Home Loans Articles

Online mortgage wars gather even more steam

Australians are embracing online mortgage products with gusto, resulting in heated competition from lenders for a bigger share of the .com lending market.

First homebuyer alert How to accelerate your deposit

There are some key ways to give your savings power a boost. Save regularly, not just here and there, make your money work, earn more than you spend and government programs and grants.

Bank gimmicks fail to win new customers

A new report from Loan Market reveals that, in spite of the Big Four banks offering everything from cash incentives to paying competitors’ exit fees, the mortgagees of Australia are largely reluctant to change lenders in their search for the best mortgage.

$7000 'tree change' grant

Residents in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong are being offered a one-off $7000 payment to uproot for a tree change as part of the NSW government's Regional Relocation Grant. But an embarrassing loophole means that you may only have to move one suburb away to cash in.

The things you should know about your mortgage

With a ban on excessive early exit mortgage fees now in place, borrowers are being urged to take advantage of switching without penalty to find a better deal on their home loans.

Be wary of cleverly marketed mortgages

Borrowers are being urged to take caution when signing up to some home loan interest rate promotions, following the launch of several deals last month. While the official cash rate remained steady in May and June, five lenders slashed some of their residential mortgage rates by as much as 45 basis points.

To fix or not to fix your home loan rate?

If you're nearing the end of your current mortgage deal or you're looking to buy a new home then planning your finance strategy for the future is no walk in the park, particularly amid rate rise forecasts.

Owning or renting? How each stacks up financially

Do you think owning your own property is financially out of reach? On the contrary, new figures reveal that the monthly cost to rent a house in the nation's capital cities is on par with repaying an average-sized mortgage.

Get a foot in the door to the property market

Property prices may be flat or falling in many areas of the country and borrowers are beginning to return to the market, but life is still tough for those trying to get a foot into the property market for the first time.

Lenders home in on refinancers

Competition in the mortgage market is heating up and borrowers looking to refinance are set to gain the most as lenders redirect their push away from first-time borrowers.

Refinancing dos and don'ts

Refinancing dos and donts checklist.

Changes to First Home Saver Accounts make life easier

Changes to the First Home Saver Accounts (FHSA) Act will make saving for a deposit much easier.

How to guarantee your next mortgage rate

When you apply for a fixed-rate mortgage with most institutions, the advertised rate is the current fixed rate of that day. But there's no guarantee that rate will be available in six weeks at settlement, unless you pay a rate-lock fee.

Are all mortgage calculators the same?

Loan Market’s Lee Banh answers your burning questions about mortgage calculators, including top tips and risks.

Mortgage tips from Australia's most successful finance gurus

The nation’s top finance experts share their tips on how you can save money for your first home deposit, avoid paying too much for a property and remain realistic about what having a mortgage really means.

RBA promises interest rate rise but guarantees boom times ahead

As the phenomenon known as Rate Watch continues, Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens has reiterated the need for interest rates to rise, but softened the blow with a promise of greener pastures for Australia in the near future.

Take the money and run Should you refinance your home?

The number of people currently seeking to refinance their home loan forms a larger percentage of home loan applications than first homebuyers or investors.

Cut mortgage fees with a few simple tips

Australians paid $834 million fewer in fees on household bank accounts last year compared to 2009, shelling out around $4 billion in total. But home loan fees increased in the same period, up 2 percent, although that was less than in the past - the average annual increase over the previous five years was 9 percent.