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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.

Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

What you should know about construction loans?

Over 5000 Australians use construction loans to fund building a new home each year. If you’re planning to take this route, you’ll need a complete understanding of how these loans work.

Home Loans

19 Nov, 2021

4 min read

What you should know about construction loans?
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

What is a mortgage deposit bond?

If you don’t have enough cash available, you can pay the deposit on your home with a deposit bond, and pay the full amount on settlement of your purchase.

Home Loans

19 Nov, 2021

4 min read

What is a mortgage deposit bond?
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

What does mortgage approval in principle mean?

A mortgage approval in principle isn’t the same as getting approved for a mortgage, but it can speed up buying a home. Find out how.

Home Loans

19 Nov, 2021

4 min read

What does mortgage approval in principle mean?
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

What you should know about borrowing money on your mortgage

If you’re looking to borrow additional money on your mortgage, you must consider a few things before applying for a top-up loan.

Home Loans

13 Sep, 2021

3 min read

What you should know about borrowing money on your mortgage
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

How do banks make money on mortgages?

Banks typically make money through the interest and fees they charge mortgage borrowers, which exceed the interest they pay on savings accounts.

Home Loans

08 Sep, 2021

3 min read

How do banks make money on mortgages?
Jodie Humphries

Personal Finance Editor

How to prepare for a house valuation

If you are to sell or refinance your home or need the property’s value as part of a legal settlement, first thing that you need is to do a house valuation.

Home Loans

25 Aug, 2021

4 min read

How to prepare for a house valuation
Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

Should I get an offset account?

When searching for your ideal home loan, there are a range of helpful features that can offer more flexibility and reduce your ongoing repayments. One of the most popular features for a home loan which may do just that is an offset account.

Home Loans

13 Aug, 2021

5 min read

Should I get an offset account?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

What type of home loan is best for a first home buyer?

Because every first home buyer is in a different financial situation and has different personal goals, the best home loan option for each borrower will be different. Understanding some mortgage features and benefits that are popular with first home buyers can help you compare home loans and find a deal that best suits your needs.

Home Loans

10 Aug, 2021

5 min read

What type of home loan is best for a first home buyer?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can you deposit cash in your home loan account?

Many banks and other mortgage lenders will let you make extra repayments onto a home loan. Depositing your extra cash into your mortgage like this can help to lower your loan principal, reducing your interest charges and bringing you closer to exiting the loan early. However, it’s not always easy to take this cash back out of your mortgage again in a hurry, unless your home loan has a redraw facility.

Home Loans

06 Aug, 2021

4 min read

Can you deposit cash in your home loan account?
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

What homeowners need to know about mortgage lenders going bankrupt

Ever paused and wondered what would happen if your mortgage company went bankrupt? Generally speaking, your home loan will most likely be transferred to a new bank that chooses to absorb the bankrupt mortgage lender.

Home Loans

04 Aug, 2021

5 min read

What homeowners need to know about mortgage lenders going bankrupt
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Do you need a bank account to get a home loan?

To get a home loan, you’ll need a bank account in order to manage the repayments. However, you aren’t required to bank with the same financial institution that holds your mortgage.

Home Loans

04 Aug, 2021

3 min read

Do you need a bank account to get a home loan?
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

Do I need multiple mortgage pre-approvals?

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage can help narrow down your property search considerably, as you’ll have a firm budget in mind while you go house hunting. Additionally, being pre-approved for a mortgage puts you in a better position to negotiate a price at an auction. 

Home Loans

30 Jul, 2021

4 min read

Do I need multiple mortgage pre-approvals?