The housing slump continues to deepen, gathering pace across new and existing home sales; something investors will have to keep in mind as they assess the Westpac move on St George.
Housing finance is the safest and most profitable form of bank lending, especially with all the added services for personal banking like credit cards, personal [...]

China’s government has imposed a tax on new real estate developments, adding to efforts to restrain a rapid rise in housing costs, a state news agency reported Thursday.
The tax, which takes effect Feb. 1, will be equivalent to 30 to 60 percent of developers’ net gain on a real estate deal, the Xinhua News Agency [...]