Home Loans Articles

How long does it take to refinance?

While most people understand the benefits that refinancing can bring, they also know that the process will take time and effort on their part. But exactly how much time does it take to refinance?

How to best use a mortgage calculator

If you’ve started to look into getting a home loan, or refinancing your current loan, then you would have undoubtedly come across a mortgage calculator in your search. These nifty tools can be invaluable in helping you to visualise how a mortgage would fit into your current budget and whether or not you can afford the repayments comfortably.

Rate rises: how the banks could ruin Christmas

Since late November, around 34 lenders have increased their interest rates on approximately 500 fixed loan products. While the rate rises have started off small, ranging from 0.05 per cent to around 0.6 percent, a trend for increasing rates has been set in motion.

Should I get financial advice before I refinance?

Refinancing your home loan can seem like a big decision considering a property is often the most expensive purchase Australians make in their life time. For this reason, when big sums of debt are involved, it can seem like a good idea to get as many opinions as possible before making a choice as to whether or not to refinance a loan.

Refinancing your home loan to buy an investment property

If you have been paying down your mortgage consistently while living in your property, you may be considering using your available equity to secure an investment property. While this strategy comes with its risks, there is also great reward to be had in a successful investment.

Refinancing a home loan for bad credit

Managing your finances is never easy, but this can prove especially challenging if you’ve had problems with bad credit in the past. Whether you’re doing it tough due to financial problems from circumstances beyond your control, or if you’re trying to make up for money mistakes you've made in the past, a bad credit score can cast a long shadow over your future financial dealings, including refinancing a home loan.

Five tips for refinancing your home loan

Refinancing a mortgage can be a great way to refresh your finances to better suit your current lifestyle.

Refinancing for debt consolidation

If you already have a home loan, and also owe money on credit cards, personal loans or car loans, you may be (figuratively) drowning in debt.

How often should you refinance?

There is no hard and fast rule as to how often you should refinance your home loan but a typical Australian borrower is likely to change their loan every 4-5 years.

Can you add someone to your mortgage without refinancing?

If you’ve recently married, and you are merging your finances and assets, you may be wondering if you need to add your spouse’s name to your mortgage and whether it can be done without refinancing.

How long does it take to break even after refinancing?

One of the most common questions that property owners who are considering refinancing have is around the cost of the process: "How long will it be until I cover my switch cost and actually start saving?"

Refinancing: how to make the right decision in six steps

Consider refinancing? This article covers six steps you should follow to insure you are considering all the right steps and taking the right desicion

The 10 new Australian household tribes

The average suburban street could look very different by 2030 according to a report from the Commonwealth Bank’s Future Home Insights Series.

The home loans of the future

Borrowing money to buy your own home could look very different in coming years, predicts a report from the Commonwealth Bank’s Future Home Insights Series.

Investors flock back to property market

Investors have returned to the Australian property market, a little more than a year after regulatory interventions saw lending to the group plummet.

What Trump's victory could mean for Aussie house prices

As the world digests Donald Trump's surprise presidential win, attention has turned to the local impact on investment markets, including housing. Many home-owners and prospective home buyers may be wondering whether the property mogul could lift Australian house prices.

Why now could be the time to fix your rate

A week ago today, the RBA decided to keep the cash rate on hold at the historic low of 1.5 per cent. With only one more meeting left this year and no meeting held in January, economists predict that the cash rate is likely to remain steady for at least a few months to come.

Comparing home loan terms: is 25 or 30 years better?

There are a lot of decisions that have to be made when choosing a home loan. One of the most important is the loan term length. When you are paying off a loan over such a long time, five years give or take, doesn’t seem like much but it can make all the difference financially.