Articles (All) - MO'R MORTGAGE OPTIONS

How long does it take to get a loan?

How long does it take to get a home loan? You’ve seen a property on the weekend that could be, ‘the one,’ and it’s being sold at auction soon. The problem is, you’re not pre-approved, you haven’t spoken to anyone about finance, you’re not sure how much a bank would lend you and you have no idea how long it will take to arrange a home loan. Question: Do you have a chance of being ready for auction day? Answer: It depends. It depends on a whole host of factors, … [Read more...]

What’s stopping you from buying a home?

Want to buy your first property, but feel like something is stopping you from buying a home? You know it’s the right time to break free from your parents (or the renting cycle) but you’re also worried about interest rates and the state of the property market. Is it really the right time to buy a home? Here we examine some of the fears you may have a buyer and suggest ways to overcome them. The Fear of Missing Out Good old FOMO often makes an appearance when you’re getting … [Read more...]

What’s happening with property values in 2024?

If buying a home is a priority this year, here are some thoughts on where property values might be headed in 2024. Before we pull out the crystal ball for the coming year, let’s look back at the change in home values we saw over the past 12 months. In 2023, despite five official rate hikes, increases in living costs due to inflationary pressures, home values still increased nationally by 7%. On top of that, there were three capital cities which experienced growth above the national … [Read more...]

What’s changing with the RBA and their interest rate decisions?

RBA Feb 24 Cash Rate Decision The Reserve Bank kept the cash rate steady in February. However, a change to the RBA’s 2024 meeting schedule has commentators theorising about how this will impact interest rates changes this year. The RBA’s decision to keep the cash rates on hold at 4.35% earlier this month wasn’t unexpected, given the latest inflation data. Because after months of steadily rising living costs, inflation seems to be finally heading south, currently at 4.1% down from 7.8% in … [Read more...]

Home loans for Self Employed Borrowers

When you’re self-employed, applying for a home loan can be a little more complex. There are additional checks a lender may want to perform and it’s likely you’ll need to jump through a few extra hoops before you get the green light to go house hunting. If you’re self-employed and hoping to borrow money soon, here are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you give yourself the best chance of getting your finance approved quickly. Understand borrowing requirements for self-employed … [Read more...]

3 ways a pre-approval can put you ahead of other buyers

You don’t have to wait until you’ve found a home you’d like to buy before you reach out to us. In fact, we’d strongly recommend you contact us first. Arranging a pre-approval before you start making offers, will ensure you’re well placed above the competition and also ensure you’re not taking any unnecessary risks. Here are three reasons to arrange a loan pre-approval before you officially start house hunting. 1. A Pre-approval gives you a budget to stick to When it comes to a … [Read more...]

Buy a house with only 5% deposit? Yes, it’s possible with the First Home Guarantee Scheme (FHBG)

Buyers are ignoring the advice it can take years to save for their first home deposit. Instead, they’re taking advantage of government schemes - like the First Home Guarantee Scheme (FHBG) - which allows first home buyers to get into the property market with as little as 5% deposit. National Housing (previously the National Housing, Finance and Investment Corporation - NHFIC), which runs the federal government guarantee schemes, reports that in 2022/23, almost one-in-three first home … [Read more...]

How can I maximise interest savings with my offset account for minimum effort?

You already have an 100% offset account as part of your loan, and you know it’s correctly linked against your owner occupied home loan.* With each monthly statement, you can see you're saving interest but you'd like to see if you can push those savings higher. Here's a few things you can try: Ensure all household income is paid into your offset account You should already have all wages, tax returns, investment income and windfalls (if you're lucky!) paid into your offset … [Read more...]

How to buy your first home without a large deposit

We get it. There's nothing easy about saving for your first house deposit. Especially when you're renting, paying off a HELP debt and trying to cover the increased costs of living. But you just really want to buy your own home. The more cash you have saved, the more options you'll have when it comes to buying your first home. However, there are a few ways you could buy property now - even without a large deposit. We outline these options below. Pay Lenders Mortgage … [Read more...]

How can I use equity to purchase an investment property?

If you own property, it's likely you've already heard the term 'equity.' Here we outline what it is, how you calculate it and how it can help you with your next property purchase. What is equity? Equity is the difference between the market value of your home and the current balance of your home loan. Equity typically grows over time due to your property increasing in value and/or the balance of your home loan decreasing. How much of the equity in my home can I release? The … [Read more...]

