One in nine apartments selling for a loss

Over the March 2016 quarter, 9.2 percent of all apartments in capital cities resold recorded a gross loss when compared to their previous purchase price according to CoreLogic.

The report said over the first quarter of 2016, 6.9 percent of capital city properties resold at a loss compared to 13.1 percent of regional properties.

"Over the past quarter, the proportion of loss making resales has increased from 5.6 percent at the end of 2015 across the combined capital cities and fallen from 13.4 percent in regional markets.

"In fact, regional areas of the country have just recorded their lowest proportion of loss-making resales since the three months to July 2011," it said.

CoreLogic's Cameron Kusher said the trends in regional areas are shifting with the proportion of loss-making resales trending lower in areas linked to tourism and lifestyle.

"On the other hand, housing markets linked to the resources sector are generally seeing an elevated level of loss-making resales after housing market conditions in many of these locations have posted a sharp correction,” he said.

"Nationally there was $361.0 million in realised losses over the quarter at an average of $66,073 and $12.9 billion in realised profit at an average of $239,855. Across the capital cities, there were $187.0 million in losses with an average of $72,042 per loss-making resale compared to $10.2 billion in profit at an average of $294,045.

"The combined regional areas recorded $174.7 million in losses at an average of $60,689 compared to $2.7 billion in profit at an average of $140,992.

The average losses were greater in the capital cities; however they also generally experienced much greater profits, more than double those in regional areas."