The seesaw of fixed and variable home loans

While rates for some variable home loans have increased and fixed mortgage rates dropped, will borrowers be better off fixing their home loans right now? Out of more than 100 lenders monitored by RateCity, 66 have increased their variable home loan rates by as much as 45 basis points from November 1 to November 22.

Aussies could be missing out on $3.6 billion in interest

If you currently have money sitting in a savings account you could be one of the many people missing out on your share of $3.6 billion of unclaimed interest. But there is good news: all you need to do is switch accounts and find a better deal to get your share.

Do fixed-rate home loans help you save?

If some people can save more by fixing their home loan rate, how do you know when it is the right time to fix? Knowing whether to fix or not is the question on most home buyers minds, but this decision all depends on the market and timing.

To build or not to build? That is the question

Are you in the market for a new home? RateCity helps you decide between building a new house or purchasing an existing home.

Are you really stuck with your home loan for life?

Want to move your home loan but worried you are locked in for life? With the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) cracking down on excessive early exit fees and several major banks slashing their mortgage exit fees, the chains around your mortgage could be getting looser.

Home loan myth: Do you get a better rate for being loyal?

So you've had your savings account with the same financial institution since your primary school days and now you're in your late twenties and in the market for a home loan. Because you've been with the same bank for all of these years, does this mean that they will offer you a better deal for being loyal?

Why risk it? Don't fib on your mortgage application

According to a study by Veda Advantage, 1.6 million Australians have lied about their financial information when applying for a loan. Not only is this a shocking number of people being dishonest but the nightmare that this behaviour can be very damaging to the applicants and their families.

Is everything negotiable when it comes to home loans?

More customers are using their powers of persuasion for a better deal on their home loans, but is it really paying off? According to a survey by Choice, out of 2170 people surveyed, one-third of customers with home loans asked their financial institution for reduced rates and to their surprise most of them got what they asked for.

How to purchase your dream home in 12 months

If you are a first home buyer who has a goal of buying your dream property next mortgage season, here are some points on what you should do now to better prepare yourself.

Economy strengthens but buyer confidence flattens

Buyer confidence levels for purchasing property have flattened over the past year but they are still higher than 2008 levels. According to the September 2010 Genworth Homebuyer Confidence Index, our confidence in the home loan and property market has increased by 7.7 percentage points, from 92.4 in 2008 to 99.1 in 2010.