Buying a home in Australia? Your lender will likely require a bank valuation to calculate the loan to value ratio (LVR) of your home loan. Bank valuations help lenders weigh up the risk of lending. A higher LVR means more risk for the lender, which could impact the amount you may be able to borrow. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the factors making up a bank valuation, as well as the impact they can have on your borrowing capacity.

From electricity bills to phone plans, car insurance through to home loans, sticking with the same provider year after year could mean you’re paying “lazy tax”. Lazy tax is the penalty many consumers and homeowners are paying as a result of being complacent, not shopping around for the best interest rates, and failing to refinance when rates work in their favour. If this sounds like you, here are two ways to avoid paying lazy tax.

When you’re starting a family – or growing your family – the last thing you want to worry about is getting approved for a mortgage. But if you’re pregnant or a new parent taking parental leave, you’ll likely be on minimal or no income for a while, and that could impact your ability to get home loan approval. If you are considering applying for a mortgage while on parental leave or with a new baby on the way, in this article we’ll hopefully cover some of the concerns you might have.

Getting a home loan with a redraw facility is a useful and flexible financial tool. Any extra funds you pay into your home loan, can be withdrawn when needed, to cover emergencies or pay for unplanned expenses. At the same time, those extra funds save you money too, as any extra repayments on your loan also lower how much interest you’re charged. To find out if a redraw would suit your home loan, here’s more on how a redraw facility works.

Buying a first home is a significant milestone that takes commitment to saving, careful decision making, and considered planning. The biggest hurdle for most first home buyers? Saving a deposit. Depending on where you are in Australia, it can take as long as eight years to save enough, all the while chasing down rising house prices which means having to save even more! If you are ready to buy your first home, here are a few things to consider.

Many people believe that low income earners – and those who rely on government benefits – are not eligible for home loans. But that’s not always the case. If your household income is supported by Family Tax Benefits (FTB) from Centrelink, the good news is, there are still lenders who will consider this type of home loan application.

The key to success is working with a mortgage broker who understands which lenders to approach. Read on to find out what you need to know about using non-standard income to access home loan lending.

Stamp duty has long been considered one of the biggest financial hurdles for home buyers in Australia’s property market. Now, some State Governments are working hard to remove that financial barrier, and give buyers more freedom to make property purchase decisions based on their current needs and lifestyle choices. Read on to find out what the removal of stamp duty could mean for you.

Buying a first home has been progressively harder over the years, largely due to rising house prices and lower affordability. But 2020 changed all of that. Buoyed by historic low interest rates, a lack of investors in market, and significant government incentives, first home buyers look set to dominate the property market in 2021.

2020 was a curve-ball year like no other! Not only did COVID-19 change the way we socialize, work and learn, interestingly, it also changed the way we spend and save. A surprising outcome of the pandemic year is the growing number of Australians who are saving more and spending less. Did you notice a change in your spending and saving habits too?

After working through a pandemic year and Australia’s first recession in 30 years, many Australians are wondering what lies ahead in 2021. What is the forecast for Australia’s property market? Will real estate prices continue to rise? We asked some of our mortgage brokers for their predictions for Australia’s property market in 2021. Here’s what they think.