2011 will be a good year for saving

Savers can look forward to another lucrative year in 2011. Guy Debelle, the Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, told banker...

Home loan borrowers will get a loan fact sheet

Every new home loan borrower will be presented with a plain English one page fact sheet before they sign up for a mortgage loan. the fact s...

More home loan borrowers looking to refinance mortgage

A Newspoll has found nearly a million mortgage loan borrowers are likely to switch mortgage lenders in spite of exit fees. The survey found...

Don't wait to get a better home loan deal

According to consumer group Choice, home buyers can save an average of $2500 a year on their home loan by switching lenders. If you need ...

No more rate rises under Easter 2011 predicted

Some economic analysts are now predicting that the RBA will not raise rates again until March or even April 2011. Private sector borrowing i...

1 in 10 reassessing their Xmas spending

According to an online survey, one in ten homeowners have canned their Christmas holiday plans as a result of the most recent interest rate ...

Reverse mortgage market braces for regulation

New Federal Government regulations governing the reverse mortgage market could serve to reduce the market. Under the new rules, which will...

Get used to rents increasing by up to 7% a year

Economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel says tenants will have to "get used to" annual increases of between 5 to 7% per year in Perth, Br...

Big 4 banks increase home loan rates

The National Australia Bank and Westpac have followed CBA and ANZ and raised their standard variable home loan interest rates above the rat...

House prices have increased

Combined property values for houses in Australia increased by a total 41% and 42% for units over the past five years. According to a new ...

More home loan borrowers refinancing their mortgage

Home loan borrowers are speaking to mortgage brokers and their mortgage lenders to ask about the cost of switching home loans , as more lend...

QLD most sought after state for property - foreign investors

Queensland is the second most sought-after state for foreign investors wishing to buy property - in front of New South Wales, with Victoria...

CBA home owners will now pay an extra $88/month on home loan

Commonwealth Bank home loan customers with an average $300,000 standard variable mortgage will pay an extra $88 a month after the bank rais...

North of Brisbane's gateway bridge features strongly in Residex forecasts.

A recent report from Residex states that “high growth opportunities in the housing market nearly always exist, but the selection of the righ...

Top 4 banks in Australia control home loans market

Statistics from the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority reveal that the top four banks control more than 80% of the housing loan mark...

Have you checked your home loan lately?

When was the last time you had a look at your home loan and actually asked yourself 'what do I really need from my home loan?' Wh...

First home buyers look for cheaper homes

According to the latest Bankwest/MFAA Home Finance Index, an increasing number of first home buyers are keen to put their foot on the proper...

Rents come down

According to Australian Property Monitors, the average national rent fell just 0.3% for houses and 0.5% for units throughout the quarter. An...

Casual workers face discrimination in lending

Casual and contract employment is now the norm in the Australian economy according to new research. But people in part-time employment, trad...

Darwin & Canberra have the most expensive rents

According to the RP Data September 2010 quarter Rent Review Report, there is good news for investors with rental markets in city and regiona...

Families should prepare for interest rate rises

Although interest rates are currently on hold, there is a likelihood they will rise next month if not in December. According to Phil Naylo...

Debt consolidation case study

Debt consolidation has the immediate benefit of reducing monthly outgoings. While this may provide a welcome short-term relief, it may have...

No more self verified income mortgages

Mortgage loans using self-verified income are no longer available in the market. According to BMM’s managing director Murray Cowan, changes ...

Suburbs in the CBD lead property price growth

According to research from PRDnationwide, suburbs located close to the city CBD are leading property price growth. The research has shown t...

Mortgage loan options available for self employed borrowers

There are encouraging signs that self employed mortgage loan products are making a return with Australian First Mortgage (AFM) - a non-bank ...

Residential home loans fall

The RBA is being urged to keep interest rates on hold when they meet again in August 2010, after housing commitments fell for the fourth tim...

4 years to save deposit for a unit

It takes approximately 4 years for a couple who are first home buyers to save a deposit for a unit. First home owners need to save the longe...

Development finance starting to flow more freely

Business lending has grown by 0.4% based on the latest stats issued by the Reserve Bank. Business finance lending showed some tentative gro...

There could be another rate rise this year

Industry commentators agree there will only be one more interest rate rise this year. The only thing they don't agree on is when that m...

Many don't understand reverse mortgages

Many borrowers don’t understand how a reverse mortgage works and what it is and are being caught out by the complicated equity release loan...

Benefits of inventory finance

Inventory finance is available to Australian businesses to purchase goods or raw materials for manufacture and resale. The main benefit of i...

Banks may still increase rates

The Australian Financial Review has reported that wholesale funding costs could force Australia’s major banks to move above and beyond any...

Housing shortage makes Australian home prices almost twice the price of USA

A shortage of 200,000 dwellings is helping fuel Australian home prices, which are 82% higher than in the US, and disproving investors and pr...

RBA urged to hold interest rates

Raising interest rates could stifle home building according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA). The institute's chief...

Exit fees on a home loan vary widely

The average early exit fee for all mortgage lenders in year one of a home loan contract is $1582. The exit fee on a home loan will range ...

Inner Melbourne Apartment Market - June 2010 update

The ANZ June 2010 report about inner Melbourne apartments highlights the following points: The Victorian housing market is fundamental...

Lenders defend against exit fee accusations...

Lenders have defended their approaches to early mortgage loan exit fees following ASIC's announcement that it will crack down on high ex...

Unfair exit fees on home loans illegal from Thursday

Tough new regulations that give the corporate regulator, ASIC, the power to take action against unfair or unconscionable mortgage loan exit...

