Mortgage Basics

22 editor-reviewed guides in this category.

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• How to refinance your home loan

  Refinancing means moving your loan to a sharper rate or better features. When it's worth it, the process, and how to work out your real saving.

  7 min read

• Fixed vs variable home loans

  A fixed rate locks your repayment for a set term; a variable rate moves with the market. How each works, when each wins, and why many borrowers split.

  6 min read

• Interest rate predictions Australia 2026

  The RBA cash rate sits at 4.60% p.a. after a fourth 2026 hike on 29 September. The path so far, what the recorded bank forecasts mean, and what to do with your rate now.

  6 min read

• What is a good home loan interest rate right now?

  A good home loan rate sits below the current benchmark for your loan type and LVR. Here is how to compare average, median, and sharper rates without relying on a stale headline.

  5 min read

• Can I ask my lender for a lower rate?

  Yes, and it often works. Compare your current rate with verified new-customer offers first, then ask your lender to review its pricing.

  5 min read

• How do I get the best home loan rate?

  Your LVR, repayment type, loan purpose, documentation and product features all affect the rate a lender offers. Here is how to improve the parts you can control.

  6 min read

• Who qualifies for the best home loan interest rates?

  The sharpest rates usually go to lower-LVR borrowers with stable income, clean credit and principal-and-interest repayments. Here is how each factor affects eligibility.

  6 min read

• How much can I borrow?

  Your borrowing power is set by what a lender thinks you can repay, not by your deposit. Here is how it is calculated, what shrinks it, how to lift it, and roughly what income the loan sizes people ask about imply.

  9 min read

• Pre-approval process & documents

  What pre-approval actually is, how long it takes, and the exact documents an Australian lender will ask for before issuing one.

  6 min read

• Home loan comparison rate vs interest rate

  Understand the home loan comparison rate Australia uses, which fees count and its $150,000, 25-year basis. Guidance reviewed 8 October 2026.

  5 min read

• Loan to value ratio (LVR) explained

  LVR is the loan amount as a percentage of the property's value. It decides whether lenders mortgage insurance applies, which pricing tier you land in, and which lenders will look at your file at all.

  8 min read

• Offset vs redraw: how each works

  They look similar, both let you reduce interest by parking spare cash against the loan, but tax treatment, accessibility, and speed differ.

  5 min read

• Refinancing to access equity

  How equity release works, what lenders need to see, and when to use it (renovations, deposit for an investment) vs when to leave it alone.

  5 min read

• The perfect home loan application

  What lenders are actually looking for, the common reasons applications get declined, and how to fix your file before submission.

  6 min read

• Refinance home loan costs

  A lower rate is only half the equation. Discharge fees, application costs, and a fresh 30-year term can quietly eat the saving. What to count first.

  6 min read

• The cashback catch

  A four-figure cashback feels like free money, but it's marketing for a reason. How to tell when a cashback wins and when a sharper rate beats it.

  5 min read

• When a lower rate actually costs more

  The lowest advertised rate isn't always the cheapest loan. Fees, a longer term, and lost features can make a higher headline rate the better deal.

  6 min read

• Why the lowest advertised rate may be unapprovable

  The sharpest advertised rate often hides eligibility rules: a big deposit, a clean record, a minimum loan. Why the rate you see isn't the rate you get.

  5 min read

• Fixed-rate break-cost traps

  Fixing locks your rate, but it also locks you in. Selling, refinancing, or overpaying during a fixed term can trigger a break cost in the thousands.

  6 min read

• Offset account vs the rate premium it carries

  An offset account can save real interest, but it often comes inside a package with a higher rate or annual fee. When the offset pays for itself.

  6 min read

• The comparison-rate blind spot

  The comparison rate is the best single number for comparing loans, but it rests on assumptions that may not match your loan. Where it quietly misleads.

  6 min read

• Home loan discharge fee: costs and timing

  What a home loan discharge fee is, the lender and land registry fees involved, how it differs from an exit fee, and how long a discharge takes.

  6 min read