Let's face it, Christmas in Australia is hot; and it might be wet. Unless you're in Tasmania, it probably won't be snowing - and even in Tassy it's fairly unlikely. There's not much point in "Dreaming of a White Christmas", unless you are imagining the frothy, white water from waves crashing on bleached, sandy beaches. So let's focus on our own "Six White Boomers", eat a prawn or two, enjoy a Pale Ale or three, and please have a Great Australian Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year!

Yes, we are still open for business, but expectations must be realistic.

Basically, any thought of a pre-Christmas settlement in our world of the private mortgage market is bordering on impossible. We will remain able to consider transactions throughout the holiday period, but with the rest of the commercial world shut down, practically speaking, mid to late January is now the realistic timeframe target, and then it will depend on quality, quantity, nature, location etc.