national listings up another 6000, page-14

Pugnacious - more a scenario painted there that reflects the current dilemma countries are in. With the bailouts worldwide its an absolute nonsense to suggest that inflation is under control. However the credit crisis now supercedes all other considerations and to prevent a total meltdown governments will have to keep printing money and pretend inflation will come in check. When you increase the money supply , that is just not possible. So we will have hyperinflation down the track, rates coming down to prop up ailing economies and consumer confidence. Landlords will be charged more for rates, water, maintenance and inevitably rents will rise as wages rise.
Eventually it may all pan out but is favouring the property investor who is not under stress.

And I might add the value of the mortgage debt will drop in line with inflation. Interesting times - govts running scared and in Australia will do anything to prop up real estate which is an integral part of our wealth psyche and thus distort everything.