Is now a good time to lock in a fixed rate?

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With interest rates at record low levels, today we’ll look at a question that many are asking: should I lock in a fixed rate home loan?

You may have recently received a call directly from your bank, or seen more ads than usual across the internet spruiking super low fixed-rate mortgages.

Here’s why: lenders are scrambling over one another to lock-in customers right now.

And their weapon of choice? Fixed-rate home loans.

With so many families doing it tough right now, locking in a low fixed interest rate can be an appealing option to reduce your monthly repayments and obtain peace of mind.

And while it may very well be a good route for your family, like most things in life, it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons before you leap.

Consideration 1: The bank is not offering it out of the goodness of their heart

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way: banks are not promoting fixed-rate home loans right now as an act of goodwill.

They’re there to sell a product. And they often use this product in particular when they’re trying to stop clients from walking away. Not only are you locking in a rate, but the lender is locking you in, too.

Consideration 2: Loss of flexibility

We all know the big benefit of locking in a fixed rate: you get a guaranteed low rate for however many years you lock it in for.

But it also comes with a downside, which is: if things improve and you want to pay your loan off quicker, switch products, or switch lenders, you don’t have the flexibility to do so.

Indeed, breaking a fixed home loan can be expensive, often costing anywhere between thousands and tens of thousands of dollars.

Consideration 3: How low can they go?

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cut the cash rate to a record low of 0.25% in March – the second rate cut that month.

Now, most experts believe this is as low as the RBA will go – and even RBA governor Philip Lowe has made it clear that he regards 0.25%, rather than zero, as the “effective lower bound” for official interest rates.

But that doesn’t mean the banks can’t drop their interest rates lower independent of official RBA rate cuts.

As mentioned above, competition in this space has been heating up recently and lenders are all eager for a bigger slice of the pie.

When you might want to lock the rate in

All that said, there are times when locking in an interest rate may be the best option for you and your family.

The big one is if your circumstances have recently changed and you’re seeking some stability.

This includes if you’re starting a family and you’re going from two incomes to one. Or if you or your partner’s income has been affected by COVID-19 and you’re wanting to lower your monthly repayments instead of seeking hardship options.

Another key factor is if you can’t sleep at night because you’re worrying that rates will go up. That said, it’s worth noting that the RBA recently stated: “the cash rate would remain at a very low level for an extended period”.

Still on the fence? Give us a call

Like many things in life, when it comes to home loans, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.

While locking in a fixed rate home loan may help you secure a lower interest rate during this time of instability, it also comes with a few drawbacks.

So if you’d like to find out if locking in a fixed rate is a good fit for you, give us a call. We’re happy to run through all your options with you – not just the one product!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute 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.

4 ways we can make your life easier right now

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You don’t need us to tell you how much the world has changed – there’s been no shortage of news bulletins updating you on that. So rather than telling you about more changes, today we’re going to explain how we can help.

While we can’t babysit your child so they stop shouting out and interrupting that important call you’re trying to make in your new home office, we might be able to reduce the number of important calls you need to make instead.

Here are four ways we can take a load off your shoulders right now.

1. We can help you stay inside (and sane)

As you’re probably aware, many bank branches around the country have recently closed temporarily.

And the ones that are open? Well, it’s not really a great time to visit them in-person about your mortgage or business loan.

Bank call centres aren’t much help either – they’re inundated. A whopping three-hours on hold is pretty much the standard wait time at the moment (that’s enough elevator music to drive anyone crazy!).

Now – we’re not huge fans of on-hold music either – but we’re more than happy to jump on the phone to your lender to help sort out any matters relating to your loan at this time.

2. Need to refinance or consolidate your loans?

When was the last time you did a home loan review?

If it was more than a year ago, now’s a good time because the finance and lending landscape has undergone several big changes over the past 12 months – including five RBA cash rate cuts.

So if you’re having trouble meeting your monthly repayments reach out to us and we can discuss some of your refinancing options.

