The chances of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifting the official cash rate on Tuesday just increased dramatically after figures showed the cost of living jumped 5.1% over the past year – the highest annual increase in more than 20 years. Economists around the country say the unexpectedly high jump in inflation means a … Read more
First home buyers with a deposit of just 5% will soon have more purchasing power thanks to an increase in property price caps for the highly popular Home Guarantee Scheme. Most capital cities will get a $100,000 boost to their property price cap from July 1, while regional areas around the country will get a … Read more
It’s the hope that kills you. Just ask Carlton fans, NSW Blues supporters, Wallabies sufferers, and hopeful homebuyers who have fallen victim to underquoting. Obviously, you can’t change your footy team, but you can follow these tips to avoid the sketchy real estate practice. If it hasn’t happened to you, it’s probably happened to someone … Read more
Car enthusiasts around the nation got a bit of a shock this week when the Tesla Model 3 rocketed up the sales leaderboard to place third for all new vehicles sold in March. How did that happen? You might have seen an article by us a few weeks back about the sales of electric vehicles … Read more
It’s taking young couples roughly five years on average to save for a 20% home loan deposit, according to new research. Want to hear something crazy, though? We know how to quarter that timeframe… Real talk: it’s never been tougher to save up a deposit for your first home. In Sydney the average timeframe is … Read more
First home buyers, regional buyers and single parents keen to crack the property market are the big winners in this year’s federal budget – with 50,000 low deposit, no LMI scheme spots up for grabs. Want to buy your first home with just a 5% deposit and pay no lenders’ mortgage insurance? You could be … Read more
Most of you would have noticed that car prices have gone up significantly over the past two years. But how much have they gone up exactly? Let’s take a look. You’re not imagining things – both new and used vehicle prices have spiked over the past two years (not to mention, house prices, petrol, groceries … Read more
Think property prices have gone a little bonkers? You’re not the only one. Which is why a report with 16 recommendations to tackle housing affordability has just been plonked on pollies’ desks in Canberra. Today we’ll run through them for you (succinctly, we promise). You might have noticed that property prices have skyrocketed over the … Read more
New data from the lending watchdog reveals almost one in four new mortgages are risky. How are they deemed risky? Well, it’s got something to do with your debt-to-income ratio, which we’ll explain in this week’s article. Your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio might sound complicated, but it’s really very simple to work out. Basically, your DTI … Read more
Home and business owners impacted by the floods in New South Wales and Queensland can apply to their lender for a three-month loan deferral or reduced payment arrangement. Here’s how to apply if you or someone you know has been impacted. Another year, another disaster. In 2019 it was the bushfires. In 2020 it was … Read more