Its latest Profit and Loss report, released on Wednesday, showed 97.4 per cent of houses sold in the six months to June made a profit, with the median gain reaching a new high of $458,000. A slight fall in the number of houses sold for a profit could be "the first crack in profitability". Dwelling prices in Sydney and Melbourne fell 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, in July, according to property data firm Cotality. But in a speech in July, Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock said negative equity was affecting fewer than one per cent of borrowers and financial stability risks were contained. While falling house prices will put more Australians into negative equity, it only becomes a problem when homeowners are forced to realise the loss with a sale.