Before buying your next home or upgrading to a bigger home, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is how much to sell your existing home for. Setting the right sale price means your home will sell for the best possible price in the shortest timeframe. Most real estate agents will tell you that demand can wane if your home is on the market for too long. So to help you set the right sale price for your home – and ensure your home sells in the shortest possible time - take a look at these handy tips.

Government-led housing initiatives have been updated in the Federal Government Budget, announced earlier this month. Along with the Family Home Guarantee, aimed at helping single parents buy a home with a two per cent deposit, the New Homes Guarantee program is being expanded, and the amount that first home buyers will be able to access under the First Home Super Saver Scheme is also increasing. Here’s more on each of these programs.

In this year’s Federal Budget, single parents who may be struggling to get onto the property ladder, received a helping hand from Government, with the introduction of the Family Home Guarantee. Designed to help single income earners with dependents buy a home with just two per cent deposit, the scheme kicks off on 1 July 2021, but with limited places. Read on to find out more.

A new scheme introduced in Federal Government’s 2020/2021 Budget aims to lift the claim limit on depreciating assets for business owners, and incentivise expenditure in small businesses, while an increase in threshold for Instant Asset Write-Offs offers more businesses opportunity to claim deductions in this tax year. Read on to find out more about how these changes may impact your business and where to go for more information.

As house prices across Australia continue to soar, more first home buyers are getting financial support from their parents. So much so that the Bank of Mum and Dad has been named the ninth largest mortgage lender in Australia. And with average financial contributions at just under $90,000, the amounts parents are contributing are not insignificant.

Building a new home is a complex project and there are many decisions to be made before the project even begins. From the style of architecture, to the floor plan and layout; bathroom and kitchen fixtures and fittings; right through to flooring, paint, countertops and cupboard handles. But the most important – and usually the first – decision that needs to be made when building a new home is who to go for financing. Should you use your builder’s broker or work with your own broker?

Normally, each year thousands of Australian expats, foreign nationals and temporary residents plan to buy property in Australia. 2020 saw a lot of Australians wanting to return home and, whilst foreign migration numbers were largely affected by our closed borders, Australia which is viewed as a safe country that handled COVID-19 well, is now expecting to see the large numbers return when our international borders reopen.

Whilst lending policy for non-resident home loans differs from bank to bank, a number of non-bank lenders also offer competitive financial products suitable for non-residents who want to purchase, build, renovate, improve or refinance a residential property. Read on to find out more about non-residents buying property in Australia.

With international travel closed right now – and potentially for a good part of this year – Australians are turning to local and regional travel this holiday season. Not only is it a fantastic way to see our beautiful country, it’s also an opportunity to support local, those businesses that may be struggling because of the economic impact of COVID-19. We asked some of the Mortgage Express brokers to tell us about their holiday plans, and we hope you feel inspired to get out and explore your own backyard too!

The number of Australian consumers using buy now, pay later platforms has nearly doubled in a year, according to a review undertaken by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). But with one in five consumers struggling to make repayments, there is a growing concern about vulnerable consumers facing financial hardship as a result of taking on too much debt. Consumer advocates are now calling for more regulation around this type of credit.

Property auctions can be a good way to buy your next home or investment property, provided you know what you’re doing. Unlike a private sale where buyers can add conditions to a contract – like a finance or building inspection condition – when it comes to auctions, buyers have to do their due diligence before they even bid. If you are planning to bid at an auction, it’s important you’re prepared. Check out these 5 tips to get auction ready.