FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

The first home owners grant is a government grant developed to assist eligible first home owners to purchase a new home or build their home by offering a grant.

Applying for the First Home Owner Grant should be done at the same time as applying for your home loan. Our affiliated brokers will help with the application. You can also request an application from the office of state revenue directly.

Each state has different rules and pays different grant amounts. The grant can vary from $5,000 in some states to $20,000 in others. In NSW, first home buyers purchasing a brand new first home will receive $10,000 first home owners grant up to a cost price of $750,000. States now require the property you purchase to be "brand new" to qualify for the first home owners grant.

No. When putting through an application, only one person in the application can be granted the FHOG. You also must make sure your partner hasn’t previously used or received the grant in Australia, as it may be denied.

We sure do! Rateseeker has many major banks & non bank lenders to choose from to help achieve your property investment goals. Fill out our form and one of our affiliated brokers will get in touch with you to to work out how they can help.

Eligibility for a home loan depends on many things, which includes your credit score. Your credit score is calculated by an assessment of how risky or trustworthy you are to possible lenders in regards to paying your loan back. Everyone's situation is different, and there are some lenders that will consider poor credit rating, defaults and even discharged bankrupt. Reach out to us if your credit history is of concern to you regarding a new home loan.

The contract of sale is a legally binding document that you sign by you and the vendor (seller). This contract sets out the terms and conditions of the sale, as agreed to by you and the vendor. While the contract of sale becomes a legally binding document the moment you sign it, there may be a cooling-off period during which you can cancel the sale if you bought the property by private sale. This is generally negotiated before you sign the contract of sale. The cooling-off period does not apply to auctions.

Most lenders will usually require you to have a minimum 5% deposit of the purchase price plus a little extra to cover other costs such as stamp duty, legal fees and lender's fees. Now lenders have changed the required minimum deposit depending on other factors such as if it's an investment purchase and where the property is located. With constant changes with bank requirements, it is important to speak to a broker to work out what you really need.

The settlement date is usually listed on the contract of sale and this period varies by state and territory. This is important because there are different penalties if you do not settled by the agreed date, so make sure you check this before exchanging contracts. When the agreed settlement date arrives, you can pick up the keys to your new place!

Applying for the First Home Owner Grant should be done at the same time as applying for your home loan. Our affiliated brokers will help with the application. You can also request an application from the office of state revenue directly.

Applying for the First Home Owner Grant should be done at the same time as applying for your home loan. Our affiliated brokers will help with the application. You can also request an application from the office of state revenue directly.

Refinancing is a process of taking out a new loan to pay off the existing loan typically at a lower rate or for better features. People wanting to change their home loan is usually because of a change in the circumstances or goals which can be a smart way to manage money. It may give you the option of securing a lower interest rate, consolidating debts or unlocking equity from your current property. Speak with one of our mortgage brokers and find out if refinancing is right for you.

Refinancing can be used for various reasons, which include but aren’t limited to: Home Renovations, Reducing monthly repayments, Lowering your interest rate, Cashing out your Home Equity, Raise cash for another purchase (another house, car, boat etc), Access Additional home loan features (offset account, redraw facility etc.), Borrow additional funds

Refinance can help you save money and own your home sooner however there are costs involved in refinancing from one lender to another lender.

Refinancing is generally a good idea for most borrowers but there situations where switching loans just isn't worth it.

Debt consolidation is when you payoff your existing debts such as credit cards, personals and car loans with a new debt.

The lender you are refinancing to will request a valuation report on your property to get an up-to-date market value. This valuation fee is generally paid by the lender that you are refinancing to. Your mortgage specialist will be able to confirm this before you put an application in.

Going direct to a bank for your home loan means you will only be getting advice on their own home loan products. As much as we would all love a perfect world, a bank will never tell you if other lenders are offering a better rate or deal or whether a different lender's product is better suited to your needs.

Absolutely nothing. We get paid indirectly by the banks so we don't charge our clients any consultation fee. In other words, the bank pays us for bringing in new application while giving you the right credit advice. It’s a win - win for everybody.

We have access to over 30 lenders in our panel effectively giving you close to 1,000 different loan options. This can be a daunting task to navigate through so many different options.

This is a very common question. The main reason why you may want to consider a fixed rate product over a standard variable is if you wish to have certainty in your home loan repayment over a period of time. There are limitations to a fixed rate product.

Most features are the same between an investment loan and a home loan. Some lenders applies a different interest rates on investment loans, usually higher if there is more risk associated with it. A key difference between investment loan and a home loan is that interest on investment loan is 100% tax deductible which can be used to offset your rental income.

Your borrowing power is affected by many factors, such as (but not limited to): your income, price of the property you’re looking to purchase, any other debts you currently hold, no. of dependents, your current living expenses

You will most likely be given a choice to choose a repayment cycle by your lender from weekly, fortnightly and monthly. If your loan is interest only, some lenders will only allow you to have monthly loan repayment.

There are fees associated with purchasing a property that you will need to make room in your budget for.

A pre-approval, put simply, is an indication of your borrowing ability. A pre-approval is a good way to understand how much you can borrow with a particular lender. However, it is not an indicator that will guarantee a mortgage offer.

A mortgage broker is someone who acts as a go-between between the borrower and the lender to help find you a suitable loan It is the broker’s responsibility to understand your situation and find out exactly what you are looking for. They will then filter through all the home loans available on the panel and narrow down the type of loan you want, taking into consideration your situation and any special requirements you have.

This fee applies when you register the physical property as the security on a home loan. (Purchase and refinance) This is important because it allows buyers to check if there are any claims on the existing property. The fee is paid when a home loan is established or when it’s discharged. The cost of the mortgage registration fee varies from state to state.

While banks and other lenders often have their own lending specialist, you may find that they can only provide advice on their own products. A mortgage broker on the other hand has over 30 different lenders and will do the legwork comparing one lender against another giving you the best outcome. This will also save you time allowing you to other important things like finding your dream home.

The recommendation put together by a mortgage broker is based on the information you as a borrower provide. This means the more information you can provide to your broker about your personal circumstances and financial situation upfront, including proof of income and expenses, the better they’ll be able to tailor their recommendations to suit your specific needs.

Servicing policy refers to a set of criteria lender uses to determine how much you can borrow. The criteria is based on lender's risk appetite and recommendations by regulatory bodies like APRA and ASIC. Different lenders will have different servicing policy which can affect how much you can borrow.

This is a good idea when you are looking at purchasing a property to help you understand the legal aspects of buying a property.