Ever heard the term “tracker mortgage” and wondered what it means? If you’re an Australian homebuyer or homeowner, you might not be too familiar with this concept, since local lenders do not commonly offset it.  So in simple terms – what is a tracker mortgage? It’s a home loan with a variable interest rate that moves in line with a specific benchmark (which is usually an official cash rate that the central bank sets).  But the main difference here is

In simple terms, a lifetime mortgage is a loan that lets you release equity – that is, access some of the value of your home as cash – while you continue living in it. It’s essentially a type of equity release product that’s quite popular in the UK, and in Australia it’s very similar to what’s known as a reverse mortgage.  You usually need to be around retirement age (typically 60 or older) and own your home outright (or have

We get how getting on the property ladder feels at first. It’s obviously exciting, but the sheer number of steps and unfamiliar terms is complicated and you’re not going to find it easy. Looking at property listings and dreaming about locations is the fun part, but it won’t be long until you hit a wall of financial jargon.  One of the first and most important terms you’ll encounter is the ‘mortgage in principle’. So, what is a mortgage in principle?

So, can you get a mortgage with bad credit? Obviously, it’s everybody’s goal at some point to own a home, but we get that not everyone’s been blessed with a smooth financial life and may have made some poor financial decisions over the years that have resulted in bad credit. Fortunately, the reality is that you can, but it usually takes a bit more effort and creativity since it’s definitely not going to be as easy.  In Australia, lenders will

Regardless of the reason, we can all appreciate that interest rates have been surging throughout Australia for a bit too long now, but are mortgage rates going down at last?  Some of the early signs we’ve had in 2025 this far would indicate that they genuinely are. For instance, on the 20th of May 2025, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.85%, which was actually its first reduction in years.  The

Are you thinking of getting an investment property, or just want to know how equity works when buying a second home? In simple terms, equity is the part of your existing home that you actually own and not just what you’re borrowing. So it’s market value minus what you owe.  For example, if your home is worth $800,000 and you owe $450,000 on the mortgage, your equity is $350,000. You can use that equity as part of the deposit on

Both property investors and regular people who live in their homes refinance their home loans so they’re able to have a better mortgage situation. We get that it’s one of those things that can sound a bit complicated, though.  A refinance home loan is essentially just a new loan that replaces your existing mortgage. You could opt for a home refinance if you’re looking for a lower interest rate, or even just to access equity for other purposes. It could

Mortgage broker vs bank for home loan – which option is best? Both have pretty similar roles so we’re definitely not surprised by how common a question this is by most Australians, from first home buyers to property investors. On one hand, working with a mortgage broker can generally just be quite convenient. Not to mention that it gives you the ability to compare loans from multiple lenders. On the other hand, walking into your local bank feels straightforward and

If you’re living in Australia on a temporary visa and want to own a home at some point in the near future, you’re certainly not alone. That’s where a lot of international students and skilled other workers are at now, but the good news is that it is actually possible to purchase a house or apartment before you become a permanent resident.  However, it’s naturally not as straightforward as it is for citizens or PR holders – there are extra

It’s pretty exciting when you get to that stage in your life when you’re ready to buy your first home in Australia. That said, there is a lot more admin and finance preparation for this in comparison to just renting – especially for getting a home loan.  You might have heard people talk about “first home buyer loans.” Technically, there isn’t a separate type of mortgage just for first-timers – banks mostly offer the same kinds of home loans to