From early 2009 until early 2010, a high influx of property buyers prompted a 22-percent increase in Melbourne house prices. However, the market cooled down due to slowing price growth and falling clearance rates at property auctions. While owner-occupiers are hesitant to buy new properties, investors are on the move.

Years ago, investors had a different mindset, they would try to get beachfront or inner-city properties for strong capital growth, high demand or accessibility to amenities and public transportation. However, the times have changed and houses in inner-city or beachfront areas are worth at least $1 million and it can give slow to negative income returns.

Properties in northern and western Melbourne are more affordable and have better profit potential than the properties in the eastern and southern part of the city.

Up to the third quarter of the year, these suburbs gained capital growth from 16 to 21 percent while the overall average capital growth of all Melbourne properties is 13 percent. Since inner-city properties have become unaffordable, more households are seeking properties in these working-class suburbs.

It is important then when seeking an investment property that you do your research and determine where and what type of properties will give you the best returns. When you have decided on the right investment property find the right home loan is the next step.

Architects can establish if the property can be renovated according to the desires of the buyer or if the renovations projects will have costs that equate to buying a new property. If you can renovate, make sure that the proper renovation project takes place or problems on the property may start to compound.

It is important that you question the real estate agent and the valuers about potential renovation projects before buying the property. Asking them eliminates the possibility of either overcapitalising or undercapitalising.

Some property owners think that do-it-yourself renovation projects will save them money. However, this is only true if you know how to get the job done. If it is not done properly do-it-yourself renovations can add to the properties problems. If you are not an experienced renovator, it is best that you hire a professional that can get the job done the right way.

Delicate jobs such as plumbing and electrical connections must be done by an expert. If not, these can create more problems and additional renovation expenses. You must also refrain from overspending on fixtures, fittings and furniture if you intend to sell the property eventually.

Experts suggest that middle-priced furniture and fixtures must be purchased so that you can still devote your finances to other renovation projects. If you would like to alter the composition of your house just like creating a two-bedroom apartment from a one-bedroom property, you must seek the advice of a valuer first to check if the renovation will satisfy your objective.

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To remove your negative financial marks or bad credit rating that you have incurred in the past, you must strive to apply for a non-conforming loan. Your application for this type of loan can be approved as long as you can satisfy the repayments.

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This type of loan can help you raise your credit rating or balance the bad moves that had huge effects on your current financial status. You may also go for a credit-impaired loan if you have transferred jobs, no stable income or if you are building a business.

You may also avail of a credit impaired loan if your income is irregular or if your tax debts are high. If you have sent a lot of inquiries to the Credit Reference Association of Australia, this makes you eligible for a credit-impaired loan as well.

A credit impaired loan comes in three types: the fixed, the variable and the split loan. It also has useful features like the redraw funds, line of credit and the offset. However, a credit impaired loan would still be classified as a risky loan despite having so much proof that you won’t have problems with the repayment. Therefore, it usually has a high interest rate.

Though it is a non-conforming loan, you must still prove to lenders that you can satisfy the repayments of the loan regularly. For this, you must give a proof of income to strengthen your claim that you will not miss repayments.

If you would like to improve your negative credit record, a credit-impaired loan is best for you. And because its rates have dropped over the years, repayments are easier to satisfy. With this loan, you will learn how to conduct well-calculated financial decisions in the future.

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Borrowers hire mortgage brokers mainly because of their experience. Because they have been in the industry for years, mortgage brokers knows the benefits and risks of various home loan deals like the palm of his hand.

Also, brokers know people from your desired lending company so he already knows who to talk to and what it takes for your home loan application to be processed. He has a lot of connections that he can use to speed up the processing of your home loan or even get you a favourable deal that is not offered to all potential lenders.

In return, you can start paying off your approved home loan as soon as possible. However, a mortgage broker’s contribution does not come for free. There might be times when the fee for the mortgage broker is given separately while there might be times when his fee is tagged with the loan.

