Home Loans Articles

Homeowners rush to fix rates

If you're a homeowner, then the big ticket item on your budget will be your mortgage, and the choices you make about whether to fix your rate or ride the variable rollercoaster could mean thousands of dollars to your bottom line.

First home buyer warning

Would-be homebuyers are being urged not to overstretch their budgets in light of new data, which shows some lenders are loosening the belt in time for the spring mortgage season.

Super: mums missing out

If you believe the pundits, taking just two years out of the workforce to have children can leave women up to $50,000 worse off in retirement.

The perils of a small deposit

Forget mortgage exit fees, the real sting when refinancing a home loan can be a double dose of lender’s mortgage insurance.

Inertia costs Aussies thousands

A third of Australians believe it's too time-consuming and costly to switch banks, new research shows.

How would you rate your home loan lender?

When we sit down to apply for a home loan our finances are instantly scrutinised and we are rated by lenders on a criteria they have devised to tell them if we are worthy of a loan. But if we have a stable income and money saved in the bank shouldn't we be the ones confidently rating lenders based on what they can do for us?

Not all renovations add value

Australians will spend $35 billion renovating their homes this year, with kitchens and bathrooms the most popular makeovers. But not all DIY additions are guaranteed to add value, and it's important to carefully consider the pitfalls before tackling a project.

Rate hike warning for 2013

Borrowers are being urged to prepare for interest rate hikes as early as next year, on the back of strong economic growth forecasts for 2012.

Would you marry for money?

Romances of the rich and famous can be extremely profitable. For the rest of us, marrying for money may be the least romantic reason to wed, but tying the knot can bring financial advantages.

Buy a home at half the cost

The rising cost of living is forcing Australian families to change the way they live and driving new housing schemes that make buying property more affordable.

Supersize your first home deposit

It takes the average first home buyer more than five years to save a 10 percent deposit, research shows. Consider these tips to help you get a foot on the property ladder sooner.

How to get the best price for your house

Spring is the peak selling season for Australian residential property. But it's a tough market for vendors with a record number of houses now on the market, research shows.

Job satisfaction more important than money

Two in three Australian workers are not engaged with their jobs, and salary is less important than job satisfaction among employees, research shows.

First home buyers locked out of city pads

Studios and small one-bedroom apartments close to central business districts are out of reach for many first home buyers, with some property agents pointing the finger at banks.

Investors surge back into the property market

Rising rents and lower interest rates are drawing investors back into the property market, giving Australia's gloomy lending sector some cause for optimism.

Can your postcode stop you from home loan approval?

Where you live could be one of the factors that determine how successful you will be with home loan approval, according to reports of concerns raised by Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten.

Lenders reach new heights to attract home loan customers

Competition for borrowers has moved to new heights, as the slow mortgage market hits lenders hard.

Home loan revival: more borrowers hit the market

Signs of life are returning to the home loan market, with the latest figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), analysed by RateCity, showing the highest number of borrowers taking out a home loan for almost three years.