Mortgage delinquencies are higher in city's outer suburbs: Moody's

Mortgage delinquencies are higher in city's outer suburbs: Moody's
Joel RobinsonDecember 8, 2020

Mortgage delinquencies and defaults are more likely to occur in outer suburbs of Australian cities than inner-city areas, according to Moody's Investor Service.

They suggest that this is because of the lower average incomes and weaker credit characteristics in these suburbs.

On average across Australian cities, mortgage delinquency rates are lowest in areas within five kilometres of the CBD and highest in areas 30-40 kilometres from CBDs (below).

Moody's suggest this trend is likely to continue into the foreseeable future with little changing in way of incomes and credit characteristics.

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Mortgage delinquencies are higher in city's outer suburbs: Moody's

 

In most Australian capital cities, delinquency rates are highest in areas the furthest away from the CBD (below).

Sydney's delinquency rates grow steadily the further away from the CBD the property is, however in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, delinquency rates in suburbs closest to the city centre are slightly higher than those a little further out.

This is due to the high share of mortgages on investment properties in areas closest to the city.

Within five kilometres of the Melbourne CBD, delinquent investment loans account for 57% of all mortgage delinquencies.

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Mortgage delinquencies are higher in city's outer suburbs: Moody's

Incomes and socioeconomic conditions are lower in outer suburbs, while credit characteristics are weaker.

Average incomes are lower in outer suburbs than in inner-city areas, while socioeconomic conditions are also typically weaker in outer areas. These factors increase the likelihood of mortgage delinquencies and defaults, particularly in the event of an economic downturn.

In all Australian capital cities, average incomes decline with distance from the CBD (below), a fact that reflects the higher proportion of people employed in low-skilled jobs in these areas.

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Mortgage delinquencies are higher in city's outer suburbs: Moody's

 

Joel Robinson

Joel Robinson is a property journalist based in Sydney. Joel has been writing about the residential real estate market for the last five years, specializing in market trends and the economics and finance behind buying and selling real estate.

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