Also, a broker can make the process about learning home loans easier. He knows every detail upon recall for he has been doing this for so long. Treat him as a walking home loan encyclopaedia who can give you instant answers.

However, mortgage brokers do not come for free. You could end up paying the same amount as that of the initial charge for a standard home loan once his fee has been accounted for. However, this is a one-time fee that would benefit you in the long run.

Dealing with a mortgage broker is a great step in maximizing your loan deal because of his experience and knowledge. But before hiring one, make sure that they can present the documents that would make them a qualified mortgage broker.

This deal attracts a lot of borrowers for a honeymoon home loan offers a lower interest rate for around six to twelve months. After the said time period, the interest rate goes back to the standard variable rate that the lender offers. This set-up gives borrowers, especially start-up families, to save up finances.

The length and interest rate of the introductory rate depends on your lending partner. Therefore, it would be better for you to shop around and compare the deals that different lenders offer.

Obviously, honeymoon loans provide useful savings for not only can you save on interest payments but these payment cuts offer more repayment discounts in the long run. This set-up makes a honeymoon rate a very tempting deal.

However, this deal entails a number of restrictions as well. Because of the low rates, many lenders will limit its available features which result in little to no flexibility over the home loan term.

Also, many honeymoon deals have steeper early repayment fees during the first four or five years of the term. It can also entail higher ongoing or establishment fees. There are even situations wherein lenders set a limit to the amount that can be repaid every month.

On the other hand, a honeymoon deal can be of a disadvantage if you have a fixed deal and the standard variable rate decreases during the fixed period. Also, failure to satisfy repayments will trigger the banks to charge penalties if you discharge your deal within three or four years.

Finding the best honeymoon home loan requires research. By doing so, you can even find out that you can end up with a more flexible deal if you sacrifice a temporary repayments savings. To get a better picture on this, it would be better for you to consult a home loan consultant.

First, you know your credit history. There are some home loan lenders who put much weight into this. This is how they determine whether you are an able payer or not. Once you apply for a loan while having a bad credit line, you application might not be entertained.

You must also determine your budget. Home loan lenders have specific deals for various repayment capabilities. From here, you can determine the deal that suits you best or you can compare between two or more home loan lenders.

Then, you must live within your capabilities. Some home loan lenders are strict with repayment schedules and you should reduce miscellaneous expenses when you are still paying your loan term.

You should also discern whether you can pay for fixed price loan or not. There are home loan lenders who can give you better non-fixed home loans and there are some who specialize in fixed loan deals. Choosing the best home loan lender will make the repayment process a breeze.

After considering all of these factors, you can now choose your home loan lender. Most borrowers go for non-conforming lenders who do not rely on credit records but on the borrower’s merits such as job security, income and past repayment deals.

Non-conforming lenders usually charge higher for the deal is still considered to be risky. They usually stricter repayment terms as well. However, they are more flexible in terms of repayment amounts. This gives you an opportunity to establish a good credit record for a year or two.

Once you have done so, you can then shift to another home loan deal with another lender but this process require additional transfer fees.

Once your offer is accepted, you must sign a contract with the seller so that the legal process of the deal can be initiated. Also, the seller can still shop the property around to get an even higher price until a contract has been signed.

After the contract has been signed, you are also agreeing with the terms and conditions that are within the contract.
Therefore, it is very important that you go over every page of the contract. By reading the contract, you can also make sure as to what is included in the selling price.

When the contract has been finalized, it takes four to six weeks to settle the sale. This time is used to insure the property, fill up more mortgage papers, satisfy stamp duty fees and finalize transactions with your vendor. If an existing property is being sold, lawyers should work to fix dates of settlement.

If you would like to buy a home through other means, auctions can be another option. Here, you must have to fight for your desired property. You should also make sure that you can pay for the winning price including a ten percent deposit guarantee bond that you must pay during the auction itself.

Some auctions uphold that a reserve price must be met. If the highest bid for the property is lower than the reserve price, the highest bidder will have the opportunity to negotiate with the seller first. This is not a guarantee though that he will get the house.

