Author: ambients

Australians are showering their homes with $1 billion worth of love each month as home improvement spending ramps up. We look at the cost of popular renovations – and how to foot the bill.

Buying a home for the first time can be challenging, especially with house prices soaring in recent years. So could switching from house hunting to unit searching be the way forward for you?

Phew! The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has today decided to put the official cash rate on hold. So is the end of this rate hike cycle finally in sight?

Have you been keen to refinance but told you can’t? You’re not alone. Many Australian households are currently locked into their home loans due to rising interest rates. But some banks have recently started to lower their serviceability thresholds.

Despite the soaring cost of living and successive interest rate hikes, homebuying intentions have climbed, latest data shows. So why are so many people still chasing the great Australian dream? And what can you do to make your own dream a reality?

Mortgage serviceability can feel like a frustrating hurdle to clear. But it’s an important safeguard against borrowing too much, particularly in the current interest rate landscape.

Drumroll … The RBA has hiked the official cash rate for the 12th time since April 2022, increasing it to 4.10%. How much will this increase your monthly repayments? And how long does Philip Lowe plan to keep marching to this beat?

Australians are increasingly “thinking small” when it comes to buying a home and cracking the property market. And with perks like affordability, more desirable locations, and lower maintenance, it’s little wonder why.

Navigating the Australian property market over the past year has felt like standing on shifting sands. But is the market starting to regain stability? And if so, what can you do now to make sure you’re ready to buy?

When buying property, it’s good to know the market value. After all, you want to know you’re paying a fair amount. But the property’s value is an important consideration for your lender too. And their valuation may be quite different.