Home Loans Articles

How to understand a home loan comparison rate

When comparing home loans, you should always compare the comparison rate rather than the advertised interest rate. The comparison interest rate calculates the average rate, including any ongoing or upfront fees, over the life of the home loan.

Be your own broker: five tools to make your home loan comparison easier

RateCity’s home loan comparison tools can help you find and sort through some of the best mortgage market rates from Australia’s leading banks and lenders.

How to reduce home loan debt

Finding ways to lower your outstanding mortgage debt could potentially help to lower your risk of financial stress, and even make more options available for managing your personal finances.

How to borrow money in Australia

Borrowing money in Australia isn’t as easy as walking into a bank and walking back out with a big bag of cash. Whether you’re borrowing money to buy a home or for other purposes, you’ll need to fulfil certain eligibility criteria to see your loan application approved.

How to understand your mortgage repayments

Whether you’re working out if you can afford a home loan, or if you already have a mortgage, it’s worth understanding exactly what goes into your mortgage repayments, so you can be confident that you’re getting value for money.

What is a home loan offset account?

When used carefully, a mortgage offset account can cut years off your home loan and save you thousands of dollars.

Land loan vs home loan: what are the differences?

A vacant land loan can help you buy a vacant plot on which you can construct your house, while a home loan is meant for purchasing a ready-to-occupy house.

How to make your own Australian home loan comparison

Home loans are undoubtedly one of the biggest investments most of us make in our lives, so it's easy to be lulled in with great looking introductory deals. But as well as being the biggest investment, it's also the longest investment so it's important to compare the long-term benefits of home loan types like fixed and variable.

What does it take to subdivide land?

A subdivision is when a block of land is divided into two or more properties. As an investor, you could potentially generate profits by dividing land into smaller lots. If you own a large piece of land in a good location, you may consider creating smaller lots for sale. You might want to keep one lot for your own home and sell or rent out the others. 

Is there such a thing as loyalty discount home loans?

Are you a loyal home loan customer? If so, you could be rewarded with lower interest rates, provided your mortgage is with a lender that offers loyalty discounts.

How to research and compare to find the best home loan

When it comes to finding the best home loan it pays to do your research, calculate your repayments and compare loans. What are the most important factors to consider when meeting with a home loan lender?

Six ways to enter the property market

If you have ambitions to build a property portfolio and retire by 30, or simply want to own your forever home, there are a few different potential strategies that could help you take that first step onto Australia’s property ladder.

What are owner-occupied home loans?

From lower interest rates to missing out on negative gearing, there is a lot to discover about owner-occupier home loans. Discover everything you need to know about owner-occupier home loans and how to find your best home loan option.

How to make a home loan repayment calculator work for you

A home loan repayment calculator can be a useful tool when you’re making mortgage plans ahead of buying a property. Simply entering a few details in to a mortgage calculator can not only help you estimate the repayments you may be able to afford, but help you compare home loan deals from a range of lenders, including options you may not have encountered before.

What you need for a successful home loan application

It’s one thing to apply for a home loan, but getting your application successfully approved is another. Every mortgage lender has different eligibility criteria, but there are steps you can take to help improve the likelihood of your application receiving preapproval and final approval from your lender.

How to calculate home loan repayments

Most Australians dream of buying their own home but it can be confronting when you sit down and work out what you can actually afford. Suddenly your dream of owning a three bedroom home with a large garden and entertaining space has become a small two bedroom unit.

What you should know before buying a property below market value

You may get lucky when buying a house and be able to make a favourable purchase, buying the property below market value. But how do lenders look at such deals? 

Can you claim house renovations on tax? | RateCity

For property investors, understanding what home repairs, maintenance or improvements are tax deductible is crucial come tax time. But it’s not uncommon for investors to make simple mistakes when determining what can or cannot be lodged as a deduction.