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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.

Kate Cowling

Rates on hold but market still awash with home loan bargains

The RBA has this afternoon announced that rates will remain on hold for the moment but banks are continuing to offer low interest rate deals for ideal borrowers with big deposits.

Home Loans

02 Feb, 2016

3 min read

Rates on hold but market still awash with home loan bargains
RateCity

Domain's Home Price Guide: How much is your property worth?

After launching the Home Price Guide in August, property website Domain.com.au has launched a new feature, Track My Home, which allows property owners to update the details of their property – including recent renovations, extensions and refreshes – to receive a current property value estimate.

Home Loans

13 Jan, 2016

4 min read

Domain's Home Price Guide: How much is your property worth?
Patricia Babalis

Property, super and more: What lies ahead for 2016?

Will house prices rise or fall? Will the government implement changes to the super system? And will customers be able to wear online banking technology?

Home Loans

21 Dec, 2015

8 min read

Property, super and more: What lies ahead for 2016?
Patricia Babalis

What a US Fed rate rise means for Australia

An improving job market in the United States and a strengthening national economy is likely to see the US Federal Reserve (Fed) lift rates for the first time in a decade this week. The Fed itself has been abundantly clear it is keen to begin the “normalisation” of US monetary policy, but mixed US economic data in recent weeks has thrown a question mark into the mix. Dr Shane Oliver, Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist at AMP Capital still believes a rate hike on 16 December is 70 per cent likely.

Home Loans

14 Dec, 2015

4 min read

What a US Fed Rate Rise means for Australia
Kate Cowling

Bank of mum and dad' popular choice for first home buyers

It’s always been a bank you can trust, but just how popular is the bank of mum and dad? New RateCity research shows that half of Gen Y couples now need financial help from their parents to get into the property market. Property prices have sky-rocketed in the last five years, particularly in our capital cities, so it’s no wonder a lot of younger people are struggling to outbid cashed-up investors at the point of sale.

Home Loans

09 Dec, 2015

6 min read

Bank of mum and dad' popular choice for first home buyers
Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Borrowers look to fixed rates as cash rate stalls

The cash rate may have stalled but the appetite for fixed home loans has soared, as Australians look to take advantage of historically low rates. RateCity.com.au data shows that the number of people looking for fixed home loans has increased 58 per cent in the last seven weeks, in line with the major banks’ decision to lift variable rates, compared with the seven weeks prior.

Home Loans

01 Dec, 2015

2 min read

Borrowers look to fixed rates as cash rate stalls
Peter Arnold

Is now the time to fix your home loan?

A total of 11 lenders, including several major banks, have dropped their three year fixed rates in the last fortnight to lows of 3.89 per cent. With rates at record lows, is now a good time to fix?

Home Loans

23 Nov, 2015

3 min read

Is now the time to fix your home loan?
Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Australians urged not to be complacent as rates stay on hold

The Reserve Bank may have left rates on hold today but mortgage holders are urged to take matters into their own hands if they are unhappy with their rate.

Home Loans

03 Nov, 2015

2 min read

Australians urged not to be complacent as rates stay on hold
RateCity

Breaking up with your bank, could it have saved you $23K?

The rate hike from the big four banks which takes affect this month, comes at a time when most people are predicting another rate cut. Is this the final straw for complacent borrowers? New research from RateCity shows that if you have been a long time mortgage holder with one of the big banks, you could have saved yourself $1000's, but that it's not too late to switch.

Home Loans

03 Nov, 2015

2 min read

The cost of complacency - could you have saved $23K?
Kate Cowling

Differential home loan pricing set to stay

The slowing in investor borrowing revealed in RBA figures released today are set to continue in coming months with more lenders offering different home loan rates, according to leading financial comparison website RateCity.

Home Loans

30 Sep, 2015

3 min read

Differential home loan pricing set to stay
Kate Cowling

Owning your own home just got 0.85% more affordable

The introduction of different rates for investors and owner-occupiers is turning the tables on the property market

Home Loans

30 Sep, 2015

4 min read

Owning your own home just got 0.85% more affordable
Patricia Babalis

Crunch before you commit, why rewards could lose you money

Competition in the home loan market continues to run hot, but are introductory offers such as cash back or rewards points actually worth it?

Home Loans

25 Sep, 2015

3 min read

Crunch before you commit - why rewards may lose you money