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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.

Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

What is Lender's Mortgage Insurance?

Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) is an insurance policy that protects your lender if you default on your mortgage. The cost of LMI can be significant, and may affect your home loan budget when buying a property or refinancing a mortgage.

Home Loans

18 Mar, 2024

4 min read

What is Lender's Mortgage Insurance?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How do you avoid Lender's Mortgage Insurance?

Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) can make a big impact on your mortgage budget if you plan to borrow with a low deposit. Whilethere are several options available to avoid LMI, some may better suit some borrowers more than others.

Home Loans

18 Mar, 2024

6 min read

How do you avoid Lender's Mortgage Insurance?
Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

Big banks vs small banks for mortgages

Choosing your mortgage provider can sometimes involve as much research as locating your ideal property. After all, you wouldn’t purchase the first property you saw without looking inside, so why would you treat your mortgage this way?

Home Loans

05 Mar, 2024

6 min read

Big banks vs small banks for mortgages
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How to get a home loan: a step-by-step guide to applying for a home loan

Getting your first home loan doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds. With just a little preparation, you can confidently calculate how much you can afford to borrow, what support you may be able to get, and how to make an application that’s more likely to be approved by the bank.

Home Loans

29 Feb, 2024

11 min read

How to get a home loan: a step-by-step guide to applying for a home loan
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

How to get started in property investing

Owning an investment property could potentially offer a path to building wealth and ensuring a more comfortable retirement. However, not all borrowers will successfully invest in property, with many selling within the first five years and giving up on their property dreams.

Home Loans

21 Dec, 2023

5 min read

How to get started in property investing
Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

Can foreigners buy property in Australia? Everything you need to know

Yes, foreign residents can buy property in Australia. However, there are generally more hoops to jump through than if you were a citizen or permanent resident looking to buy.

Home Loans

19 Dec, 2023

5 min read

Can foreigners buy property in Australia? Everything you need to know
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

Can you change your home loan to an investment loan?

Mortgage lenders offer different types of home loans to owner occupiers and to property investors. Buying a home to live in is different from buying an investment property, and comes with a different type of risk for the lender.

Home Loans

15 Dec, 2023

4 min read

Can you change your home loan to an investment loan?
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

Should you get home loan pre-approval before looking for a property?

Plan wisely and learn the benefits of getting a home loan pre-approval before searching for a property.

Home Loans

04 Dec, 2023

5 min read

Should you get home loan pre-approval before looking for a property?
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

A short guide on different types of home loans in the market

Different types of home loans are better suited to borrowers with different conditions or requirements. For instance, if you’re building your home from scratch, a construction loan might prove more useful than a regular home loan. By understanding the various home loan options in the market, you can choose the mortgage that’s best suited to your needs.

Home Loans

21 Nov, 2023

6 min read

A short guide on different types of home loans in the market
Mark Bristow

Personal Finance Editor

The pros and cons of paying off your mortgage early vs buying an investment property

Paying off your mortgage early lets you own your home sooner and save money on interest charges. But is it the best option for you when it comes to wealth creation? There is no one-size-fits-all approach that is right for everybody.

Home Loans

21 Nov, 2023

6 min read

The pros and cons of paying off your mortgage early vs buying an investment property
Alex Ritchie

Personal Finance Editor

Interest rates on the rise: how to afford your higher mortgage repayments

The Reserve Bank of Australia has hiked the cash rate again, so what can homeowners do right now to help give their budget some breathing room and better afford higher mortgage repayments?

Home Loans

09 Nov, 2023

4 min read

Interest rates on the rise: how to afford your higher mortgage repayments
Vidhu Bajaj

Personal Finance Writer

Easy ways to make your home energy efficient

By making your home more energy efficient, save on energy bills while also doing your part to protect the environment.

Home Loans

07 Nov, 2023

5 min read

Easy ways to make your home energy efficient