# Australian investor lending posts record quarterly fall as mortgage arrears rise

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/lending-to-property-investors-falls-at-record-pace-as-australians-fall-behind-on-home-loans/
- Published: 2026-11-11T07:02:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T07:32:49+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/nov/11/property-investor-lending-rates-fall-cba-mortgage-repayments
- Topics: Software, Technology, World

## Key points

- Investor lending fell by nearly a third in the September quarter.
- CBA mortgage arrears reached a 12-year high.
- First-home-buyer lending fell 8.6%.

## Summary

New lending to Australian property investors fell by nearly a third in the September quarter, the sharpest quarterly decline in records dating back to 2002. The drop coincided with higher interest rates, falling property prices and new tax rules for investors, while arrears among Commonwealth Bank mortgage customers rose to their highest level in 12 years.

The ABS said investor loan values fell almost twice as much as in the previous record quarterly decline. Lending to owner-occupiers fell 5.3%, first-home-buyer lending dropped 8.6%, and loans to investors building homes were down 12%; overall new lending fell 15%. Analysts said mortgage arrears were rising across banks but remained low, and the government and Coalition disagreed over whether the tax changes would help first-home buyers or deter investment.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.