- Home
- Home Loans
- Articles
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.
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
House Appraisal vs Market Value: how much is your home worth?
What is a property actually worth? The answer may depend on if you were to ask a real estate agent or a valuer working for a mortgage lender.
Home Loans
17 Oct, 2023
6 min read
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
Heritage home renovations explained
Buying and renovating an older property can be an affordable and satisfying way to improve your quality of life at home, or to add more value to an investment. However, renovating a home old enough to qualify for heritage listing can bring with it a whole set of new complications. Be prepared for extra work and hassle, but also extra satisfaction!
Home Loans
17 Oct, 2023
4 min read
Vidhu Bajaj
Personal Finance Writer
Are holiday homes a good investment?
Planning to invest in a holiday home? Consider its purpose, pros and cons, and how you can protect your holiday home against damage.
Home Loans
16 Oct, 2023
7 min read
Vidhu Bajaj
Personal Finance Writer
What is rentvesting?
In this article we break down what rentvesting is all about, including what it means, how it works, and its pros and cons.
Home Loans
05 Oct, 2023
9 min read
Alex Ritchie
Personal Finance Editor
Which type of home loan is best?
There is no one-size-fits-all best home loan type. In fact, there are several home loan types available to suit a range of homeowners in Australia.
Home Loans
26 Sep, 2023
5 min read
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
Is negative gearing to blame for house unaffordability?
Negative gearing allows investors to claim any losses they incur on an investment property against their personal tax income and is often accused of driving up the price of property by encouraging investors to enter the market. Some economists have called for it to be abolished, and many blame it for Australia’s housing unaffordability.
Home Loans
22 Sep, 2023
6 min read
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
How to invest in Australian property as a non-resident
Investing in Australian property can often prove lucrative for international investors, thanks to the high-quality lifestyle, and choice of locations. If you want to invest in Australian property, you’ll need to understand the rules and regulations governing non-resident borrowers. Before your application for a non-resident home loan can be approved, the government authorities will evaluate it.
Home Loans
22 Sep, 2023
6 min read
Alex Ritchie
Personal Finance Editor
Fixed vs variable rates: which is better, and can you have both?
Whether you are buying your first home, refinancing or purchasing an investment property, make sure you compare the best home loans on the market to see if home ownership is a good financial step for you.
Home Loans
22 Sep, 2023
5 min read
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
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.
Home Loans
20 Sep, 2023
4 min read
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
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?
Home Loans
20 Sep, 2023
7 min read
Alex Ritchie
Personal Finance Editor
The benefits of refinancing a home loan
If you’ve been paying off your home loan for some time now, you’ve likely thought about refinancing. After all, the chances that your current home loan is still the best option available for you may not be as high as you think.
Home Loans
10 Sep, 2023
7 min read
Alex Ritchie
Personal Finance Editor
Should you refinance or negotiate a better home loan rate?
After you’ve held your mortgage for a few years, a question that often comes up is whether to refinance to something better, or to negotiate with your current lender for a better interest rate?
Home Loans
07 Sep, 2023
5 min read
Trending articles
Vidhu Bajaj
Personal Finance Writer
30 Dec, 2024
What is expression of interest in real estate
Vidhu Bajaj
Personal Finance Writer
19 Dec, 2024
What to consider when buying property in a trust
Mark Bristow
Personal Finance Editor
11 Dec, 2024
Mortgagee in possession sales – how to protect your home
Popular searches
Best mortgages
>Fixed rate home loans
>Low interest home loans
>Variable rate home loans
>SMSF home loans
>Interest only home loans
>Investor home loans
>First mortgages
>Construction home loans
>Bridging home loans
>Low deposit home loans
>Home loan refinance calculator
>Related calculators
Home loan repayment calculator
>Borrowing power calculator
>Refinance calculator
>Stamp duty calculator
>Lender mortgage insurance (LMI) calculator
>
Find a local mortgage broker
Get expert home loan advice and assistance with your mortgage application.
Share this page
Promoted home loans products
Variable Rate Home Loan LVR < 80%
Real Time Rating™
- 2024 Award Winner
- Special
- Owner Occupied
- Variable
Interest rate p.a.
5.99%
Comparison rate* p.a.
5.90%
Australian Credit Licence 234945
Fees & charges apply
Variable Home Loan
Real Time Rating™
- Cashback
- Owner Occupied
- Variable
- 20% min deposit
Interest rate p.a.
6.09%
Comparison rate* p.a.
6.10%
Australian Credit Licence 234527
Fees & charges apply
Variable Home Loan
Real Time Rating™
- Owner Occupied
- Variable
- 10% min deposit
- P&I
Interest rate p.a.
6.04%
Comparison rate* p.a.
6.08%
Australian Credit Licence 395219
Fees & charges apply
Solar Home Loan
Real Time Rating™
- Owner Occupied
- Variable
- 10% min deposit
- P&I
Interest rate p.a.
5.99%
Comparison rate* p.a.
6.48%
Australian Credit Licence 395219
Fees & charges apply
Product data updated on 3 Jan 2025