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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.

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How fast can you get a home equity loan?

To get a home equity loan, you’ll first need to get some equity in your property. While it will likely take some time to build up your equity, you may find that you have more equity available than you realise, which could help things go faster.

Home Loans

24 Jul, 2021

3 min read

How fast can you get a home equity loan?

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Finding suitable mortgage lenders for discharged bankrupts

Getting a loan as a discharged bankrupt is possible, but you may need to look for a specialist lender. Learn about the process and mortgage companies that deal with bankruptcies.

Home Loans

23 Jul, 2021

4 min read

Finding suitable mortgage lenders for discharged bankrupts

Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

Calculating your home loan based on rental payments

Your rental payments, or lack of, make up a key component of how a lender will assess your borrowing power for your home loan. Let’s explore how you may be able to determine how much you can borrow for a home loan based on your rental payments and current living situation.

Home Loans

19 Jul, 2021

7 min read

Calculating your home loan based on rental payments

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can you have two home equity loans?

A home equity loan can help put the value of your property to work for you. Whether used to access a flexible line of credit, or to secure a mortgage over an investment property, your home equity can prove a useful tool for reaching your personal and financial goals.

Home Loans

12 Jul, 2021

3 min read

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How is mortgage interest calculated?

Home loans can seem complex and intimidating. This may be partly due to the massive sums of money involved, especially for buying property in Australia’s capital cities. It may also be partly due to the seemingly impenetrable maths involved in working out your interest charges and monthly repayments.

Home Loans

08 Jul, 2021

6 min read

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Complaints against mortgage companies: What you need to know

The responsible lending criteria set by the Australian government means your lender has a responsibility to ensure that a credit product is suitable for you, and to take steps to verify your financial situation before approving your home loan application. But what if you received a home loan you’re now struggling to repay?

Home Loans

02 Jul, 2021

4 min read

Complaints against mortgage companies: What you need to know

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Can I get a second mortgage for a rental property?

If you’ve owned your home for long enough, you’re likely to have built some equity in it, giving you several options for financing your second home or rental property. For instance, you can leverage your home equity by refinancing your home loan for a higher amount, or take out a second mortgage using the same property as collateral.

Home Loans

01 Jul, 2021

4 min read

Can I get a second mortgage for a rental property?

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

Should I combine my first and second mortgages?

If you’ve taken out two mortgages on your property, you may want to look for ways to consolidate the first and second mortgage as this could help you save on interest.

Home Loans

29 Jun, 2021

3 min read

Should I combine my first and second mortgages?

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

How long does a valuation report take?

If you’re buying or selling a house, you may want to know how much the property is worth. A valuation report helps you get a number based on a professional evaluation.

Home Loans

23 Jun, 2021

3 min read

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

What is the difference between a real estate appraisal and evaluation?

There is a difference between an appraisal and an evaluation in real estate. You may need either when buying or selling a house, so find out what they mean.

Home Loans

22 Jun, 2021

3 min read

What is the difference between a real estate appraisal and evaluation?

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How do mortgage companies verify income?

When you apply for a home loan, you’ll need to show the lender that you can comfortably afford the repayments. But how exactly do banks and mortgage lenders check your income and confirm that you earn enough for a mortgage?

Home Loans

18 Jun, 2021

5 min read

How do mortgage companies verify income?

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can I borrow money for stamp duty?

Stamp duty can be a significant cost to consider when buying a property. As well as your deposit and other fees and charges, stamp duty can add thousands of dollars to your upfront costs, depending on the value of the property. So it’s not surprising that some Australians look for alternative ways to manage this expense, such as borrowing money for stamp duty.

Home Loans

11 Jun, 2021

3 min read