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Residential construction costs rose just 0.4% in the March quarter, which was the lowest quarterly increase since 2010, according to the Cordell Construction Cost Index. As a result, annual cost growth fell from 4.0% in the December quarter to 3.4% in the March quarter.However, building costs have risen 31.3% since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, so this slowdown in price growth is coming off a high base.Builders are struggling to cope with higher supply costs and a shortage of skilled tradespeople. That said, there is plenty of homebuilding activity taking place around the country. Multinational construction group RLB reported there were 487 residential construction cranes operating during the first quarter of 2025. While this was 9.8% lower than the 540 residential cranes from the year before, it was still high by historical standards.Please contact me if you're thinking about building a home. I can help you secure a pre-approval for a construction loan, which will give you clarity around your budget. I can also explain how construction loans work, so you can begin the process with confidence.Let’s chat about your construction loan optionsHit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Homebuilding cost growth falls to 15-year low

Surveys of property investors have confirmed that although investing can be a fantastic way to build long-term wealth, investors need to be prepared to weather periods of negative cash flow, especially in the early years.The Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) found that 65% of the investors they surveyed were negatively geared in 2024, up from 57% in 2023.PIPA chair Nicola McDougall said the results confirmed that being a property investor involves both upsides as well as challenges.“Interest rates remain significantly higher than they were a few years ago and, while rents have risen, they are a drop in the ocean compared to higher lending costs,” she said.If you're a property investor, here are five tips for managing your financial position:Build a cash buffer to cover periods of negative cash flowFactor in rising interest rates when budgeting future costsWork with an accountant to maximise your tax deductionsReview your loan on a regular basis to ensure it's still competitiveSpeak with a mortgage broker to explore refinancing or restructuring optionsIf you’re thinking about buying an investment property or ensuring an existing investment loan is structured correctly, I can help.Let’s talk property investmentHit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Two-thirds of property investors are negatively geared

The latest inflation data, which were recorded before the USA's recent series of tariff announcements, show further progress in the battle against inflation, making future interest rate cuts more likely.The annual headline inflation rate fell from 2.5% in January to 2.4% in February, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which was the seventh consecutive month it had been within the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) target range of 2-3%.Also, the annual trimmed mean inflation rate (which the RBA regards as more reliable, because it excludes items with wild price swings from inflation calculations) fell from 2.8% in January to 2.7% in February, which was the third consecutive month it had been within the target range. The RBA has kept interest rates quite high over the past three years, in order to reduce demand from the economy and put downward pressure on inflation.If the RBA believes inflation is now under control, it may consider reducing the cash rate at its next monetary policy meeting in May, which would prompt lenders to reduce their mortgage rates. That said, the RBA may place even greater weight on the global instability caused by the tariff issue when deciding whether to change the cash rate.Need a home loan? Let’s chat.Hit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Inflation remains within RBA’S target range

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has found “the vast majority of borrowers would remain able to service their debt under a range of plausible economic scenarios”, according to the central bank's latest Financial Stability Review.Crucially, about 97% of borrowers have positive cash flow, which means they’re able to meet their mortgage commitments and potentially get ahead on their mortgage.Furthermore, less than 1% of borrowers are currently in negative equity (i.e. their property is worth less than their outstanding mortgage), which is “a meaningful improvement” from before the pandemic. “Large liquidity and equity buffers would enable most households to navigate a period of higher-than-expected inflation and interest rates or a significant deterioration in the labour market,” the RBA said.“Even when faced with a severe 30% decline in housing prices, around 9 in 10 mortgagors would still have positive equity. These borrowers could sell their home – albeit a disruptive and last resort solution – for at least the outstanding balance of their loan if faced with severe stress.”Everyone has a unique scenario, which is why it's important to talk to an expert about your specific situation. If you're struggling to meet your repayments, your mortgage broker and lender can help.Need a home loan? Let’s chat.Hit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Most home loan customers could withstand a financial downturn: RBA

