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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 do Australian credit laws do for you?

Australia has a variety of rules, regulations and laws in place to help protect citizens and their personal finances when they’re borrowing money. There are protections in place for credit card, car loan and personal loan customers, as well as for borrowers taking out a mortgage.

Home Loans

23 Nov, 2009

3 min read

What do Australian credit laws do for you?

Patricia Babalis

First Home Owners Boost

The First Home Owners Boost was established by the Federal Government in 2008 to encourage stimulus to the housing market during the global financial crisis and was an addition to the First Home Owners Grant.

Home Loans

15 Nov, 2009

1 min read

RateCity

The Cost Of Buying A Property

The cost of buying a property is a huge financial burden that cannot be avoided if you need a home loan. If you are trying to work out the cost of buying a property you will generally need about 15 percent of the purchase price s an up front cost.

Home Loans

15 Nov, 2009

2 min read

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Mortgage competition warms up in time for a merry Christmas

Be sure to shop around for home loans with lower fees and better features as the economy warms up in time for Christmas and lenders become eager to compete for market share. RateCity CEO Damian Smith says packaged deals are where you are likely to find the most competitive home loan offers in the months ahead

Home Loans

11 Nov, 2009

3 min read

Mortgage competition warms up in time for a merry Christmas

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Save $50,000 on your home loan Here's how!

Interest rate rises hit home for people with variable rate mortgages, despite being cheaper than most fixed rate loans. When looking at home loans it is easy to be drawn in by promises of low interest rates without considering all the conditions of the loan.

Home Loans

11 Nov, 2009

3 min read

Save $50,000 on your home loan Here's how!

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Mortgage talk made easy

Buying a new home is a trying time and the jargon bandied about by mortgage brokers, banks and real estate agents can add to the confusion. Whether you’re buying your first home or trading up or down, the process of finding the right home loan for your needs can be long and laborious.

Home Loans

09 Nov, 2009

3 min read

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

To buy or not to buy Clearance rates skyrocket

Is now the time to ride the property market clearance wave or wait till the tide turns? A sales splurge has swept the Australian mortgage market, with hundreds of properties clearing out every week.

Home Loans

09 Nov, 2009

3 min read

To buy or not to buy Clearance rates skyrocket

Kate Cowling

Overextending ourselves to get our dream home

We would like to believe that lenders have our best interest at heart, but where money is involved, there is only one person who knows what’s best for you – you! Mortgage stress is an overwhelming concern for a number of Australians as they financially over-extend themselves to get their dream home.

Home Loans

02 Nov, 2009

3 min read

Overextending ourselves to get our dream home

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Are coastal homes an affordable dream?

A fall in coastal property prices over the past year has created more opportunities for people thinking of a sea change. As people scrambled to snap up houses in metropolitan areas, competition on the coast has waned, but property research from RP Data suggests the tide will soon turn.

Home Loans

27 Oct, 2009

3 min read

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Watch your credit habits - Tougher lending on the way

New credit and privacy laws could make it harder and more expensive to get a home loan so get your credit habits in order now. A new national scheme for regulating credit is to be phased in between now and July 2011.

Home Loans

27 Oct, 2009

3 min read

Watch your credit habits - Tougher lending on the way

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

What is the real cost of buying a property?

What exactly do you have to pay for when purchasing a home? Number one fee to hit your back pocket of course is stamp duty, followed by more upfront fees.

Home Loans

26 Oct, 2009

3 min read

What is the real cost of buying a property?

Laine Gordon

Head of Public Relations

Home alone Can single income buyers afford a home?

Many young professionals on a single income have been pondering their chances of survival in the home buying game. But how affordable is it to step into the property market right now?

Home Loans

26 Oct, 2009

3 min read