The start of a new month means 2 things: a check-in with the latest on property prices and a preview of the Reserve Bank’s monthly review of interest rates… Starting at the top, there’s little surprise that housing prices went backwards last month, just like they have since rates started their upward march in April. National prices were down 1.4% for the month, with Sydney (-1.8%) leading the charge. And looking back over the July-September quarter, national prices have fallen 4.3%, with Sydney homes losing 6.1% in value. Then it’s Hobart (-4.5%), Canberra (-4.4%), Brisbane (-4.3%), Melbourne (-3.7%), and Perth (-0.4%). Darwin (1.4%) and Adelaide (0.1%) made gains in the quarter. Regional Oz isn’t immune – it’s down 3.6% during that period. “It is absolutely a buyers’ market,” said CoreLogic analyst Tim Lawless. Financial markets are betting on a half percentage point increase in the official cash rate today to 2.85%. Race you to the check-in at 2.30pm today…