May 29, 2026 – 8.00pmMahalia Theau had been searching for her first home for several months before the federal budget was announced. Now she’s hit pause on the house hunting and will wait to see just how the property market reacts to Labor’s big tax shake-up.“I found [a home] that I loved and went to an auction … a few weeks ago now, and it sold for like $150,000 or $200,000 over the asking price,” the 32-year-old tells AFR Weekend.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
The great pause: Why home buyers and sellers are holding fire
Two weeks after the budget and Labor’s tax shake-up, the property market has seized up as first home buyers, investors and sellers wait for the dust to settle.
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