Insights

The popular Home Guarantee Scheme that lets first home buyers get into the market with just a 5% deposit has been expanded sooner than expected. But an unexpected twist means first home buyers may want to bring forward their buying plans. The Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) allows first home buyers to buy with just a 5% deposit…

Three rate cuts since February have spurred home owners to take a closer look at their home loan. Turns out plenty have found a loan better suited to their needs elsewhere, with 100,000 home loans refinanced in the past quarter. It’s not every day we do a double-take looking at lending numbers. But it happened…

Borrowers around the country have been delivered a sunnier financial outlook this month after the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) today trimmed the cash rate by another 25 basis points to 3.60%. How much could your monthly mortgage repayments decrease? After last month’s unexpected hold, the RBA this month went with market expectations and delivered…

Buying a first home isn’t always easy, and first-timers sometimes miss out on a place they’ve set their heart on. But more than one-in-ten first-time buyers have missed out simply because they didn’t have home loan pre-approval. Buying a first home can be an emotional roller coaster. It’s not unusual to find a property you…

Location, location, location. Or should we say: education, education, education. New research shows homes in the catchment areas of sought-after public schools can command six-figure price premiums. Here’s why. Your home can be much more than a roof over your head. It’s also an investment that may build personal wealth and serve as a form…

There’s a lot to love about buying a brand new home, and sales of recently constructed homes have increased 19% over the last quarter. We look at the pros and cons of buying a new home – and the financial incentives available to new home buyers. Fresh paint, spotless floor coverings and shiny new appliances….

If you haven’t checked your borrowing power recently, it might be worth another look. A lot has happened in 2025, and your borrowing capacity could be higher than you realise. It’s been a busy year on the money front. Tax cuts, a couple of rate cuts, and reductions in HECS debts have all potentially been…

Home owners hoping for rate relief in July may be disappointed, but it’s still possible to score a rate cut of your own by refinancing. Despite this, plenty of borrowers are sticking to an old loan – and it could be costing them. When it comes to rate cuts, nothing is certain until the Reserve…

Growing a 20% deposit isn’t just challenging. It can be a (very) long slog. Fortunately, 50,000 new places in the popular 5% deposit Home Guarantee Scheme just opened up on July 1. Here’s how to secure your spot. Struggling to reach that seemingly mythical 20% milestone? You’re not alone. Property exchange platform PEXA says it…

Finding the property that’s right for you and your budget is an exciting milestone! But what happens next? We explain how to make an offer and seal the deal. Most of us buy a home only a handful of times in our lifetime. So it’s not surprising that plenty of buyers – from first-timers to…

Here’s some warming news for winter – first home buyers are making a welcome return to the property market. Several factors suggest the stars may have aligned to make now a good time to take that first step on the property ladder. Growing numbers of first home buyers are entering the housing market, with NAB reporting lending…

Property values nationally have passed a major milestone with the average home price pushing through the $1 million mark for the first time ever. Have you been putting off buying? If so, here’s how to get the ball rolling. Despite a cost-of-living crunch and several years of high interest rates, the Australian property market continues…