Latest News Items

House Prices Flat, Rent Prices Inflate

Published January 12th, 2011

Before 2010, it was predicted that property prices in Sydney would grow by eight percent, the market will slow down due to the cancellation of the First Home Owners Grant and increasing interest rates. It was also predicted that building approvals will increase and the upper property market will fare better than the lower end though the high end of the market will register a decline in vacancy rates.

It was also forecasted that the lower end of the property market will be tightly contested with an interest rate of beyond eight percent spelling doom for the property market in Sydney. After seeing what happened, the property market did slow down with Sydney real estate prices decreasing during the last six months of 2010.

Thanks to bullish growth in the first half of the year, Sydney’s annual growth rate was at eight percent. Also, building approvals did increase in the first months of the year while it remains to be seen whether the upper end of the property market did better than the lower end, although the performance of the high property market was better than 2009.

As for 2011, it has been predicted that rental fees will increase and vacancy rates will be in the seven to nine percent range for the majority of the property market. Also, building approvals will decrease due to the decreased activity of investors due to the increasing interest rates.

While the high end of the Sydney property market is expected to underperform, properties in the western and southwestern part of the city are predicted to incur higher rental fees and stronger capital growth. Also, houses that have values within the $1 million mark will provide discounts.

Home loan interest rates must be at most eight percent to avoid negative impact to the property market of Sydney while house prices in the city for 2011 can stay flat or gradually decrease by up to four percent. With more official cash rate increases set to come in the next year, the overall Australian property market might decline.

Choosing a Home Loan Lender

Published April 29th, 2010

Choosing a lender is difficult. In your search for a good home loan lender, you might get confused with all the great offers that they have. Some offers are too good to be true, and might not be worthwhile long term. Here are some tips for choosing a good home loan lender

First, you know your credit history. Most home loan lenders put a lot of weight into this. Some lenders won’t even look at you with a bad history as it can determine whether you are can repay your loan.

Next, determine your budget. Home loan lenders have specific deals for various repayment capabilities. From here, you can determine the deal that suits you best or you can compare between two or more home loan lenders.

Third, you live within your capabilities. Most home loan lenders are strict with repayment schedules and you should reduce miscellaneous expenses when you are still paying your loan term.

Then, do some research on your preferred home loan lender. Ask your friends, check out their website and ask lots of questions.

You should also look up on the annual average percentage rate on the loans that the lender is offering. The AAPR shows a better picture of the loan cost when upfront fees, honeymoon rates, ongoing fees and other payments are put into the mix.

You must also determine whether the home loan lender offers different home loan payment terms through weekly or fortnightly repayment and whether you can speed up the repayment process too by combining different home loan repayment types.

After considering all of these factors, you can now choose your home loan lender.

It might be easier to use a broker like eChoice. With their great technology and experienced staff they can look through all the lenders and choose the one that is right for you. It makes the process is easy.

Why APR Should Not Be The Only Parameter To Compare Mortgage Loans

Published November 20th, 2009

Getting a home loan is not always an easy task. At times, borrowers go for a mortgage that ultimately proves to be costlier than they thought because of higher APR and other factors. If you don’t shop around, you wouldn’t get a lender that would work in your best interest. On certain occasions, lenders try to take advantage of the consumers and make them sign for a loan product that would not benefit them in any way.

The consumers sign the loan agreement before they realize this. Comparing mortgage lenders and their services is always essential. Before taking out a home loan which is a secured loan, you must make sure that the lender is not charging excessive APR and other charges. It is a belief among people that APR is the only element that should be used to compare loan products. This is far from the truth. APR or annual percentage rate is a crucial factor to compare loans but you should also take into consideration some other factors.

Mortgage APR

The annual percentage rate or APR is the actual cost that you have to pay for borrowing a loan. It is calculated on a yearly basis and expressed as a percentage. You can use a mortgage APR calculator to calculate APR. Usually, the interest costs of a mortgage are combined with other fees that are necessary for the entire loan term. The goal of APR is to simplify the procedure for comparison of various lenders and loan offers.

Some elements that should be taken into account while comparing mortgages:

If you have any confusion regarding the trustworthiness of a particular lender, you must compare loan offers and read the terms and conditions exhaustively before signing the loan agreement. While comparing loan offers, the factors that you should take into consideration are given below:

Prepayment penalties: These penalties are also known as early redemption charges. If you pay back the loan before the due date, then the lender might ask for this fee. Try to determine how much the lender might demand. More often than not, it is 2% of the total loan amount. Nevertheless, you can bargain to reduce it.

APR: You must make queries about the effective APR rather than the nominal APR since you have to pay the interest and other costs based on the effective APR.

Loan terms: You must compare loan terms. A long repayment term would ensure low interest rate and monthly payments. In contrast, a small repayment term would involve higher interest rates and monthly payments. But if you go for a small loan term, then you can get out of debt faster.

Monthly mortgage payments: Loans should also be compared on the basis of monthly payments. It is always easier to handle fixed payments than variable payments.

Keeping in mind the above elements, you should compare as many loan offers as you can. When every lender is competing to get your business, it is advisable that you talk to a reputable financial advisor or attorney before signing any loan agreement.

No Deposit? No worries – A guide to no deposit home loans

No deposit home loans are the solution to the no deposit nightmare! We know, you're tired of paying rent and someone else's home loan. With housing prices stabilising there has been no better time to purchase your first home . Well, if only it was that easy! With the cost of renting often increasing every year and property prices rising faster than average incomes, it's never been harder to save for a deposit. However, a new generation of online lenders now approve home loans for up to 100 per cent of the value of a property.

No deposit home loans

If your bank has just told you your deposit is too small a no deposit home loan may be the answer.

Before no deposit loans, home buyers would normally need to have saved a minimum of 5% of the home price, plus purchase costs (stamp duty, etc.), to get a loan approval from a bank. Put simply, bank approval rules haven't kept up with rising house prices. Now you just need to have saved your external costs because no deposit is required. A range of lenders, including eChoice.com.au, have recently changed their lending criteria to now allow you to borrow up to 100% of the home price, instead of the usual 95% maximum that other lenders restrict you to.

Home loan deposit help from the government

If you're looking at a no deposit home loan remember you may be eligible for the Federal Government's First Home Owners scheme. This one-off tax free payment of $7,000 can be used to help fund your additional expenses or in some cases may be used a deposit. Various state government schemes may also be available so check with your relevant State Revenue Office and compare home loans. (see the No Deposit Home Loans links below).

Use a stamp duty calculator to calculate the stamp duty on your loan.

What's the catch?

No deposit home loans are slightly harder to get approval for. However, with a bit of planning you can get the loan you want, and the home you deserve. You'll also need to know how much you can afford. A loan simulation is an easy way to work out exactly how much you can borrow.

Are there any hidden extras in no deposit home loans?

Remember, even with a no deposit home loan, you will still need to save for real-estate purchase costs such as stamp duty and conveyancing.

Beat the bank with a new no deposit home loan

Instead of hunting around for the best deal on a no deposit home loan, use a reputable online broker. This will save you time and money, as well as ensuring you find the mortgage loan that suits your needs.

No Deposit Home Loans:

Are you looking for more information and tips on applying for a home loan? Below are a list of resources you may find helpful in making your home purchase.

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission - http://www.fido.asic.gov.au/

The Governments First Home Owners website guide - http://www.firsthome.gov.au/

Learn more about home loans and the options available to you.

2. http://www.nodeposit-homeloans.com.au/

Learn more about finding the right personal loan. You can Compare Personal Loans online and even apply online.

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