Melbourne tops for home prices

NOT only was Melbourne the strongest housing market in the country in the September quarter, it was also the strongest market in the country over the past 12 months. According to Australian Property Monitors' Quarterly House Price Report, released last month, Melbourne's median house price rose by 11.4 per cent in the 12 months to September, from $438,000 to $487,000.

Worries Grow On Mortgage Funds

FEARS are growing the crisis in the nation's $12 billion mortgage fund sector could soon spill into the broader property market, with developers and home buyers at risk of having a key funding tap shut off.

Finding The Best Mortgage Rates

The best mortgage rates are not always just what lenders are offering.

Mortgage Pain: The Suburbs On The Edge Home ...

WESTERN Sydney became the nation's breeding ground for low-doc and predatory lenders during the peak of the property boom and residents are now paying the price, with the highest rates of mortgage arrears and repossessions in the country, according to the Reserve Bank.

Home Buyers Wait On Bank Mortgage Relief

THE Reserve Bank is expected to deliver mortgage relief to more than 2 million households today by cutting official interest rates.

Rent Or Buy, Families Hit A Brick Wall

SYDNEYSIDERS are caught in a bind as rising interest rates push more people into mortgage stress at the same time as the rental squeeze makes it impossible for people in some suburbs to find rental accommodation, with young families particularly exposed.

Loan Rangers Ride Again

Don't count on the banks to drop their rates when the Reserve Bank does.

Double Trouble To Hit Home In Mortgage Belt

THE Commonwealth Bank has delivered a double dose of bad news to home loan borrowers - raising interest rates and declaring there may be more pain to come.

Hey Big Lender

Non-bank home lenders are being muscled out as the credit crunch leaves them unable to compete with the big banks - and that means higher interest rates all round. Stuart Washington and Clancy Yeates report.

House Rules Change

The mortgage game is different now, so it's time to review your strategy, writes Lesley Parker.

Want help finding the best mortgage rates?

All the best mortgage rates are easier to find online due to the convenience of information on the Internet.

The best mortgage rates more likely to be variable

Despite rising interest rates, fixed rate mortgages are likely to cost you more in the long term than variable rates.

Macquarie Pushes Up Rates On Low-doc Loans

THE home loans arm of Macquarie Group has raised interest rates on some mortgages by almost three times as much as the latest official rise by the Reserve Bank, the biggest hit yet to home buyers as a result of the credit market meltdown.

Need a home loan that isn't changing on you?

Fixed-rate mortgages provide security with the knowledge that rising inflation rates and other factors won't suddenly be forcing your budget to go further. If you like to know what the future holds for you, perhaps you should consider applying for a fixed rate home loan at Best Mortgage Rates.

$2.4b Bank Profit Will Put It In The Firing Line

THE Commonwealth Bank will reveal net half-year cash profits of at least $2.4 billion this week, putting it in the politicians' firing line after its controversial decision to raise home loan interest rates by more than last week's Reserve Bank increase.

Don't Blame The Banks - They're Just Doing Their Job

Wayne Swan is naive to demand an explanation from ANZ for their recent mortgage rate rise ("ANZ rates row with Treasurer escalates", January 9). He clearly lacks a basic understanding of the recent turmoil in the credit markets and its implications.

Canberra's New Soap Star Is Short On Character

By all reasonable standards, Australia has had a good government since 1996. Total household wealth has more than doubled from $2047 billion to $4632 billion. Australia's standard of living (measured in GDP per head) has risen from 13th to eighth in the world. Unemployment has dropped from 8.2 per cent to 4.4 per cent, a 32-year low. Inflation has fallen from 5.2 per cent to 2.5 per cent. Mortgage rates have fallen from 12.75 per cent to 7.17 per cent. Government debt of $96 billion has been ...

Products With Enticing Interest Rates Could Cost You Capital

What types of fixed-interest products are proving popular? Mortgage funds and debentures are experiencing enormous inflows. They are backed by mortgages on various types of properties. There are also hybrid securities, preference shares and convertible notes, typically backed by major corporations and with a rate of interest 1 to 3 percentage points higher than the government bond rate.

Deposit Rates Signal Shift Higher

WHILE the experts have been saying for months that interest rates won't rise, guess what. They've been rising

Mortgage Rates On Hold - For A Month At Least

HOMEBUYERS have won another month's grace on higher mortgage payments, but news that the economy ended 2003 with a bang has created expectations of further hip-pocket pain to come.