes with your broker, worth doing before Tuesday, not after.
Property Spotlight
Seddon - Victoria
A double fronted period home in one of Seddon's tightly held pockets, listed 22 September. Sitting on 348sqm with 99sqm of building, the three-bedroom home is largely in original condition, a blank canvas for renovation, with a generous north-facing backyard offering scope to extend (STCA).
The location is the standout: an easy walk to both Seddon Village and Yarraville Village, with cafés, the Sun Theatre, boutiques and grocers all close by. It's also walk to school distance from Yarraville West Primary, St Augustine's Primary and Footscray High's Pilgrim campus, with Seddon Station about ten minutes away and the CBD just 8.4km from the door.
It's a good example of the kind of stock currently drawing interest from renovators and builders in the inner west, original condition, solid bones, and a location that's hard to replicate.
Here is what the numbers could look like…
Approximate numbers for general information only, this is not financial advice and individual circumstances will vary.
Assuming we are a first home buyer eligible for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme and the Victorian Government Stamp Duty Concessions.
Assume a Sale @ $850,000
A Deposit @ 5% = $42,500
Stamp Duty & Government Fees @ $48,293
Conveyancing & Building Pest Inspection @ $3000
Savings Required $93,793
Monthly Repayments @ $4999
Based on 6.3% Interest Rate, 30 years, Principal & Interest
Suburb Spotlight
Seddon
Just 6.4km from Melbourne's GPO, Seddon is one of the inner west's tightly held pockets, with a population of around 5,100 people. It's a compact suburb at approximately 0.9 square kilometres, but makes good use of the space, with seven parks scattered throughout.
Seddon skews slightly older than some of its inner city neighbours, with the predominant age group sitting at 30–39 year olds. The suburb is largely made up of couples with children and people working in professional occupations, and the average length of ownership is a notable 14 years, a sign of just how little stock turns over here.
One of the interesting things about Seddon is how houses and units have moved in different directions over the past year.
The median house sale price sits around $1.1 million, having pulled back slightly from its 2022 peak and holding roughly flat over the past 12 months. Units, with a median of around $713,500, have actually been the stronger performer recently, climbing steadily through 2025 into 2026.
Rents tell a similar story of houses regaining ground. Median house rent has risen to around $700 a week, up from roughly $550 in 2022, lifting gross rental yields on houses to about 3.2%, their best level in years. Unit yields are even stronger, sitting around 4.25–4.5%.
That combination makes Seddon worth a second look for investor clients who may have written it off during the flatter years, particularly on the house side where rental growth has quietly outpaced price growth.
For a first home buyer, a unit still offers a more accessible entry point into an established, walkable inner-west location. For an investor, the improving yield picture is the headline. And for anyone buying into a house in a long held suburb like this, it's worth asking what a renovation or extension could realistically achieve, a lot of Seddon's stock is original condition, on solid land, in a suburb where buyers clearly aren't going anywhere once they're in.
Property data supplied by Cotality. Figures current as at 27 September 2026 and provided for general information only, not personal financial or property advice. If you would like your own free property report, please email me below.
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