What is a mortgage registration fee?

When you buy or refinance a property, there are some extra costs to budget for. As well as covering your lender’s upfront fees, there are government charges to consider, such as the mortgage registration fee, which covers the cost of adding the mortgage on your home to the land titles office in your state or territory.

How to make an offer on a house

Once you’ve been preapproved for a home loan, you can start house-hunting with confidence, knowing your finances are ready. Once you find a property that suits your needs and your budget, you can take the next step and make an offer. But what is the exact process of making an offer on a house, unit, or investment property? 

Five benefits of home insurance that not all policies offer

You may find that more is covered by your home and contents insurance policy than just the renovation, rebuilding, or replacement of your home after an insured event.

Some of the top-rated home loans for investors and refinancers in September 2023

With no movement from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) on the cash rate this month, why aren’t Australian homeowners and investors breathing a sigh of relief? Some of Australia’s biggest banks have been hiking their home loan interest rates out of cycle from the RBA, making refinancing more challenging.

Is it good to apply for a personal loan online?

Personal loans are available from retail banks and mutual banks, but also from specialised online-only lenders. Because these lenders often have lower ongoing costs, they may be able to offer more competitive personal loans than their big bank rivals. It’s still essential to compare personal loans before you apply, to make sure you’re making the best choice to suit your needs.

Why is it important to have landlord home insurance?

After purchasing your property, you’ve decided to rent it out and use it as an investment. But what happens if your tenant stops paying rent, or damages your property? Is there any way to protect your investment?

House prices bounce back - what does this mean for first home buyers?

Australia’s housing market may be recovering from its recent downturns, thanks to rising home values and more housing stock. Higher house prices could prove challenging for some first home buyers to overcome, though it’s possible the recovery could stall later in the year.

How do you file a home insurance claim for flooding?

Natural disasters are a fact of life in Australia, though they still take many of us by surprise. If you’ve been affected by storms and flooding, you’ll want to quickly find out what’s covered by your insurance so you can make a claim.

How to improve your chances of getting approved for a home loan

Unfortunately, many home loan applications are rejected for avoidable reasons, such as  unusually high living expenses, or providing incorrect documentation. Understanding what may lead to your home loan application’s rejection may help you to increase your home loan’s approval chances.

Rates on hold: What can I expect when my fixed rate period ends?

With home loan interest rates rising thanks to cash rate hikes from the RBA, mortgage holders sitting on fixed rates may be breathing a sigh of relief. But there’s a chance that there could be a sting in the tail at the end of each fixed rate term, which borrowers may need to watch out and prepare for.