What options do first home buyers have?

Australians hoping to snap up their first home this year will have to tackle growing property prices, rising interest rates and the continuation of tight lending conditions, all without the help of the First Home Owners Boost.

Rising rates will cost households $3.34 billion in 2010

Like both sides of a coin, low unemployment levels and rising home prices are indicative of an economy making a comeback from the GFC but on the flip side Australian households are being hit hard with constant interest rates hikes.

Perfect match: Finding the right car insurance cover

If you apply the same commitment to finding a partner when choosing car insurance, you will find the right fit while saving time and money. Searching for the right type of car insurance cover can be like searching for that special someone.

Borrowers snub home loans after rate hikes and lower incentives

Home loans have been on the decline in recent months, potentially due to the consecutive rate increases towards the end of 2009. With interest rates expected to rise even higher, borrowers are scrambling for more competitive deals.

Home loans: How much should you really be paying?

As interest rates increase, mortgage repayments can start to become a challenge for people with variable rate home loans. It is one thing to sign up for a mortgage, but what happens a year or two later when your interest rates and circumstances may change?

Home owners flounder while banks flourish in record profits

The Commonwealth Bank is the latest major bank to see record profits for the first half of the 2009-10 financial year. This has sparked concerns that interest rates will remain inflated above expected levels, placing thousands more home loan borrowers in the red.

Tough times ahead: How to manage your mortgage

Chances are you’re going to be living with your home loan for quite a while. And that means being able to handle the mortgage in good – and not so good, times.

Spendthrift? Australians rack up record debt

Credit card users have broken an all-time record in the Christmas season, dismissing predictions that Australians would be spending conservatively in the wake of the financial crisis.

Silver lining for borrowers as new home sales fall

New home sales are suffering while the economy recovers, according to leading industry bodies. This has caused concerns over the future of housing sales in Australia and home loan prospects, due in part to the increasing trend of interest rates.

No government guarantee to shake up home loan market

The Australian Government is taking away the home loan guarantee that supported lenders during the global financial crisis, in an effort to urge the economy towards independent recovery.