News

While rising prices were the talk of the town not so long ago, the tide has started to turn, with property values beginning to soften – but it’s not all bad news for home owners. While we’re far from a market collapse, it’s only natural for home owners to be concerned that their valuable asset could be worth slightly less than it was a few months ago. In fact, national home prices are now 1.8% lower than they were in March, led by falling values in Sydney and Melbourne. Howev

Great news! Homeowners can breathe a sigh of relief, with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) keeping the cash rate on hold in August. But just because the cash rate is sitting tight, doesn’t mean you have to. As many as 49 different lenders are now offering variable interest rates starting with a 5, up from 38 at the start of June, according to Canstar. That’s a powerful incentive to check the rate you’re currently paying. If your home loan rate isn’t in the very low 6s or b

So it turns out some mortgage offset accounts haven’t been working as intended, according to a recent investigation. Here’s how to check if your home loan offset account has actually been helping you save. Offset accounts are popular among Australian borrowers, with more than one-in-two (55%) home loans now having an offset. If that sounds like you, chances are you may be concerned about a recent investigation by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) tha

Waiting for home prices to ‘bottom out’ before buying may seem like a smart strategy but it could work against you. Here are the risks of holding out and hoping for lower prices. It’s no secret that some of the heat is coming out of the property market. Home buyers are now under less pressure to make a rushed decision, and more homes are coming onto the market, giving buyers greater choice. But holding off and waiting for prices to reach a low point may be a high-risk strateg

Things are looking up for homebuyers. New listings are on the rise, and that can mean more choice and less FOMO pressure for buyers. Here’s how the shift in today’s market could benefit your homebuying plans. It wasn’t so long ago that FOMO (‘fear of missing out’) was a driving force in Australia’s housing market. Property listings were at multi-year lows, prices were rising rapidly, and a report by Finder revealed almost two-in-five first homebuyers had purchased a property

The Reserve Bank may have kept rates on hold in June, but a growing number of lenders have cut their home loan interest rates. This could be your sign to review your current loan. Here’s news that should be music to the ears of Australian home owners. Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) keeping the cash rate steady in June, almost a dozen lenders have cut their variable home loan rates in recent weeks. As a result, there are now 40 lenders offering at least one variab

With more first home buyers relying on family support to get into the market, we explain why it may be beneficial to put the details in writing if Mum and Dad offer a financial helping hand. Higher home prices are seeing more first homebuyers turn to family members for help buying a place of their own. That support can come in a variety of forms, including living at home rent-free to help grow a deposit, or having parents act as guarantor for a first home loan. But it can al

As the calendar flips over to July, now’s a good time to give your home loan a once-over. We look at five strategies that could help you save on interest and pay off your mortgage sooner. ‍ With three rate hikes already this year, and a big variation in rates between lenders, it’s worth checking you’re not paying too much interest on your mortgage this new financial year. ‍ The hard part can be knowing how or what to weigh up. Here are 5 things to consider. ‍ 1. Review your l

It’s just over a month since the Federal Government unveiled its tax reforms on budget night. Here’s how property values are responding across the major cities. The proposed changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax came as a big shock for property investors around the country – both current and prospective. Despite the understandable concern and frustration that followed, more than a month after the budget night announcement, home values remain fairly steady – with

The mortgage broking industry has notched up an exciting record with the news that brokers now account for 81% of Australia’s residential lending market. Here’s why. For some time now, mortgage brokers have been tantalisingly close to clearing the 80% market share benchmark, and we’ve finally smashed our own previous record. We’re thrilled to announce that brokers facilitated a record high of 81% of new home loans in the first quarter of 2026. That’s up from 77% last year, a

Worried you’ll still be paying off your mortgage in retirement? New research shows you’re not alone. Here are five tips to help clear the slate before you hang up your work boots. A new trend is emerging that could leave retired home owners with less money to spend than they expected. A recent study found at least one-in-three Gen X homeowners expect to be paying off a home loan in retirement. Gen Xers aren’t alone. Separate research shows one-in-three Millennials and one-in-

House price growth is slowing but experts say not to expect a crash. We look at what’s changed, and why today’s market may offer good opportunities for homebuyers. Recent home price data from Cotality may be just what homebuyers have been waiting for. The latest figures show zero (0%) increase in home prices nationally in May – quite a change from the past 12 months when the trend has largely been upwards. But the national picture doesn’t tell the full story, and the numbers