Insights

Property market climbs towards new peak

September 14, 2023

The property market has thumbed its nose at higher interest rates, with values rising almost 5% since March. Here’s why national housing prices are climbing higher. Australia’s housing market is making a bigger comeback than Barbie. Despite interest rates rising 4% in a year and a cost of living crunch, home values have skyrocketed with prices soaring…

How does your home loan compare?

September 7, 2023

No change to the cash rate again this month, but lenders’ mortgage rates have been jumping around more than a bunch of toddlers at a Wiggles concert. We reveal the current average rates to see how your loan compares. Home owners are celebrating the official cash rate staying on hold for several months. But behind…

Low deposit first home buyers now have $82,000 in equity

August 31, 2023

First home buyers who bought into the market using the federal government’s 5% deposit scheme have racked up $82,000 in home equity on average, new data shows. It’s been three years since the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme was launched, and while it’s known today as the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS), it’s still helping first…

Help to Buy Scheme set to kick off in 2024

August 24, 2023

The highly anticipated Help to Buy Scheme will kick off next year, giving more Aussies a chance to score their dream home. Today we’ll unpack how the new federal government scheme will work, who it’ll benefit, and the fine print you need to know. A key election promise of the Albanese government, Help to Buy is a…

More Aussies turn to mortgage brokers for a hand managing hikes

August 17, 2023

An avalanche of rate hikes over the past 18 months has supersized home loan repayments. But savvy homeowners aren’t panicking. In fact, more mortgage holders than ever before are reaching out to brokers for expert help. A recent survey by the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) shows 95% of mortgage brokers are meeting…

Sneaky rate hikes – is your lender behind them?

August 10, 2023

The Reserve Bank (RBA) may have kept the cash rate on hold but that hasn’t stopped some lenders from hiking their variable home loan rates. Here’s how borrowers are fighting back. Home owners may be celebrating two months of the RBA cash rate staying on hold. But don’t pop the champagne cork just yet. Mozo reports that…

Has the tide turned? What the RBA rate pause means for homeowners

August 3, 2023

Mortgage holders rejoice – the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept the cash rate on hold in August for the second month in a row. So have we finally reached calmer waters? Or is there one last rate rise wave headed our way?  In what many will see as better news than a Matildas’ World…

Why are fixed rates still rising? And when might they drop again?

July 27, 2023

With plenty of pundits tipping interest rates will start to fall in the next 12 months, we look at why the big banks are hiking their fixed rates – and unpack what it means for the rate outlook. The past few months have seen interest rates on fixed home loans deliver more ups and downs…

Where homeowners are spending $1 billion a month

July 20, 2023

Australians are showering their homes with $1 billion worth of love each month as home improvement spending ramps up. We look at the cost of popular renovations – and how to foot the bill. Belts may be tightening but not, it seems, for renovators. The latest figures from the ABS show Australians spent a whopping $1,044 million…

Could apartment living help you dive into the property market sooner?

July 13, 2023

Buying a home for the first time can be challenging, especially with house prices soaring in recent years. So could switching from house hunting to unit searching be the way forward for you? There’s no denying that getting into the property market in today’s economic climate ain’t easy. The average Australian house price is now $725,000 –…

Mortgage holders breathe a sigh of relief as RBA puts cash rate on hold

July 4, 2023

Phew! The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has today decided to put the official cash rate on hold. So is the end of this rate hike cycle finally in sight? The decision to keep the official cash rate at 4.10% will be welcomed by homeowners around the country after monthly repayments increased by about $1,135…

Breaking out of mortgage prison: can easing serviceability buffers help?

June 29, 2023

Have you been keen to refinance but told you can’t? You’re not alone. Many Australian households are currently locked into their home loans due to rising interest rates. But some banks have recently started to lower their serviceability thresholds.  As interest rates have climbed, Australians have refinanced in unprecedented numbers. In fact, a record high of…

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