
Latest Mortgage, Finance & Property News
Think like the Rich
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
6 Investment Mistakes to Avoid
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
Rent or buy - which is better?
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
Tips for Buying at Auction
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
How walkable is your suburb?
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
Your Trusted Adviser
Wouldn't it be great to know you can trust your mortgage adviser to give you the best advice and steer you down the right path? Well you can! Here's why...
Self Managed Super: a growing trend
Lenders continue to launch new loan products to cater for the soaring popularity of self-managed super funds (SMSFs).
The right time
Predicting the perfect time to buy is difficult, even for the experts, yet many investors get caught in the fear of buying at the 'wrong time'.
Buyers Make a Comeback
While many buyers kept out of the property market in 2012, there are signs of a comeback.
The Credit Trap
Shopping with a credit card is quick, easy and painless - at least until your next payment becomes due.
Consolidating your Debt
You've overspent at Christmas and now you realise your bank balance won't cover your credit card debt. Before you plunge further into debt, it's a good idea to act quickly and consolidate your debts into a relatively low-interest product such as your home loan.
Investing in an Apartment: What to Look for
What features make a great apartment that renters will love and will make you money when you sell?
Choosing the right investment loan
When structuring a home loan, investors have different needs to consider than owner occupiers.
Mortgage Traps to Avoid
Start off the New Year on the right foot by making sure you choose the right mortgage that suits your needs. Here are 6 mortgage traps to avoid.
Gold for Property
If medals were handed out for making money, gold would go to property investment according to this year’s BRW Rich 200 List.
Serious about Super
When was the last time you checked to see how your superannuation was performing? Many of us give very little thought to our super until we need it and by then it’s often too late.
Unleash your Equity to Expand your Portfolio
Owning a property provides a hidden source of wealth that can be used to build an investment portfolio.
Be Your Own Olympian
Ask any Olympic athlete what got them to London and they will invariably mention the words ‘motivation’, ‘dedication’, ‘perseverance’ and ‘goal setting’.
Increase your Income
If there is one thing that most of us want more of it’s money. Enterprising Londoners found ways to earn extra cash during the Olympics by renting out their homes and carports, selling memorabilia on eBay and hosting Olympic themed events. One London taxi driver even rented out his cab at night as a single-person hotel room.
Affordable Property Investment
A large bank balance is not a prerequisite for affording an investment property. There are many options available to help you get a foot in the door including using home equity, tax incentives and tailored investment loans.
Refinancing Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these common mistakes and refinancing your home loan should be a simple, trouble-free experience. Successfully navigating the refinancing process can enable you to take advantage of better rates and features, as well as provide finance for a renovation, construction or property purchase.
Buyers Wish List
Multiple bathrooms are rated as number one on a wish list of features that buyers look for in a new home.
Price Bubble Debunked
Despite talk of a housing price bubble, ANZ research shows there is little chance of a housing market crash this year. The bank forecasts prices to remain on hold or fall slightly, but not crash.
Myths of Insurance
We rarely think twice about insuring our car, our house and even our possessions, yet we often overlook protecting our most important asset - our income.
What if ...
Considering investing in property, but worried about all the things that might go wrong? Here we look at how to deal with a number of common ‘what if’ scenarios.
Fix or not?
A drop in fixed rates by a number of banks and lenders has increased the number of borrowers who are fixing their home loans.
Technology Trends 2012
Just as the fax machine has been relegated to dinosaur status, so too will email be considered old hat. Analysts predict that 2012 will see technologies become more social, more connected and increasingly voice controlled.
Private Sale or Auction?
Selling your home via auction or private treaty is never an easy decision to make.
Renovate to Sell
Renovation is one of the ways you can differentiate your home to attract buyers in a slow market, but you need to do your homework to ensure that renovating before you sell is worth the time, effort and money.
Lower Risk with Due Diligence
Due diligence is an important part of any major transaction and acquiring a commercial property is no exception.
Put a Price on Your Home
How do you go about finding out the true value of your home? You might not want to go to the expense of hiring a qualified property valuer, but you are worried about the accuracy of relying on market appraisals from real estate agents or online property price reports.
The Year Ahead
With so many mixed messages going around about the state of the economy, we thought it was time to look at what the statistics tell us.
Insure against Risk
Risk is a necessary part of life, whether it’s as simple as trying a new breakfast cereal or as complex as investing in property. It’s how we manage these risks that can determine our future – wealth, happiness and lifestyle.
Banish Work Blues
We all have periods when we feel less than enthusiastic about being at work. When this happens, consider the following tips for achieving greater job satisfaction...
House versus Apartment
Does a house make a better investment than an apartment? It’s a common question but like the ‘old versus new’ debate, the answer depends on who you speak to!
Old versus New Property
If there’s one topic property investors rarely agree on, it’s what makes a better investment: old or new?
Rate Rollercoaster
We’ve spent the year expecting interest rates to go up, now there’s hope they may be coming down. It’s an unusual reversal of fortune and one that took many economists by surprise when just a few months ago the Reserve Bank was widely tipped to lift rates at least twice before Christmas.
Bank or Broker?
Clients sometimes ask us why they shouldn’t just go direct to a bank. Our answer is that mortgage brokers can do a lot more than process a transaction – we provide advice, financial guidance and valuable assistance with negotiating your way through the mortgage process. We also take the time to listen to your needs and understand your future financial goals.
