Up to 4,600 first home buyer guarantees back up for grabs

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Want to buy your first home with a deposit of just 5% and pay no lenders’ mortgage insurance? You could be in luck – the federal government will soon reissue up to 4,651 unused Home Guarantee Scheme spots.

First home buyers who use the Home Guarantee Scheme fast track their property purchase by 4 to 4.5 years on average, because the scheme means they don’t have to save the standard 20% deposit.

The government usually issues spots in the scheme once a year (July 1), but this time it’s reissuing guarantees that went begging earlier.

Where are these extra spots coming from?

The government states the scheme will reissue “up to” 4,651 unused guarantees for first home buyers from the 2020-21 financial year.

It adds many of the spots have been unused because of COVID disruptions, but it’s unclear exactly how many guarantees will be made available.

It’s also unclear exactly when the spots will be reissued, with the government entity overseeing the scheme – the NHFIC – saying it’s working with its panel lenders and “looks forward to reissuing unused guarantees soon”.

All in all, that means we’re going to have pretty short notice of when these spots officially become available to apply for, and they could be in short supply.

So if the guarantee is something you’re interested in, you’ll want to get in touch with us today so we’re ready to act when the spots do drop.

Back up, what’s the Home Guarantee Scheme?

Ok, so the Home Guarantee Scheme is broken up into three separate schemes: two for first home buyers, and one for single parents called the Family Home Guarantee scheme.

At this stage, it’s believed (but not confirmed) that the reissued spots will mainly be for the first home buyers through the New Home Guarantee scheme (new builds) and First Home Loan Deposit Scheme (includes existing builds).

These two schemes allow eligible first home buyers to build or purchase a home with only a 5% deposit, without forking out for lenders’ mortgage insurance (LMI).

This is because the federal government guarantees (to a participating lender) up to 15% of the value of the property purchased.

Not paying LMI can save buyers anywhere between $4,000 and $35,000, depending on the property price and deposit amount.

There are price caps on eligible properties, ranging from $950,000 for new builds in Sydney, ​​Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Illawarra, down to $350,000 for existing properties in regional South Australia.

A full list of the price caps can be found here.

Get in touch today to get the ball rolling

With these schemes, allocations are generally granted on a “first come, first served” basis.

And it’s worth re-iterating that spots this time will be limited and will likely fill up fast.

So if you’re a first home buyer looking to crack into the property market sooner rather than later, get in touch today and we can explain the schemes to you in more detail.

And when the reissued spots become available, we can help you apply for finance through a participating lender.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

How many SMEs find it difficult to repay business loans?

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Ever thought about taking out a loan for your business but hesitated because you were worried about meeting your repayments? Don’t worry, it’s a common concern. But some promising data has just come out that might help you put those fears aside.

You gotta spend money to make money, so the saying goes.

But what if your business’s cash flow has been heavily impacted this year due to COVID-19? What options do you have at your disposal?

Well, according to the Australian Banking Association’s latest report, $10 billion in new lending was made to small businesses in the three months to August 2021 – a 26% jump ($7.9 billion) on last year.

Which means as many as 50% of SMEs now hold a borrowing product of some sort.

So while taking out finance for your business might feel daunting, rest assured it’s something most businesses do, and there are a range of different finance products and options available to suit businesses of all shapes and sizes.

How difficult do most businesses find it to pay back loans?

So, here’s the good news.

Despite the difficult business conditions during 2021, just 1-in-6 small businesses (16%) found it difficult to meet their financial commitments.

That’s opposed to 41% of SMEs that found it “easy” or “very easy”, while 36% were indifferent.

And many of these businesses are taking out finance to help keep their doors open and operations running smoothly.

The top reason small and micro businesses gave for recently seeking finance was to ‘maintain short-term cash flow or liquidity’ (about 50%), while the second most common reason was to ‘ensure survival of the business’ (about 40%).

Replacing, upgrading or purchasing equipment or machinery came in third (20-30%).

Want to explore your finance options?

The SME lending space is an evolving one, with a surge of new lenders and products recently hitting the market.

And as brokers, we’re constantly upskilling and learning to make sure we stay abreast of the expanding options available to small business owners.

So if you’re an SME owner who might be in need of funding, get in touch today.

The sooner we can discuss your options with you, the better placed your business can be to hit the ground running in 2022 and thrive beyond.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

FOMO factor: more Aussies looking to buy with mates or siblings

Ever thought about buying a property with a friend or family member? You’re not the only one. The rising cost of property and FOMO has led to more than a quarter of Australians considering buying a property with a ‘non-traditional’ partner.

Most of us long for a place to call our own.

But what do you do if the price of your dream home seems to be rising out of reach?

Well, more and more young Australians are shedding the “mine” mentality, and adopting the “ours” approach in order to get a foot on the property ladder.

In fact, according to a 1,000 person nationwide survey by CommBank, a quarter of home buyers have considered buying a property with their mates, siblings or parents because of increasing concerns about housing affordability.

And this co-ownership mentality is being strongly driven by the fear of missing out (FOMO), with 35% of respondents admitting to being bitten by the FOMO bug.

What’s driving the trend?

In a nutshell: housing affordability, with more than 60% of survey respondents worried about being priced out of the market.

Other driving factors for teaming up with a mate or family member include being able to buy a bigger and better property, as well as spreading the financial risk if anything goes wrong.

And then there’s additional pressure from family and friends!

More than 4-in-10 prospective buyers admitted to feeling pressure from friends/colleagues who have already bought, or their parents/family who want them to buy.

Co-ownership hurdles and challenges

So, if purchasing a property with family or friends is a viable option, why don’t more people do it?