Mortgage lenders continue to tighten lending criteria

According to a study by RateCity, most of the lenders in Australia show no signs of easing their lending criteria. Research of more than 2,0...

Australian property market slowing down

According to RP Data’s Rismark Home Value Index, Australian residential market activity has slowed significantly in the last few months. In ...

Australian property market most transparent in the world

According to a report by Jones Lang Lasalle, the Australian property market is the most transparent in the world. Professional services f...

BankWest lowers its 3 and 5 yr fixed home loans

BankWest has announced it will reduce its three and five year fixed rate home loans starting today. This will bring its three years fixed...

Investors coming back into Australian property market

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, investors are flooding back into the property market. Share market volatility has caused i...

Negatively gearing a rental property

A rental investment property is negatively geared if it is purchased with the assistance of borrowed funds and the rental income does not c...

Sydney still affordable

According to a new report from RP Data, there are still bargains to be had in Sydney. The report shows that Sydney had the greatest propor...

CBA slashes rates on its fixed home loan

CBA has become the third major bank to lower its fixed rate home loan. CBA has announced that it would take off up to 0.45% from some of its...

RBA to leave rates on hold until August

The RBA is expected to keep the official cash rate on hold until at least August 2010. According to minutes of the RBA's board meetin...

First home buyers and self employed home loan borrowers are at risk of falling into mortgage arrears, according to a new report b...

Thinking of becoming an owner builder?

Being an owner builder isn't something anyone should enter into lightly. It might seem like a romantic and money saving option - you...

NSW Budget urges retirees to downsize and buy new homes

The NSW Government has proposed extensive savings in its budget in an effort to encourage NSW retirees to downsize and buy new homes. The ...

Renovations drive property values up

There is an increasing trend of property owners in inner city areas who are renovating or building extensions to their home in a bid to add...

St George slashes interest rate on fixed rate home loan

St George has taken 40 basis points off its two year fixed rate home loan in a bid to reposition itself as a competitive major lender. The ...

Interest rates on hold for now

After 3 consecutive rate rises, the Reserve Bank has given home loan borrowers a break by pausing on their cycle of rate rises for the fi...

Should you get a unit or a house?

There are a huge range of options to consider when investing in property , but at the top of everyone's list is whether they should inve...

Reverse mortgages shows recovery

The latest study on the reverse mortgage market in Australia conducted by Deloitte Actuaries and Consultants has revealed a growing appetit...

Rise in non conforming borrowers experiencing mortgage stress

Mortgage delinquencies for borrowers with non conforming home loans are on the rise, despite a drop in unemployment and signs that the dome...

ANZ cuts fixed interest rate

ANZ has lowered its fixed-term mortgage rates in a bid to position itself as a true competitor in fixed lending. ANZ announced yesterday i...

Mortgage rates to hit 8.6% in next 12 months

The OECD expects Australia to have among the highest interest rates in the world. It expects five rate rises in the next 12 months. In its ...

Cashed up foreigners snap up Australian property

Foreigners snapped up $14.9 billion worth of houses and land in Australia last year, including $2.49 billion worth of existing homes. Acco...

Housing supply is crippling Australia: HIA

Australia urgently needs a housing reform, says Housing Industry Association chief economist Harley Dale. According to Mr Dale, reducing ...

Sydney property market slows

Sydney property agents report that auction rates are down and visits to open houses have trailed off. According to the SMH, property buye...

One million Australians not served by banks

A new study by Datamonitor finds more than one million Australian consumers are not being served by traditional banking providers. The study...

Housing affordability drops for first quarter 2010

Housing affordability fell for the March 2010 quarter, as higher house prices, increased interest rates, and the removal of the first home b...

Tips to cool your energy bill

Many households around Australia spend a large proportion of their energy bills on heating and cooling the house. Keeping warm during winter...

Banks face penalty fee class action

The big four banks - ANZ, NAB, Westpac and the Commonwealth, along with eight other financial institutions, are targets of a class action ...

Lending for first home buyers slumps to 12 month low

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the number of new home loans for has plummeted to its lowest level since early 200...

Increase in land prices in Australia

According to the recently released Housing Industry Association (HIA) and rpdata.com, Residential Land Report, the weighted median price of ...

Banks profiting from GFC: University of Canberra

A study conducted by the University of Canberra has found that since the global financial crisis that began in mid 2008, big banks in Austra...

Renovations go through the roof in Sydney

An increase in Sydney property prices has sparked a renovation boom. Home owners are looking to capitalise on the value of their propertie...

Westpac customers are dissatisfied

According to a News Limited survey of 3,000 bank customers, 18% of Westpac customers are happy with their bank, while 56% of Westpac custome...

90,000 Auustralian homeowners will be forced to sell up

Ninety thousand new home owners are expected to lose their homes as a result of rising interest rates. According to Fujitsu Consulting, up t...

Borrowers favour mortgage brokers ahead of banks

According to the latest Bankwest/MFAA Home Index, mortgage brokers are beating the banks in overall customer satisfaction, with the majorit...

Gen Ys give up on their dream of home ownership

More than one third of first home buyers believe rising interest rates have locked them out of the property market. According to the late...

First home saver accounts not popular

According to the mutual industry body Abacus, first home saver accounts have failed to attract deposits and need to be overhauled if they a...

Home loan borrowers have mixed feelings towards Big Four Banks

According to a survey conducted by BrandCentral, home loan borrowers are still more likely to take their business to the major banks, even...

International investors focus on property in Australia

According to a survey conducted by Colliers International, major commercial property investors are confident the Australian market will out...