Khader Hasan 
Worsening extreme weather is leading to a rapid increase in insurance premiums and even an insurability crisis, according to a report by the Climate Council. The biggest insurance risk is expected to come from riverine flooding, followed by bushfires and surface-water flooding. “As the risk of being affected by extreme weather events is increasing, insurers … Read more
The wet weather and flooding that has ravaged the southeast of Australia has left many homeowners doing what they can to protect their property and then facing a large clean-up ahead of them. Our thoughts are with anyone impacted by these trying times and we are available to provide support in a number of ways. … Read more
Businesses and commercial property investors will have to come to terms with a new commercial finance landscape. That’s one of the key findings from a CBRE Research survey of 33 lenders – a mix of local banks, international banks and non-bank lenders – to the Australian commercial real estate sector. Lenders expect interest rates … Read more
Australia’s economy expanded 0.9% in the June quarter, according to the most recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That was the third consecutive quarter of economic growth, following a contraction in the September 2021 quarter, which was caused by the Delta outbreak and lockdowns in Sydney, Melbourne and other places. The economy … Read more
The official cash rate has lifted again today to 2.60% for the sixth consecutive month. This is the highest the rate has been since July 2013 when it was 2.75%. The increase will impact any homeowner with a variable-rate or split home loan, or anyone considering taking out a new loan. But it isn’t only … Read more
With the property market cooling in many parts of Australia, many people may be wondering if now is a good time to buy as either a first-home buyer or investor. Australia’s median property price fell 3.4% in the August quarter, according to CoreLogic, which could be either good news or bad depending on your perspective. … Read more
Australia’s state and territory building ministers have agreed to improve the energy efficiency of new homes. New homes will now have to achieve a seven-star Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) rating, up from the previous six stars. New homes will also have an annual energy use budget for their major appliances such as: Air … Read more
Australians turned to mortgage brokers in record numbers during the June quarter. Research group Comparator found brokers originated 68% of new home loans in the June quarter, compared to 32% for lenders. That was a record broker market share for the June quarter, and was significantly higher than the year before (59%) and the year … Read more
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced another hike to the cash rate in September from 1.85% to 2.35%. This takes the total increase in the cash rate this year 2.25 percentage points, up from a record-low of 0.1% in May. With this increase, we have seen interest rates for home loans increase across … Read more
Getting pre-approval for your home loan can give you an understanding of your borrowing power and confidence your lender is satisfied with your preliminary application. It means it is time to get out there to find your home. To help you on your way, here is a quick overview of what your pre-approval means. The … Read more
