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Home Loans Articles

Learn more about how to manage your personal finances with RateCity's home loan articles, including how-to-guides on comparing home loan interest rates, fees, features and other benefits.

Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

If I don't like my new lender after I refinance, can I go back to my previous lender?

Struggling with refinancers' remorse? Discover your options if you've switched lenders but realised you want to go back to your old lender.

Home Loans

25 Oct, 2022

4 min read

If I don't like my new lender after I refinance, can I go back to my previous lender?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

What is a specialist lender?

Specialist lenders, also known as non-conforming lenders, are lenders that offer mortgages to ‘non-vanilla’ borrowers who struggle to get finance at mainstream banks. This may include borrowers who are self-employed, in casual employment or new to Australia, as well as borrowers with bad credit.

Home Loans

20 Oct, 2022

2 min read

What is a specialist lender?
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

Can workers' compensation be used to qualify for a mortgage?

Explore how worker's compensation can help you qualify for a mortgage.

Home Loans

19 Oct, 2022

3 min read

Can workers' compensation be used to qualify for a mortgage?
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

What are genuine savings?

Learn about Genuine Savings, its constitutes and why is it important to qualify for a home loan

Home Loans

19 Oct, 2022

4 min read

What are genuine savings?
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Everything you need to know about a Lenders Mortgage Insurance refund

You may get an LMI refund if you repay your home loan within 12 to 24 months, provided you fulfil the other eligibility criteria. In some cases, you can get a refund of up to 50 per cent of your LMI fee.

Home Loans

18 Oct, 2022

3 min read

Mortgage Insurance Refund: Are you eligible? - RateCity
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

What is a drawdown?

Transferring money from a lending institution to a borrower is also known as “drawing down”. In a typical home loan, the funds are drawn down all at once to buy the property. In a construction loan, the money is drawn down in several stages to pay the builders as they progress through each phase of the project. In a line of credit loan, you can draw down money, up to a limit, based on your loan’s available equity. 

Home Loans

14 Oct, 2022

3 min read

What is a drawdown?
Peter Terlato

Personal Finance Editor

Can you get a home loan if you owe taxes?

During the mortgage approval process, lenders gather information that may uncover tax debts. If you owe money to the ATO, there are lenders that may be willing to approve your home loan application.

Home Loans

14 Oct, 2022

5 min read

Can you get a home loan if you owe taxes?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can you borrow extra on your mortgage for furniture?

It may be possible to borrow extra money on your home loan to help pay for furniture. However, this could mean paying more interest on your mortgage, potentially blowing out the cost of furnishing your home.

Home Loans

13 Oct, 2022

4 min read

Can you borrow extra on your mortgage for furniture?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can I change jobs while I am applying for a home loan?

Many lenders require you to be in a permanent job with the same employer for at least six months before applying for a home loan. If your work situation changes for any reason while you’re applying for a mortgage, this could reduce your application’s chances of approval. But contacting the lender as soon as you know your employment situation is changing may allow you to come to an agreement.

Home Loans

12 Oct, 2022

4 min read

Can I change jobs while I am applying for a home loan?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

The benefits of downsizing your home

Senior Australians may find that the family home is bigger than they know what to do with, and may be costing a lot to maintain. Downsizing to a smaller property may not only better suit your changing lifestyle but come with financial benefits for your household budget.

Home Loans

05 Oct, 2022

4 min read

The benefits of downsizing your home
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

Is home equity release the right option for you?

Home equity release loans can help you access some of the money you’ve paid into your home without taking on additional debt.

Home Loans

22 Sep, 2022

7 min read

Is home equity release the right option for you? | RateCity
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Mortgage protection insurance vs life insurance

Have you planned what will happen to your mortgage and other financial responsibilities after you die? Mortgage protection and life insurance are two options that can help.

Home Loans

19 Sep, 2022

3 min read

Mortgage protection insurance vs life insurance | RateCity