Spring is in the air. Alongside the warmer weather comes what is traditionally the busiest season of the year for Australia’s property markets, with listings numbers and buyer activity usually significantly higher than during the winter months. This spring season will be very different from the previous two years, with...
How refinancing can help you dodge the full impact of rate rises
With all four major banks and many other home loan lenders passing on in full the Reserve Bank of Australia’s latest interest rate to their variable-rate borrowers, many homeowners are facing yet another jump in their home finance repayments – the fifth in as many months. However, existing variable borrowers will...
Your borrowing capacity is falling right now – but you can fight back.
You’ve no doubt heard that interest rates are rising. Over the past few months, the Reserve Bank has been increasing the cash rate, taking it from a record-low 0.10% in May to 1.85% in August, with further increases all but certain. As the Reserve Bank has been increasing the cash...
What would Warren Buffett do in the current property market?
Warren Buffett is one of the world's richest people and most successful investors. According to Investopedia.com, his net worth is listed at $100 billion as of June 2022. Buffett once explained why he and his business partner, Charlie Munger, had built such an incredible investing record over many years. "We simply...
Why are millennials making a big move to the regions?
Traditionally, there’s been a perception that young Australians want to live in our capital cities, thanks to the career opportunities, buzzing nightlife and vibrant lifestyle. But new data from the Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute’s Regional Movers Index has turned that notion on its head. The index found...
What expenses can investors claim on their investment property?
Every year, the Australian Taxation Office announces its key focus areas for tax time. And almost every time, investment property income and deductions make the list as problem areas in which taxpayers commonly make mistakes. ATO assistant commissioner Tim Loh said that all property investors should make sure they include...
Australia’s home loan wars heat up
Home loan interest rates are on the rise, thanks to back-to-back cash rate hikes from the Reserve Bank of Australia that have seen the country’s official interest rate jump to 0.85%. The RBA’s move comes off the back of the fastest acceleration of inflation in over two decades, representing a...
4 simple ways to save for a home deposit
Given the median value of a home in Melbourne was over $800,000 in April, it’s no wonder that getting on the property ladder can seem tough. Your biggest challenge? Saving that all-important deposit – which can take years of scrimping and saving. But all is not lost. With a solid...
Why now might be a great time to think about refinancing
What would you say if we told you some home loan lenders are so desperate for your business that they will hand you thousands of dollars in cash if you refinance your home mortgage with them? Even better, this money can be spent any way you like – whether that's...
How to make the most of your home’s equity
It might not feel like it, but Australians have never been as wealthy. Household wealth skyrocketed by $590 billion over the September 2021 quarter to hit a record $13.9 trillion, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent figures. Wealth per capita rose to a record high of $540,000....