Peter Mares

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Peter Mares

Many people want to reduce their carbon footprint but for various reasons can’t install solar panels. Some roofs face the wrong way, others are overshadowed or subject to heritage restrictions, and apartment blocks often lack space. Landlords are also often reluctant to install solar systems in rental properties since the benefits flow to the tenants rather than the property owner. So is there value in installing a battery anyway?

1 month ago | crikey.com.au | Peter Mares

Looking at the major parties’ housing announcements, you could conclude that renters don’t vote. Instead, both sides are pitching hard to aspiring first-home buyers, telling them that a vote for Labor or the Coalition will pull the great Australian dream back within reach so they can start paying off their own mortgage instead of someone else’s.

1 month ago | insidestory.org.au | Peter Mares

At the Coalition’s campaign launch on Sunday, Peter Dutton pulled a rabbit out of his otherwise empty housing policy hat by promising to let first home buyers deduct mortgage interest from their income tax. In essence, this would extend negative gearing from property investors to new homeowners. Negative gearing allows landlords to offset interest payments on loans against tax liabilities, not just as a deduction from rental returns, but from all sources of income.

1 month ago | insidestory.org.au | Peter Mares

My son, who is studying in London, was amused recently when an ad popped up on his social media feed encouraging him to head to Australia for a working holiday. The algorithm was sophisticated enough to track his interest in Australia but not smart enough to realise he’s a citizen with no need of a visa.

1 month ago | insidestory.org.au | Peter Mares

As we enter the election campaign proper, Labor and the Coalition are promising to make our lives much better. Inflation will go down and wages up, despite Trump’s tariff wrecking ball crashing through global trade. An ageing population will get quality care without anyone having to pay higher taxes. The cost of housing will fall yet the fundamentals of the real estate market will be untouched. The existential threat of climate change will be managed without restricting gas and coal projects.