Reading the RBA cycle: rates, serviceability, and the 2026-2028 acquisition window

The RBA has signalled a measured easing path through 2026 and into 2027. That trajectory lands directly on top of the 1 July 2027 grandfathering deadline — meaning serviceability is expanding precisely as the window to lock in pre-Budget tax treatment is closing.

Historically, these two forces would work against each other. In this cycle they work together, and the investors who recognise it are accelerating their acquisition schedules.

A 75 basis-point cumulative cut over the next 18 months expands typical investor borrowing capacity by 8-11%. Paired with grandfathered tax treatment on settlements completed before 1 July 2027, the same dollar of equity does materially more work than it will in the post-2027 environment.