home loan Archives - Focus Property Wealth

Buying an apartment vs a house as an investment

03 November 2024

Do you want to jump into the property market but don’t have the budget to buy a house? A unit or apartment could be a great way to get your leg up on the property ladder. According to CoreLogic data, unit values are now rising at a faster rate than houses in more than half…

Rentvesting: is this a good option for first-time buyers?

15 August 2024

With today’s cost of living pressures and the median dwelling value in Australia now at $794,000, many young Australians feel like they’ll never be able to enter the property market. However, it’s important to remember there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to buying your first property. For some, it could be a home to live in. For others, rentvesting…

Refinancing your home loan: how does it work?

19 January 2024

When you’re busy with life, refinancing can seem like a hassle. However, with a mortgage broker to guide you through the process, it doesn’t have to be! Refinancing may allow you to switch to a more competitive home loan, thereby potentially saving you money in interest. It can also help you achieve other goals, like…

Smart Investing for the Budget-Savvy

18 August 2023

Perth property investment market is going very well, much of this success is to do with the WA property markets affordability in comparison to other states. Is a small budget holding you back from property investment? Think again! So you might be surprised to learn that you don’t need a hefty bank balance to dive…

Home Settlement Process – What you should know

03 July 2023

There’s nothing quite like the buzz of seeing those words in your inbox: Confirmation of settlement of your property purchase. Settlement day can be both exciting and stressful. But once the formalities are done, it’s all worth it. If you’re planning a property purchase and are new to how settlement works, here’s a rundown. What…

Credit Report 101: A Beginner’s Guide

22 June 2023

Have you ever wondered how lenders decide whether to grant you that coveted home loan? Your credit report holds significant importance in their decision-making process. Think of it as your financial report card, showcasing your payment habits and borrowing history. Since the introduction of the Comprehensive Credit Reporting (CCR) rule in 2019, your credit report…

mortgage prison how can you escape it?

16 June 2023

Stuck in an expensive home loan and feeling trapped? You’re not alone. It’s estimated about 16 per cent of households with a mortgage are in a “mortgage prison”, unable to refinance to a more competitive interest rate because they can’t meet strict serviceability rules. But there may be a way out. And we can help. What is…

How your HECS-HELP debt affects your borrowing capacity

11 May 2023

Do you know how much you owe on your HECS-HELP debt? While student HECS and HELP loans in Australia are interest-free, they are indexed every financial year based on a cost of living index. The recent outbreak of high inflation means millions of Australians with student loan debts are facing a 7.1% increase from 1…

Is your Fixed rate home loan finishing soon? Here’s how to manage the shock…

13 March 2023

What you can do to avoid stress and anxiety with a fixed rate home loan expiring! With the recent increase in the cash rate by the Reserve Bank of Australia, many homeowners are concerned about how they will manage heftier repayments under the new higher variable interest rate, especially with the current high cost of…

Perth property market update

12 May 2019

When will the Perth Property market return to growth? With so much focus on the NSW and Victorian property in media it is important to understand Australia has many individual property markets and Perth has been doing it tough for many years now. You may recall way back in 2006, Perth's median property prices…

Fixed Interest vs Variable Home Loans in 2018

07 June 2018

If you’re buying a property or considering refinancing your home loan in 2018, you may be asking yourself whether to fix your interest rate or not. Many people think about switching to a fixed interest rate mortgage when interest rates are low, in the belief that it will insulate them from future interest rate rises.…

Should I buy an investment property?

22 February 2018

To buy an investment property in 2018, or not to buy? With more than 15% of Australian taxpayers owning at least one investment property, it’s a big question on many people’s minds right now. So, what’s the answer? Last year saw some major curveballs thrown to property investors, which may have left you wondering whether…

6 questions to ask your mortgage broker

07 February 2018

Did you know that your mortgage broker can help you with a lot more than a home loan? Mortgage brokers are qualified as ‘credit advisors’, so we can be of great benefit to you in a variety of different ways when it comes to your finances. To start you thinking about maximising your financial goals…

3 things every new landlord needs to know

04 January 2018

Buying your first investment property is exciting, but it also comes with new responsibilities. When you’re on your L-plates as a new landlord, it’s important to be aware of your rights and obligations and those of your tenants. Here are some of the essential things that you should know. 1) Go it alone, or use…

Is now the right time to buy your first home?

07 December 2017

If you’ve been dreaming about purchasing your own place, but a niggling voice in the back of your mind has been offering up objections, we’re here to tell that voice to pump the breaks, champ! In this article, we tackle some of the common objections first home buyers may have to buying right now, and…

Refinance your Investment property loan?

08 October 2017

The clever investor knows that assessing your investments regularly is key to identifying opportunities to build wealth. Knowing when to refinance an investment property could be vital to a successful strategy. So is now the time for you to refinance? Talk to us and we’ll help you to decide! Despite recent tightening around investor lending,…

Is your Interest Only Loan the best for you?

06 October 2017

The last 12 months have seen a lot of changes to interest rates on home loans and investment loans and more recently interest only loans getting the regulators attention. Now is the time to review your loan to see if you can reduce your loan rate and perhaps even pay it down faster. What is…

A step-by-step guide to refinancing your home

22 August 2017

With a home loan it’s easy to just ‘set and forget’. But it’s sensible to review your home loan every three years or so and if savings can be made consider refinancing. We're living in a world of rapid change, where interest rates go up and down fast, new lenders emerge and more competitive lending…

Home loan savings to pay your home loan off….FAST.

15 August 2017

PART 2 - The Solution We will provide the solution to really turbocharge our clients plans to find home loan savings to pay their home loan off years faster. Previously we laid out a common client scenario. The Solution.... To save John and Jenny they have decided to take the following action, each of these…

Questions to ask about your home loan

30 July 2017

There’s a lot of benefits to using a mortgage broker and they can certainly help you speed up the process of property buying and your financial goals. A good mortgage broker can assist you in choosing the right home loan for your current and future needs as well as answering all your questions. Here’s some…