Well, that’s because there are a number of challenges involved.

For example, the vast majority of respondents said they harboured concerns about putting their relationship with a family/friend under strain/pressure.

Meanwhile, 1-in-10 respondents didn’t even know co-ownership with friends or family was possible.

Another hurdle is that co-buying and co-owning can be a more complicated process.

But rest assured that if it is possible and suitable for you, we can help guide you through it, including making sure that all involved parties are across their financial and legal obligations.

Get in touch to explore your co-buying or guarantor options

Co-ownership with friends or family, or having a parent go guarantor for you, isn’t suitable or possible for everyone.

But there are people out there for whom it might be a good fit.

If you think that could be you, and you want to learn more, then please get in touch.

We’d be happy to run you through a number of possible structured options and opportunities, as well as the challenges, hurdles and pitfalls you’ll want to consider.

And if co-buying doesn’t look like a good fit for you, we can run you through a range of other buying options – including federal government schemes – that might be more suitable.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

Are your cashflow needs in order ahead of the summer trading season?

The summer trading season poses a raft of tricky cashflow and stocking challenges for retailers at the best of times, let alone following a global pandemic slowdown. But if done well it can set your business up nicely for the good times ahead.

Ahh summer, how we’ve longed for you – especially this year as much of the nation reopens its stores and borders following another winter of lockdowns.

But there’s just one (more) challenge facing many business owners this year.

Fewer than half (49%) of Australia’s small businesses have the trading stock in place to make the most of the end of lockdowns, according to research by small business lender OnDeck Australia.

And to make stock ordering matters even more tricky, 44% of small businesses say their cashflow has suffered as a result of lockdowns.

The findings aren’t too different from a recent Prospa survey, which found that 37% of SMEs required access to finance to ride Australia’s reopening wave, with the average amount of financing $46,000 per business.

For SMEs less than five years old, that figure jumps to $58,000.

The importance of cashflow during the global pandemic

The top reasons cited in the Prospa survey for requiring additional funds included purchasing tools, equipment, or machinery; restocking inventory; and investing in digital software.

The Prospa survey also found that 87% of respondents feared opportunities could be missed without access to additional finance.

Mr Nick Reily, National Partnerships Manager at OnDeck Australia, said with the pandemic continuing to create significant disruptions to global supply chains, cashflow can be critical for small businesses in the re-stocking process.

“Today, businesses need to be able to act fast, and order stock well in advance given possible delays in procurement,” he explains.

“When businesses have appropriate cashflow funding in place, they are in a strong position to have conversations with alternative suppliers if their regular supplier cannot have stock to them on time.”

Get in touch to find out about cashflow solutions for your business

If you think you might have a gap in your business’s cashflow over the months ahead, then it’s important to start considering your funding options before the summer trading season really heats up.

The sooner we can take you through your options, the better your stock levels can be ahead of the Christmas and new year period!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.

How well has your salary kept up with house prices?

You’ve probably noticed that house prices in Australia consistently outstrip growth in wages. But by how much? And what can you do to make sure you’re not forever chasing the great Australian dream?

Each generation faces its own unique set of challenges (and opportunities!).

And for the current crop, one big challenge can be breaking into the property market. Especially when you’re competing against older generations that have had at least a decade (or two, or three) headstart on the property ladder.

That’s not to say it can’t be done. Far from it. But it does require good planning, discipline, and motivation to stick to a plan.

Because historically speaking, and as you’ll see below, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to keep up.

How much have house prices grown compared to wages?

Over the past year there was a 2.2% annual increase in the Australian wage price index (WPI) – just short of the decade average growth of 2.4% – according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, Australian housing values have jumped by more than 20% over the past year.

But hey, that’s just one year – and an absolutely bonkers year at that.

Let’s look at the trend over the past two decades to give us a clearer picture.

Over the past 20 years, wages have increased 81.7%, while Australian home values have grown 193.1%, according to this CoreLogic cumulative growth graph.

And here’s a state-by-state breakdown. As you can see, Tasmania has the biggest disparity between wages growth (79.6%) and house price growth (294%), followed by ACT, Victoria, NSW and then Queensland.

What does this mean for your next property purchase?

In short? It’s becoming tougher to save for a house deposit.

In the year to October, a 20% deposit on the median Australian dwelling value has increased by $25,417 to a total of $137,268, according to CoreLogic.

“With wages increasing just 2.2% in the year to September, it is difficult for household savings to keep up with this kind of increase,” explains CoreLogic’s Head of Research Eliza Owen.

“​​This tends to lead to less demand from first home buyers through periods of rapid property price increase.

“Another important implication of high house prices relative to subdued wages growth is lower purchasing power when it comes to mortgage serviceability over time.”

So what can you do about it?

Well, besides demanding a big pay rise from your boss, rest assured there are a number of options at your disposal.

For first home buyers, most states offer grants and stamp duty concessions/exemptions to help give you a leg up.

There’s also a number of federal government options, including the popular First Home Loan Deposit Scheme and New Home Guarantee initiatives, which on average enable first home buyers to make their home purchase 4 to 4.5 years sooner.

That’s right – 4 years sooner!

Then there’s the First Home Super Saver scheme, which allows you to save money for a first home inside your superannuation fund, which helps you to save faster due to the concessional tax treatment that super offers.

And for those of you looking to purchase an investment property, rest assured that there are ways to leverage the equity in your existing property to help you grow your portfolio.

So if you want to become less dependent on your annual wage for your wealth and retirement, and more invested in property, get in touch today.

We’d love to sit down with you and help make a plan to suit your current situation.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute tax or financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.