Home loans
Analysis
Analysis
New schemes helping first home buyers despite soaring prices
Determined home buyers can still find their way into the market with careful planning and the help of some new government schemes.
- by Hannah Farrow
Latest
Opinion
Ask an expert
I can afford a house, but the mortgage concerns me. Should I rent instead?
It’s certainly reasonable to be cautious about the amount you borrow, but staying out of the housing market could cost you.
- by Paul Benson
Opinion
Opinion
Three ways to use your offset account to beat rate rises
By being creative with how you use your offset account you could slash thousands from your mortgage repayment bill.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Analysis
Analysis
Apartment owners face strata fee increases of 20 per cent as costs soar
Levies have risen over the past year as the costs of insurance, utilities and repairs and maintenance outstrip even the rapid rise in inflation.
- by John Collett
Opinion
Opinion
Just in time, lenders are freeing borrowers from ‘mortgage prison’
Big banks and other lenders are, thankfully, rethinking their mortgage “stress tests” that left refinancers trapped.
- by Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
The graph that shows stressed property owners may be starting to crack
There has been an unseasonal increase in the number of homes for sale, as soaring mortgage repayments stretch some households’ finances beyond what they can manage.
- by Elizabeth Redman
Analysis
Analysis
This simple switch could help you pay off your mortgage quicker
Though most borrowers in Australia opt for monthly home loan repayments, making repayments fortnightly instead could provide greater savings.
- by Caterina Hrysomallis
Analysis
Interest rates
Borrowers warned ‘mortgage prison’ escape plan could trip them up
Those hoping to switch to a mortgage with a lower interest rate need to tread carefully.
- by John Collett
Emily thought interest rates would stay low for longer. Now she doubts a pause will last
A pause in rate rises is welcome news for Melbourne home loan borrowers, but many are slashing spending as 12 increases since last May take their toll.
- by Elizabeth Redman and Kate Burke
Macquarie mortgage growth slows amid fierce competition
Macquarie Group’s rapid growth in mortgages has slowed sharply, which could be a sign the investment giant is happy to sit out a period of fierce competition.
- by Clancy Yeates
Opinion
Interest rates
How bank stats hide the real mortgage pain
Borrowers are selling their homes before they become a bank statistic and being lumped into the category of non-performing loans.
- by Elizabeth Knight