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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Patrick Commins Economics editor

Liberals are scaring first home buyers with warnings of negative equity – but experts believe there’s little to worry about

Houses for sale in Victoria.
Experts say even for those who may have bought property on the 5% deposit scheme, the impact of negative equity will only be felt if they are forced to sell. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Fears that first-time buyers with tiny deposits will find their mortgages are worth more than their homes may be assuaged by new data showing falling prices are concentrated in the top end of the Sydney and Melbourne property markets.

Climbing inflation, interest rates and worries about the economic fallout from the Middle East conflict have helped depress housing values in the country’s two biggest cities.

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