First home buyer profile
Caitlin and Joel Loan amount: $670,000. Monthly repayments: $2700. Grants accessed: First homeowner $15,000 and 2020 HomeBuilder $25,000. Deposit: 15 per cent plus 5 per cent guarantor finance to reach the 20 per cent threshold required to avoid paying Lender’s Mortgage Insurance (LMI). While 2020 was the year many things in the world fell […]
Going for broker
In a year when just about every real estate record was broken, home buyers turned to mortgage brokers in droves. More than two-thirds – a record 66.9 per cent – of residential mortgages were written by brokers in 2021.1 That’s a leap of 6.8 per cent on the year before and continues an astonishing climb […]
Pitching in without falling out
Lenders are helping parents boost their children’s buying power without putting their house or relationships on the line. Despite a patchy customer service history, the Bank of Mum and Dad is soaring to new heights as the property market booms. And no wonder – conditions are perfect to drive inter-generational lending. Surging prices have made […]
5 top questions about the HomeBuilder grant
The phone has been ringing off the hook with questions about the Homebuilder grant. Here I’m focusing on those who want to buy land and build (rather than renovators – that’s a whole separate topic on its own). First, some basics about the grant: To qualify for the $25k HomeBuilder grant you must: Be […]
Is this the year of the first home buyers?
Many first home buyers now have access to a new government scheme that could get them into their first homes years sooner. Housing affordability is a key challenge for many younger people who are struggling to get into the housing market. Despite historically high house prices levelling out and lower interest rates, flat income growth […]
There’s a lot more than the big four
Why smaller lenders are making a big change in banking. The history of Australian banking has always been dominated by the big four – ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac.
The lowdown on dropping interest rates
How can you make the most from the lowest interest rates in history? Many people believed that the low RBA cash interest rate, that had remained unchanged over the last couple of years, was about as low as it would go.
Are home buyers back in power
With the uncertainty of tax changes gone, a lessening of borrowing restrictions, and a new scheme to help first home buyers coupled with two interest rate drops it looks like things are swinging back into the borrowers’ favour.
Think local
While you’re getting your head around the macro, don’t lose sight of the micro. Median house prices can vary greatly from suburb to suburb. Here’s the local data house-hunters should have to help make an informed decision.
Factors affecting our property prices
While prices are a product of supply and demand, it’s worth understanding the factors that sit beneath both sides of the equation. In other words, what drives supply and what drives demand?