As the Australian dollar went up by a U.S half cent to US$0.9241 and bonds weakened, there is a 56% probability of a rate hike next month. This rate is higher than the 50% at the start of the week.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics also reported that retail sales went up by 1.4% to A$20.08 billion from A$19.80 billion in October. Australia’s trade balance also narrowed as the drop in imports offset the exports downfall. This balance on goods and services narrowed to A$1.70 billion in November from October’s A$2.08 billion deficit.

Department store sales and household goods went up 1.1% and 1.7% respectively. These data are backed up by strong consumer confidence survey and retail reports. This upswing came despite consecutive interest rate increases in October and November.

This would also strengthen the claim of some policy makers that the economy is recovering and that an interest rate hike is very likely to happen.

JP Morgan economist Helen Kevans said that these are surprising developments because they were expecting a drop due to the huge discounts given after Christmas. Millan Mulraine, economic strategist at TD Securities also added that this is proof that there is stronger consumer spending that is triggered by current interest rates and government spending stimulus.

RHG raised its standard variable rate by 39 basis points to peg their interest rate at 7.88 per cent. A report by the Sydney Morning Herald states that this home loan rate is higher than the other 110 Canstar Cannex-rated lending companies. This development comes a week after a NSW Supreme Court ruling revealed that RHG was in default with a creditor’s loan repayments.

The Morning Herald also reports that an interest rate that high shows the higher cost of home loan funding for non-bank lenders since the financial crisis.

In 2007, RAMS was sold to Westpac which is also known for high interest rate hikes. However, Westpac chairman Ted Evans stated earlier this month that these hikes are important to match higher funding costs. Also, Evans stated that having various interest rates from different banks gives customers the chance to compare the rates and find what is suitable for them.

He also added in an interview by the Australian Associated Press that market competition signifies that the scope of the company’s power is not abused and that the said competition is very much alive.

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Swift movements in the market began on December 1 after the central bank revealed the minutes of their meeting. These shake-ups were fueled even more after RBA Deputy Governor Ric Battellino’s speech.
Battellino said that rates can remain at its present rate by February due to the monetary policy’s positive stance that brought it to normal range. This comment by Battellino that he stated at the Australasian Finance & Banking Conference in Sydney surprised many market movers and this could trigger a slump in the Australian dollar under the US$90 level.

He also added that though the cash rate is still at a low 3.75 per cent, monetary policy was back at normal because the deposit’s current level, as well as the lending rates for business and housing, made the cash rate at 4.75 per cent before the crisis.

The RBA Deputy Governor’s remarks were delivered an hour after the Australian Bureau of Statistics released data that economic growth during the third quarter of 2009 is lower than the target level. This is due to the downfall of exports though imports are going up. Meanwhile, household demands and businesses purchasing more investments and equipments remain solid.

Also, the percentage of the financial market that is predicting another 25-basis point increase in February went down from 67 to 45 per cent.
Due to these figures, ANZ acting chief economist Warren Hogan reacted that the GDP numbers mean that there must be some urge to put interest rates back to neutral and that Battellino’s remarks can cause a major setback to having substantial gains in the cash rate in the succeeding months.

Hogan also added that the emergency setting of interest rates is now erased and the policy for it will be adjusted according to present conditions. Also, Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly told after their annual meeting that the RBA might raise rates very carefully next year though the cash rate level is not at normal yet.

However, Westpac chairman Ted Evans commented that recovery is still a long road ahead. He also defended their bank’s move to raise interest rates higher than that of the RBA’s. Evans explained that since interest rates are rising in the domestic and global scene, it is right for them to increase these costs to prevent the further weakening of their bank and of the Australian financial and economic system all together.

Evans also added that they have absorbed the rate increases rather than let their borrowers suffer it. He also claimed that deposit rates being held down or business rates being raised is unfair to subsidize home loan rates.

Information Source – RBA

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