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As first home buyers return to the Perth property market, hopes are high that capital growth will pick up in 2012. The Perth property market has been showing renewed signs of life during the spring selling season, with first home buyers leading the charge. Sales activity has been slow in … Read More
The Melbourne property market continues to weaken but there are signs that the fall is slowing. Melbourne property prices deteriorated further as the market realigned itself after massive growth over 2010. The data from Residex showed the median house price fell 2.35% over the September quarter, which is in line … Read More
The recent drop in values is making Brisbane properties attractive once again. The weakness in Brisbane’s median house values extended in the September quarter with Residex recording a 0.64% drop to $438,500. Over the past 12 months, median house values fell by 4.05%. The latest reading from RP Data confirms … Read More
After staging solid gains over the past few months, Sydney sees a reversal of its good fortune. Sydney’s been one of the most robust markets in Australia over recent months – but it looks like it’s finally yielding to the weight of poor sentiment and global economic uncertainties. According to … Read More
Sometimes life throws you a curve ball and you have to reassess your home ownership dreams to fit. In this article we explore some of the issues to bear in mind when some of the more common life-changing scenarios come your way and how you can refinance your mortgage to … Read More
Everyone wants to know the secret to paying off your mortgage and being debt free sooner but if you are serious about getting ahead financially there are 5 simple mortgage rules to live by which can mean the difference between spending the next 30 years paying the bank or, cutting … Read More
Bricks and mortar have taken a knocking in recent months, but it’s still one of the most robust investment classes, especially in the long term. Here’s why. 1. It’s safe (as houses) There’s a reason why ‘safe as houses’ is a well-known phrase: it’s true. According to research by AMP, … Read More
Where to buy to supercharge your portfolio Conventional investment wisdom has taught property investors to stick to the capital cities of Australia. After all, 70% of the country’s population lives in these urban centres, and they’ve historically provided solid, long-term growth (and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t in the … Read More
Head office here at Illawarra Home Loans is on the South Coast of NSW in Wollongong so what better way to kick start our inspirational home decor series than with a feature on beach houses. Whether it is your main residence or you’re lucky enough to own a beach house … Read More
Waiting for fixed interest rates to hit rock bottom? Wait any longer and you could miss the boat. You may not have noticed but while you were ringing in 2012 many banks started creeping their fixed rates up. With the recent cuts to the official interest rate by the RBA … Read More
So it seems to be the general consensus that this year has flown by and we have suddenly found ourselves again rushing down to the Wollongong markets to grab some Christmas Bush and home made fruit mince pies in preparation for Christmas Day. What an exciting year we’ve had here … Read More
Rate Announcement For the second month in a row the RBA has cut interest rates and again we’ve followed suit and cut the full 0.25% off the variable interest rates on all of our home loans! This is even better news for First Home Buyers in NSW looking to get … Read More
The NSW State Government announced on 6 September 2011 that as of 1 January 2012 First Home Buyers purchasing established properties will no longer receive a stamp duty concession. As of 1 January 2012 stamp duty concessions will only be available to first home buyers purchasing a brand new home … Read More
Even if your job doesn’t put you in the higher pay brackets, you may still be able to kick start that property portfolio. Here’s how… As long as you can budget well, the larger your income the more you’ll be able to put away each month for a property deposit. … Read More
RBA Interest Rate Decision December 2011: There was much talk in the media after November’s interest rate cut that the next move wouldn’t happen until at least February 2012. However, The current crisis in Europe has thrown a spanner in the works and there were experts hedging bets either way. … Read More
The state of your credit history can make a huge difference to whether you’re approved or not. We explain how your credit file works, and how to improve it. Since the Global Financial Crisis, lending institutions have tightened their lending policies to the point at which even a small blemish … Read More
Investors are returning to the Queensland property market, but the big gains are still a year or two away. Has the tide started to turn in Queensland? According to the latest lending finance figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, it appears that investors certainly think so, says Real Estate … Read More
Should Perth’s recently announced transport plan come to fruition, the city’s property market could be in for a bright future. The big news coming out of Perth is the announcement of its much-awaited 20-year transport plan: Public Transport Plan – Perth 2031 With public transport being a major factor in … Read More
This year’s going to be a quiet one for Adelaide’s property market, but the city’s west offers great buying opportunities. The mood in Adelaide is that the build up of pressure in its property market is set – sooner or later – to bring the city’s capital growth rates back … Read More
Is the Victorian property market sliding into trouble? In late August, the properties from the much-trumpeted TV series The Block went up for auction. However, out of the four Richmond properties that were renovated, only one actually sold at auction, with another sold after auction. Is this a (very) public … Read More
