Insights

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 –…

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…

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…

Despite the soaring cost of living and successive interest rate hikes, homebuying intentions have climbed, latest data shows. So why are so many people still chasing the great Australian dream? And what can you do to make your own dream a reality? Despite a flurry of rate rises, new data this month shows homeownership is…

Mortgage serviceability can feel like a frustrating hurdle to clear. But it’s an important safeguard against borrowing too much, particularly in the current interest rate landscape.  It’s in the best interests of all parties involved if your mortgage is chugging along with regular repayments being made. Borrowing an amount you don’t have a hope in…