And don’t forget to consider consolidating your debts – including your credit card, car loans or personal loans – so you have fewer debts to keep track of each month.

3. Need to pause your loan repayments due to hardship?

If COVID-19 has impacted your income to the point where you may need to pause your loan repayments, then we can help break down your lender’s deferral policy and support package policy for you.

Six-month loan repayment deferrals are available for both business loans and mortgages (but it may depend on your lender’s hardship policy for the latter).

We can also talk you through some of the other options that might be available to you to reduce your home loan repayments each month.

4. Want a pretend work colleague for a few minutes?

This one is a little left-of-field, but no less important in the current climate.

For many people, this is their first time working from home and we brokers know better than most that making that transition can be a tough gig.

So, if isolation is getting you down and you just want to chat to someone friendly for a few minutes, feel free to pick up the phone and give us a call.

Not only can we share some tips with you when it comes to nailing work/life balance in a home setting, we promise not to put you on hold for three hours beforehand.

And hey, it’s all good with us if the kids are running amuck in the background!

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute 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.

5 reasons it’s a good time to refinance

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Found yourself with extra time on your hands? Slightly worried about meeting your home loan repayments? Want to make use of those back-to-back rate cuts? While the world has changed significantly over the past month, it’s possible to use some changes to your advantage. 

Before we go any further though, we want to say we understand there’s no shortage of Aussie families doing it tough right now. And we want to reassure you that we’re here to help you any way we possibly can – including helping you apply for support packages with your lender.

So where does refinancing fit in?

Well, the many social and financial changes that have been thrust upon us recently have combined to make it a good time to consider refinancing your home loan.

Here are five reasons why you may want to consider doing so.

1. Payment relief

When was the last time you refinanced your home loan?

If your answer was ‘one year ago’ (or longer), the finance and lending landscape has changed dramatically since then and it might be time to catch up.

There have been five RBA cash rate cuts since then since June 2019 – including two last month.

And while we’re on the RBA, a recent study of theirs found that borrowers who refinance with another lender, or negotiate a better deal with their existing lender, do in fact achieve interest savings.

So if you or your partner have recently had your work hours cut back and you’re starting to worry about how you’ll meet your monthly mortgage repayments, refinancing could be a more suitable option than applying for a hardship variation on your loan.

2. Consolidate your debts

Refinancing can also help you consolidate your other debts – including your credit card, car loans or personal loans – by combining them into a refinanced mortgage.

Not only will this give you one simple repayment to make each month (reducing the risk of forgetting payments and being slugged with a late fee), but all your debts will be charged at your home loan interest rate – which is usually much lower than credit card rates, for example.

3. Low interest rates: time to lock one in?

Fixed rates have recently experienced a big drop.

In fact, Domain’s David Hyman has described the current batch of fixed interest rate loans as “staggeringly cheap”.

“Only a couple of months ago the cheapest headline rate started with a three. If you look back to this time last year rates were in the high threes,” Hyman explains.

“For someone with a half a million dollar mortgage, that is well in excess of $10,000 a year in savings. It’s never been a better time to refinance quite frankly.”

And with the official RBA cash rate now at a record low 0.25%, there isn’t a great deal of room for it to go much lower.

4. Time on your hands

One of the more common reasons home owners give for not refinancing is that they simply don’t have the time do so.

But, without pointing out the obvious, I think it’s fair to say that we have far fewer social commitments taking up our time at present.

So, if you’ve compiled a list of things to do to keep busy at home, consider adding refinancing to the list.

Once you get the ball rolling on it and get in touch with us you’ll be surprised how little you actually have to do – after all, that’s our job, right?

5. We’re available to help you, whenever you need us

Finally, rest assured that we’re available and here to help you any way we can.

During trying times like these we know that we need to support each other now, more than ever.

So if you’d like us to help you explore your refinancing, hardship variation, or support package options then please get in touch – we’re ready to jump into action and make it happen for you.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute 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 you being stung by the loyalty tax?