Under-the-radar rate hikes

You're not alone if you sighed in relief earlier this month, as the RBA announced the cash rate would remain on hold for the second consecutive month. This hasn't stopped some lenders from hiking their variable home loan rates anyway. These rate hikes - sometimes known as ‘out-of-cycle’ rate rises - easily fly under the radar. Especially when we've all been getting regular letters in the mail advising our interest rate (and repayment) is about to increase again. Out of interest, how many … [Read more...]

What’s stopping you from exploring your refinance options?

We’ve had 12 interest rate rises over the last 13 months. That’s 12 times your interest rate has increased on your home loan. And 12 times your monthly loan repayment has increased. (Actually, if we’re being technically correct here, the number of times your repayment has increased is likely to be slightly less than 12, because the last few rounds of rate hikes may not yet be reflected in your minimum monthly repayment.) If you haven’t reached out for a home loan review lately, … [Read more...]

2023: Interest rates and the economy

Despite many experts weighing in on the debate as to where rates and the economy is headed, there’s still varying opinions as to how - and when – things will play out. Rather than adding to the noise on interest rates, we’re not going to add our own predictions here. Instead, we’re going to summarise the key thoughts and ideas being shared by leading economists, so you can get an idea of where things might be headed. What can we expect for the rest of 2023? Market commentators … [Read more...]

Which one should you choose – redraw or offset?

Both redraw facilities and 100% offset accounts can help to reduce the interest incurred on your loan, but they work in different ways. Let’s take a closer look to see which option might be appropriate for you. What is redraw and how does it work? A redraw facility allows you to make additional payments into your home loan, and then access these funds should you wish to take them out of the loan at some point later in the future. For example, just say you received … [Read more...]

Before you return that phone call from “Lenny” the lender, please read this

We’ve spoken to a few clients recently who have received phone calls from their lender. It all starts out innocently enough. ‘Lenny’ wants to know if you’re happy with your current loan. He wants to know if things are all ticking along as they should. And he wants to know if there is anything he can help you with. The next thing you know, you’ve been locked into a fixed rate loan you weren’t sure you actually wanted or you’ve somehow agreed to increase your credit card limit. We don’t … [Read more...]

What makes your debt tax deductible?

There are two kinds of debt in this world: the kind that is tax deductible and the kind that isn't. Knowing the difference and how to structure your finances accordingly, can significantly improve your cashflow, opportunities and overall financial position. So what makes debt tax deductible or not? Non-tax deductible debt Let's start by clarifying that we're talking about whether the interest on a debt is tax deductible. A non-tax deductible debt (also known as 'bad debt') … [Read more...]

Why can’t I borrow as much as I’d like to? (Ways to boost your borrowing capacity)

When lenders determine your borrowing capacity, there’s a few factors they take into consideration. We take a closer look at each of the factors here. It’s helpful to understand what factors might be limiting your borrowing capacity, should you wish to maximise it. Income When performing servicing calculations, a lender is simply trying to determine that at the end of the month - after your income has come in to your account and living costs/monthly commitments have come out – … [Read more...]

Does your pre-approval give you the buying coverage you think it does?

You know that conversation you had with your local bank? The one where you walked away from the appointment thinking you were pre-approved? Well, we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But there’s a fair chance you’re not as covered as you think you are. Your pre-approval may not be a pre-approval after all If you haven’t provided recent payslips or supporting documents and/or you haven’t signed a loan application, there’s a very good chance you don’t actually have a … [Read more...]

What is a credit file and how can it impact my loan application?

What is a credit file/ report? A credit report is a statement that summaries your personal credit history and provides a snapshot of your current credit accounts. Lenders use your credit report as part of their decision to approve (or decline) your application for finance. What kind of information does my credit report contain? Your credit file shows all credit accounts held in your name over the last few years (for example - credit cards, later-payment accounts, personal loans, … [Read more...]

3 things you need to do now if you have a fixed rate loan

If you currently have a loan that’s fixed at a rate much lower than variable rates, you may be feeling quite comfortable with your position right now. As variable rates continue to rise around you, you’re happily sleeping at night knowing that for the next 6/12/24 months, your interest rate – and monthly repayment – will remain the same. However, now is not the time to be complacent. Because when your fixed rate loan term expires, you will need to be prepared – and able to pay for - quite a … [Read more...]