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. Belts may be tightening but not, it seems, for renovators. The latest figures from the ABS show Australians spent a whopping $1,044 million on home renovations in May
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? There’s no denying that getting into the property market in today’s economic climate ain’t easy. The average Australian house price is now $725,000 – that’s 30% more expensive than
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? The decision to keep the official cash rate at 4.10% will be welcomed by homeowners around the country after monthly repayments increased by about $1,135 per $500,000 loaned (for a
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. As interest rates have climbed, Australians have refinanced in unprecedented numbers. In fact, a record high of $21.3 billion in refinancing took place
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? Despite a flurry of rate rises, new data this month shows homeownership is once again a top priority
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. It’s in the best interests of all parties involved if your mortgage is chugging along with regular repayments being made. Borrowing an amount you don’t have a hope in hell of repaying can mean