Network Success
Networking is a great way to make contacts and establish relationships, but not everyone is good at small talk. Luckily there are tried and tested tactics for breaking the ice and getting a conversation going.
Did you know? Here are some First Home Buyer stats
Some interesting First Home Buyer Stats.
Anyone looking to buy their first property?
First home buyers are putting aside their nerves and making a comeback to the property market. After lying low for 12 months, the number of new home loan commitments by first home buyers is on the rise, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Building Wealth for Retirement
Investing in property can help build wealth for retirement in a way that superannuation, savings or the stock market cannot.
Young Australians want their own home
The dream of home ownership is alive and well, according to a new report that reveals Generation Y are willing to give up luxuries to own their first home.
Living Green
Lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint by making some green improvements around your home.
Beat the Cost of Living
How to cope with the rising cost of electricity, fuel and groceries? If asking for a pay rise is out of the question, let’s look at what else you can do to survive the escalating cost of living.
7 Ways to Pay down your Home Loan Sooner
You don’t need to win the lottery to pay off your home loan. There are a number of great strategies for reducing your loan balance and saving thousands in interest repayments. It’s never too late to begin, so pick and choose which of the following work for you.
Flat Market Favours Buyers
You’ve probably heard the reports about the Australian property market being ‘flat’. What does it mean to have a flat market and what are the implications for you as a buyer or seller?
Exit Fees Out or Not?
Work Life Balance
Secrets Every Home Buyer Should Know
Tax Tips
Exit Fees Out
2011: A Positive Market Outlook
2011 is shaping up as a positive year for the property market...
Success as a Landlord
Earn money while someone pays off your mortgage - that's the life of a landlord! Owning a rental property can be a 'dream come true' if you follow these tips for successfully managing your investment.
Are you Insured?
This year's string of floods, cyclone and bushfires has pushed the topic of insurance well into the spotlight. Thousands of home owners, landlords and business owners have lost valuable assets and without insurance cover are struggling to make ends meet.
Jobs of the future
Strong job growth is one of the signs that the economy is doing well and the climate is right for property investment.
Selling at Auction: simple strategies to improve your chances of a sale
With auction clearance rates disappointingly low, sellers have to work hard to achieve a good price at auction. Follow these simple strategies to improve your chances of a sale.
Tips for selling your home
Your home is going on the market and you want to ensure it sells for the best possible price. How do you go about it?
How much Deposit do I need?
It's possible to buy a home with very little deposit, but there are a number of reasons why it makes sense to save a decent deposit before you apply for a loan.
Buying a second property...
History rarely repeats itself and this is certainly true of buying a home second time around. As an established - or next time buyer - you have experience on your side but there are many new challenges to encounter that you may not have dealt with as a first home buyer.
Next-time buyers
Thinking about upgrading or buying your second home? If so, you're not alone, with recent data showing it's the established - or next time - buyers who are currently fuelling interest in the property market.
Buying an Investment Property
Let your head not your heart have the deciding say when buying an investment property. It's tempting to allow your emotions to get the upper hand if you are purchasing your own home, but if you don't intend to live in the property, look at it with 'investment eyes' only.
Many Happy Tax Returns
Australia has some of the most complex tax laws in the world, which means it's important to review your tax strategy each year to keep up with the latest changes. Here are some facts and tips to help you lodge your 2009-10 tax return.
Retirement Nest Egg
Working out the best way to build your nest egg for retirement is never easy, but many agree that relying on superannuation alone is not enough.
Super-sized Homes
It seems big is better when it comes to the Australian home, which now super-sizes all other countries in the world. Averaging 215 square metres, the Australian home is now 7 per cent bigger than homes in the US, double the size of those in Europe and triple the size of those in the UK.
Insuring your Mortgage
With interest rates predicted to rise again this year, you may want to consider taking out mortgage insurance for protection against financial difficulty.
Cheaper to buy or rent?
Buying property is becoming cheaper than renting in many suburbs across Australia, according to research by property pricing specialist RP Data.
Seize the Day
You have been thinking about buying a property for some time, but you cannot bring yourself to take the first step. Although you know the benefits it will bring, you keep putting your decision off because you are afraid of the risks involved.
Rainy Day Savings
Under your bed, in a bank account or on your home loan, it's always handy to have a stash of cash for that rainy day.
Redraw and Offset: A Step Ahead
While interest rates remain low, it pays to stay ahead of your minimum monthly repayments by using a redraw facility or offset account.
Refinance: You Could Save Thousands
A while ago we published an article on whether to refinance in the wake of rising interest rates. Today we re-visit this topic from the opposite side of the coin - whether to refinance in the wake of interest rates that are going down, rather than up!
Price Tags Count, Postcodes Don't
An exclusive postcode is no longer such an asset as property prices continue to drop at the top end of the market.
Broker Benefits
Good advice is critical when selecting a home loan, according to a recent survey of Australian home-owners.
Paying Interest Only
You may have heard of an interest-only loan and wondered if it is as good as it sounds.
Managing Your Money
It's often said the secret of managing money is to live as economically the day after payday as you did the day before.
Line of Credit Home Loan
Looking for a way to pay off high interest debts, fund your home improvements or make a major purchase?
Borrow Through Super
Investing your superannuation in direct property could now be an option in your retirement strategy, thanks to recent changes to the laws governing self-managed superannuation funds.
Fixed vs. Variable Home Loans
To fix or not to fix? It's a question that has become increasingly common in the wake of rising interest rates.




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