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MARCH KEY FIGURES

	Trend estimates		Seasonally adjusted estimates
	Mar 2009	Feb 2009 to Mar 2009	Mar 2009	Feb 2009 to Mar 2009
Value of dwelling commitments(a)	$m	% change	$m	% change
Total dwellings	20 070	2.3	20 688	6.7
Owner occupied housing	15 251	3.4	15 731	7.3
Investment housing - fixed loans(b)	4 819	-1.0	4 957	4.7
Number of dwelling commitments(a)	no.	% change	no.	% change
Owner occupied housing	58 797	2.8	59 793	4.9
Construction of dwellings	5 150	5.3	5 565	13.9
Purchase of new dwellings	2 539	4.3	2 610	8.8
Purchase of established dwellings	51 108	2.5	51 619	3.8
(a) Includes refinancing.
(b) Excludes revolving credit.

Value of dwelling commitments, Total dwellings

No. of dwelling commitments, Owner occupied housing

• In trend terms, the total value of dwelling finance commitments excluding alterations and additions increased 2.3%. Owner occupied housing commitments increased 3.4%, while investment housing commitments decreased 1.0%.
• In seasonally adjusted terms, the total value of dwelling finance commitments excluding alterations and additions increased 6.7%. Owner occupied housing commitments increased 7.3% and investment housing commitments increased 4.7%.

• In trend terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance increased 2.8%. The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance excluding refinancing rose 3.6%.
• In trend terms, the number of commitments for the construction of dwellings increased 5.3% and purchase of new dwellings increased 4.3%.
• In original terms, the number of first home buyer commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing finance commitments increased from 26.5% in February 2009 to 27.3% in March 2009, the highest proportion since the series commenced in 1991.
• In original terms, the number of fixed rate loan commitments as a percentage of total owner occupied housing finance commitments decreased from 2.8% in February 2009 to 2.4% in March 2009.