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Once upon a time you were rewarded for loyalty. But borrowers with older mortgages are typically paying a higher interest rate than customers on new loans, confirms the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA).

The RBA’s study finds that the difference in interest rates between new and outstanding variable-rate home loans increases with the age of the loan.

For example, for loans written four years ago, borrowers are charged an average of 40 basis points higher interest than new loans.

“For a loan balance of $250,000, this difference implies an extra $1,000 of interest payments per year,” explains the RBA.

And for loans more than eight-years-old, on average, you pay about 60 basis points more than a new customer.

What’s driving the difference?

The RBA says the difference in rates between older and newer mortgages can be partially explained by a shift in the mix of different types of variable-rate mortgages over time.

“In particular, the share of interest-only and investor loans in new lending has declined noticeably in recent years and these tend to have higher interest rates than other loans,” the RBA says.

“Nevertheless, even within given types of mortgages, older mortgages still tend to have higher interest rates than new mortgages.”

Strong competition for new borrowers

Here’s the real kicker, though. With competition for borrowers intensifying over recent years, banks are offering large discounts on their standard variable rates (SVRs).

What’s an SVR? It’s the reference rate that a bank prices its variable-rate loans against.

Basically, it’s the interest rate that banks and media quote when they report whether or not a rate cut is being passed through to customers.

But, as the RBA points out, very few borrowers actually pay interest rates as high as the SVR.

Instead, most borrowers are on advertised rates that are “materially lower” than a lender’s SVR, or have negotiated a further discount – and those discounts are getting bigger and bigger each year.

“In recent years, the average discounts relative to SVRs offered by major banks on new variable-rate mortgages have grown, widening from around 100 basis points in 2015 to more than 150 basis points in 2019,” the RBA says.

“By increasing the discounts on rates for new or refinancing borrowers over time, rather than lowering SVRs, banks are able to compete for new borrowers without lowering the interest rates charged to existing borrowers.”

Time to renegotiate?

The discounts borrowers receive on loans are usually fixed over the life of the loan. However, the good news is that they can be renegotiated.

“Well-informed borrowers have been able to negotiate a larger discount with their existing lender, without the need to refinance their loan,” explains the RBA.

So, if you’d like to put yourself into the RBA’s “well-informed borrower” category, then get in touch with us today.

We’d be more than happy to help you refinance your home loan, whether that be renegotiating with your current lender or looking around elsewhere.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute 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 to increase your property’s value by up to 10%

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Properties with high energy-efficiency ratings typically sell for up to 10% more, a review of international research shows.

The review, which was conducted by the University of Wollongong, compiled research undertaken in 14 countries and included data from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which is the only Australian jurisdiction to require that sellers disclose the energy-efficiency rating of their home.

What were the review findings?

In the ACT, the review found there was a 9.4% price premium for a house with a 7-star NatHERS rating (see below) compared to a house with 3-star NatHERS rating, and a 2.4% premium for a 6-star house.

If you consider that the ACT has a median house price of $773,635, that equates to potential price premiums of $72,721 (7-star) and $18,500 (6-star).

This latest review backs up similar research findings conducted by the University of Western Sydney in the commercial building sector, in which disclosing energy ratings is standard practice across Australia.

“Everybody wants an energy-efficient home. After all, an energy-efficient home is comfortable to live in, without large energy bills,” says Dr Daniel Daly, a research fellow at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre, University of Wollongong.

“These can be important factors for prospective home-owners or renters.”

How can I improve my property’s NatHERS rating?

The Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) is a star rating system out of ten that rates the energy efficiency of a home, based on its design.

The government’s Your Home website is a great starting point when it comes to making your property more environmentally sustainable.

It includes information and tips on how to include more energy-saving features in your home, which may include solar panels, insulation, double-glazed windows, draught sealing, batteries, and rainwater tanks.

Need finance for your energy-efficient property project?

There are many advantages to owning a property with a high NatHERS rating.

So if you’re looking to build, renovate or simply upgrade your property, then get in touch. We’d love to talk to you about your financing options.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute 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.