Five years on from the start of the covid-19 pandemic, the property market is in a very different place.When the pandemic started, some banks predicted a crash in property prices. Instead, the national median price fell just 1.7%, before rebounding. By March 2025, the national median was 38.4% higher than in March 2020, according to CoreLogic. That included an increase of 56.3% in the combined regions and 33.6% in the combined capitals.Meanwhile, the median rent in March 2025 was 37.6% higher than five years earlier. House rents (38.7%) and unit rents (35.1%) recorded similar growth in that period, even though, in the early days of the pandemic, unit rents fell sharply due to the big drop in demand from international students.The interest rate picture has also changed significantly over the past five years. The cash rate was just 0.75% before the pandemic; the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) then reduced the cash rate not once but twice in March 2020, to 0.25%, before reducing the cash rate again in November 2020, to a record-low 0.10%. In 2022, the RBA started reversing course; as of March 2025, the cash rate was 4.10%.Need a home loan? Let’s chat.Hit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about How prices, rents and rates have changed over the past five years

Good news if you’re an essential worker – some lenders offer LMI waivers to professions such as police officers, teachers, firefighters, nurses, midwives and paramedics.Lender’s mortgage insurance, or LMI, is an insurance premium you generally get charged when you provide a deposit of less than 20%. For example, if you were a first home buyer and wanted to buy a $600,000 property with a 10% deposit, you would generally have to pay an LMI premium of about $13,000.However, depending on your profession and choice of lender, you may be able to take out a low-deposit home loan without needing to pay LMI.This LMI waiver is not something that all lenders offer to all essential workers; rather, it’s something that some lenders offer to some essential workers.As your broker, I know the credit policies of a range of lenders, so if you’re an essential worker, get in touch to discuss your options. Depending on your circumstances, I might be able to find you a better home loan deal than you realised was possible.Need a home loan? Let’s chat.Hit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Banks offering special deals to certain professions

Homebuilding approvals are heading in the right direction, opening up the possibility of more residential construction activity in the near future.A total of 16,579 approvals were issued in January, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This marked a 6.3% month-on-month increase and 21.7% year-on-year increase, and was also the highest monthly total since December 2022.“These increases in approvals signal positive momentum heading into the new year, with households slowly returning to the market and building new homes,” Housing Industry Association economist Maurice Tapang said. “New housing approvals had been strengthening on the back of low levels of unemployment, recovering real wages and ongoing strong population growth, even before the first interest rate cut was delivered [in February].”Master Builders Australia chief economist Shane Garrett also welcomed the increase in approvals numbers, but warned that without a further rise, housing supply would continue to fall short of demand.“Higher-density home building has been at woeful levels for nearly a decade with insufficient new supply in this part of the market forcing rental prices sky high,” he said.Get in touch if you want to finance a building projectHit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Building approvals hit two-year high

The gap between the average variable interest rate and lowest variable rate on Finder, a comparison website, was 1.57 percentage points in early March, while the gap between the average and lowest fixed rate was 1.37 percentage points.It is very important to note that interest rate comparisons are not always equal, and some loans may be more suitable for certain borrowers depending on their eligibility criteria and extra loan features, such as an offset account or redraw facility.Nevertheless, the data does highlight the importance of reviewing your home loan every two or three years, because lenders that may have offered very competitive interest rates in the past may have since fallen behind other lenders.To show you the considerable savings that may be available through refinancing, let's consider some basic calculations: if a borrower had 25 years left on their mortgage and switched from a loan with a 6.50% p.a. interest rate to one with a 6.00% p.a. rate, here's how much they could potentially save over the life of the loan:$46,359* if they had $500,000 left on their mortgage$69,538* if they had $750,000 left on their mortgage$92,717* if they had $1,000,000 left on their mortgageI can research the market for you to see if there are more competitive loans available and can also discuss other potential options that might save you money.* The figures provided are for illustrative purposes only and are based on a hypothetical scenario. They assume the borrower has an owner-occupier home loan with principal-and-interest repayments and 25 years remaining on the loan term. They also assume no changes to the loan term, all monthly repayments are made on time, and no additional fees, charges or changes to repayment frequency apply. Actual savings will vary depending on your individual circumstances, loan terms, interest rate, fees and lender policies. This is not financial advice and should not be relied upon as such. Please speak to a licensed mortgage broker to understand whether refinancing is suitable for your situation.Let’s chat about your refinancing optionsHit the button below to arrange a conversation with one of my loan specialists to find a deal that's best for your situation. Chat to us today We partner with over 50 lenders so you can find the perfect solutionFollow Facebook Linkedin Do you have questions about mortgages or loans?Ask us in the comments below … [Read more...] about Research exposes big gap between average and lowest variable rates