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Mortgage boost for Perth

Getting ahead: Perth homeowners. Picture: Gerald Moscarda/The West Australian

Perth homeowners are getting on top of their home loans better than any in the country - but Kalgoorlie residents are increasingly falling behind on their mortgages.

Fitch Ratings figures show delinquency rates by people owning property in central Perth are the lowest in the nation.

Just 0.3 per cent of loans in central Perth are 30 days or more behind on repayment. The number of loans behind has fallen more than 20 per cent over the past six months.

Delinquency rates are higher in Perth's suburbs but are still well below the national level.

It is a different story outside the city.

Kalgoorlie and surrounding areas have a delinquency rate of 2.4 per cent, the 11th worst-performed postcode and the only WA area in the nation's worst 20.

According to Fitch, the big difference between inner city Perth and Kalgoorlie is down to two key factors.

"Delinquency rates in this region were mainly driven by a stagnating housing market since December 2012, but especially the significant increase in the unemployment rate," it said.

The jobless rate outside Perth is more than double the 2.9 per cent rate of central Perth.

And though Perth house prices have slowed, they are still up more than 5 per cent over the past year. Outside the city, they have barely moved.

Since early 2011, the proportion of WA mortgages falling behind on repayments has fallen more than a third, confirming the State as the nation's most stable property market.