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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Jonathan Barrett Business editor

‘I would be happy if prices came down’: the older Australians wanting house prices to fall for their kids’ sake

Retiree Pete Muskens sits on a bench petting his dog outside his home
Retiree Pete Muskens says the government’s recent property tax reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax were long overdue. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

Pete Muskens, a 71‑year‑old retired architect from Melbourne, has watched Australian homes transform from places to live in to money-making assets pushing younger generations to the brink.

He bought his first terrace house in Melbourne in the early 1980s for about $30,000 – less than three times the average annual wage at the time – a level of affordability that is unimaginable for his two adult children.

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