Home Buyer Centre

Buying a home is typically the biggest financial decision that you will ever make.

Without the right knowledge, it can be tough to make the right decisions.

The Home Buyer Centre provides plenty of tools and guides that you can use to educate yourself on home loans and how to buy a property.

Calculators

• How much can I borrow?: We’ve created an online calculator that exactly matches the methods used by several banks. Find out how much different banks will lend to you.
• LMI calculator: Did you know each lender has different LMI premiums? Find out if you are eligible for discounted or waived LMI.
• Credit score calculator: Are you a high risk borrower? Find out how the banks will view your situation.
• First Home Owners Grants: Which grants and concessions are you eligible for? Find out specific information for your state.
• Stamp duty calculator: NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, WA, SA, TAS: How much is stamp duty in your state?
• More calculators: Using our mortgage calculators will help you to make an informed buying decision.

Basic mortgage concepts

• Interest rates: What special offers, professional packages and fixed rates are currently available?
• What does LVR mean?: Find out what LVR means and how this can affect your loan application.
• What are genuine savings?: What are genuine savings and why do most banks require it even if you have a good income?
• What is LMI?: What is LMI, how much is it and who has to pay it?
• What is credit scoring?: What is your credit score and why does it matter for your mortgage application?
• The loan application process: How does applying for a home loan work? What are the different steps that your application will go through before it is advanced?
• Home loan types: Loans can be interest only, 100% offset, basic or a line of credit. What does all this mean and which loan type is suitable for you?

No deposit loans

• Buying a home with no deposit: What options are available to home buyers? How can you buy a home with little or no deposit?
• Guarantor home loans: Find out how you can borrow the full purchase price and even cover such costs as stamp duty.
• 95% home loans: Borrowing 95% isn’t as easy as it used to be. What do you need to know to get the lowest interest rate and to get approved?

First home buyers

• First Home Buyers Guide: Our step by step guide to buying your first home.
• 2020: All government grants and schemes for first home buyers. Which grants and schemes are available to you?
• First Home Owners Grant guide: Filling in the forms for the First Home Owners Grant can be a challenge! Which documents do you need to provide to make sure that your grant isn’t delayed?
• First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: A comprehensive guide on how the Australian government’s new initiative for first home buyer works and its eligibility criteria.
• FHLDS New Home Guarantee: Our comprehensive guide on the government’s FHLDS New Home Guarantee for first home buyer purchasing or building a new home.

Home loan documents

• Employment letter: Some lenders will require a letter from your employer. Use these templates to make sure that the letter is accepted.
• Gift letter: Are your parents giving you a deposit? If so then most lenders will require a letter from them to confirm that the funds will be available.
• Rental reference letter: Are you currently renting? Some lenders will require a letter from your managing agent to confirm that you have been a reliable tenant
• Statements and transaction history: What is the difference between a statement and a transaction history? Mixing this up can cause a delay with your application.

Buying a property

• The home buying process: What are the steps to buying a home? Find tips for each step in the process.
• How to value a property: How do bank valuers know what your property is worth? When buying a property you can use the exact same method to make more accurate offers.
• How reliable is your pre-approval?: Did you know that some pre-approvals aren’t worth the paper that they’re written on? Make sure that you have a real pre-approval before you bid at an auction.
• You are pre-approved, now what?: Once your loan is pre-approved you can begin shopping around for a property to buy. What are the next steps?
• Preparing to buy a property: Are you thinking of buying a property in the near future? Learn how we can help you to be prepared to buy when the time comes.
• Construction loan tips: Are you buying land and building a home or are you interested in a house and land package? Find out how a construction loan works and what you need to do to make sure that the process goes smoothly.