Five ways to save on mortgage repayments
It feels like a lifetime. A mortgage, that is. And that’s what ‘mortgage’ actually means in latin… a ‘death pledge’. Basically either the debt, or you, dies first. To think that you’re stuck paying interest to a bank for 25 or 30 years…it’s depressing. More if you need to refinance to renovate or deal […]
Upfront costs of buying a home
If you are planning to buy a property, you may get a rude shock when you find out how expensive all the little associated costs that come with it are. Especially if this is your first property, or it’s been a while since you last bought. So, when the time comes to apply for […]
What you need to know about self-employed home loans
Risk is a huge consideration when it comes to banks and responsible lending. When you are applying for a loan with a bank, they will want to minimize their exposure to risk in a whole number of ways. The main one is to ensure you have a reliable income with which you can make […]
Homeownership vs renting
Times have been tough for tenants in recent times as vacancy rates have tightened to record lows and asking rents have risen by double-digit percentages for consecutive years. But homeowners still paying off their mortgages have had their challenges. The RBA cash rate has risen from 0.1% to 4.35% and banks have hiked interest […]
Reasons to consider using your SMSF to invest in property
Major economic events like the GFC and the Covid pandemic taught us that things outside our control could severely affect our future wealth. It showed there are no guarantees when it comes to trusting your hard-earned money to a fund manager you have never met. These events played a part in a sharp uptick […]
Eligibility Criteria
So you’ve decided to buy a property. You’ve saved a deposit, researched the local market and now you’re ready to go. But are you even eligible for a home loan? You may know you’re “good for the money” when it comes to making repayments, but banks don’t operate that way these days. Once upon […]
Different home loan types explained
These days, there is an almost never-ending array of loan products to choose from, and scores of lenders to provide them. And it’s just as well, because more borrowers than ever before are refinancing in order to get a better deal or a structure that suits them better. In fact, the latest data from […]
How inflation affects your mortgage
Inflation has been running rampant over the past year and the government and RBA are pulling their hair out trying to get it under control. The most recent inflation rate was recorded at 7.3%, up from the previous rate of 6.1%. It is now at the highest point it has been in Australia since 1990. […]
What is LVR and why is it important?
Banks need a buffer to safeguard their investments when they lend money to home buyers. That buffer is your home deposit. As a general rule, banks like borrowers to have a deposit worth 20% of the price of the property. This then means your Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) is 80%. If the bank lends […]
Updates to First Home Buyers Grants/Schemes
November will mark 6 months since Labor came to power in the federal election. Labor’s campaign saw them promise a ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, where the government would co-purchase up to 40% of the cost of a new home, or 30% of an established home. The plan aimed to help middle to low income and […]
