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With the NSW recently announcing that from the first of January next year, it will abolish stamp duty concessions for first home buyers buying new homes, it’s been reported this week that there is now more activity in the property market from first home buyers keen to see if they can get in before that deadline.
So if you’re a first home buyer and you feel like you’re ready, here is a suggested list you may want to check off before you decide to pounce: (more…)
The Reserve Bank Deputy Governor, Ric Battelino, delivered a speech today at an investment conference on the latest economic and financial developments – and the news wasn’t all doom and gloom (more…)
Despite the explanation given on how households will be compensated in the carbon tax – it still won’t help many borrowers and their budgetary bottom lines. (more…)
With so much focus on the banning of exit fees, some interesting news for borrowers was almost overlooked from the recently delivered Queensland State Budget. (more…)
So disappointing to see the Federal Government’s legislation on the abolition of exit fees eventually get passed yesterday, after such an overwhelming number of industry groups pointed out the obvious flaws in introducing such a move.
It would seem that despite the efforts of many, commonsense did not win out on the day and it will be interesting to see if there’s any real impact on borrowers behaviour at all. (more…)
With this week’s report from the Australian Institute showing that more and more people are choosing to shop online in a bid to save money from what they perceive as overinflated retail prices, there’s no question many of those same people are borrowers trying to have their cake and eat it too.
They’re looking at all sorts of ways to save themselves some money and I’m sure if people could buy petrol and electricity over the internet more cheaply as well, the websites and the companies behind them would be going gangbusters!
But what else does that study actually tell us about the change in behaviour of consumers? (more…)
The mortgage industry won’t be holding its breath on anything to assist borrowers on tonight’s Federal Budget. We’ve already been told it will be ‘tough’ and will involve cuts to spending.
So if there is nothing to write home about in tonight’s budget for the many borrowers who are coping with what is fast becoming a year set to make them rein in their belts even tighter, what we also don’t want to see down the track is any more examples of policy making on the run. (more…)
You may have noticed there hasn’t been a lot of speculation lately about cash rates and what as a consequence may happen to mortgage rates.
Sure there have been a slew of reports on the government’s abolishment of exit fees, now set to be introduced on July 1 –and the possible effect on borrowers, but not much about interest rates themselves.
And that’s largely because, generally speaking, there’s not much to report. (more…)
They say even a week can be a long time in politics but it was good to see newly elected NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell make one of his first announcements in the new job over the weekend, with a move designed to provide more opportunities to those looking to get out of the rental market and into their own home. (more…)
There is much debate on what the newly proposed Federal Government reforms for the banking industry will actually deliver in terms of tangible benefits for the industry and in turn borrowers – and much of that is because there is certainly more detail needed. (more…)