HOME LOANS
Find out everything you need to know about getting ready for a home loan, investment property loan, refinancing, and debt consolidation.
HOW TO GET THE BEST HOME LOAN
Watch our short video to explain how we can help
PREPARING FOR A HOME LOAN
There are some important things that you need to know before you are ready to apply for a new home loan.
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You need to be virtually Debt Free. It is very difficult to show an ability to pay a new Home Loan if you have to pay a lot of Cards, Personal Loans or car loans as well. The less Debt you have the better.
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You need a deposit. You will also need enough money to pay your legal fees and Stamp Duty. First Home buyers schemes can help here. Aim for at least 10% of the value of the home you are looking to purchase. The more deposit you have the less in Mortgage Insurance you will pay and the better the Interest rate you can get.
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You will still need to have shown a capacity to save. You must demonstrate that you can pay and live on the income you have. The combination of your rent, payments to any loans you have finished paying off and the amount you have been saving, must add up to at least what your Home Loan repayments are going to be. This Demonstrates your ability and willingness to pay a Home Loan. This is often referred to as Genuine savings.
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The property you propose to purchase will have to be in a location the bank or Lender is comfortable with. Rural areas and out of the way locations can be very difficult to find a funder. You will need to be buying a correctly valued property. A bank or Lender will be looking at what they can resell a property for quickly, to recover money they have lent on a loan. When things go wrong this protects you too.
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For the best loans, your credit report must show a good history of on time payments.
But in saying all that, there is still a lot of variation between banks and lenders. Some banks have a very high serviceability benchmark (that means they allow a bigger margin of safety on your repayment ability) or demand a huge deposit. Some are easier to deal with than others.
Some will work on lower deposits. They will differ in how they treat board, living costs, rental income, commissions, overtime and casual pay. They differ in how friendly they are for being self employed or the reason you may need the money.
Just because you get one knock back don’t be discouraged. If your plan is to buy a new home, it may just be a matter of finding the right lender.
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SPECIALIST HOME LOANS
Home loan refinancing under difficult financial circumstances
If you find yourself in Financial Difficulty, a Bank is not going to be the answer. The Banks hands are tied by regulated Credit Policy, which is inflexible. Even though you may have been a customer for a long time, if your circumstances are outside of their credit policy, it’s a NO. They can’t help you. These are the rules for what is called a Deposit taking Institution. That’s anybody that holds people’s money in a bank account. They are not allowed to take risks.
That’s where Specialist Lenders come in. They still have policy guidelines, but it seems to be a more common-sense approach. The numbers will still need to add up. They will look at seeing if the proposed Consolidation Loan will fix the Financial problem, put you in a position where the payments are now sustainable and they will still leave some equity protection in the Loan.
You will not be able to borrow up to 100% of your Homes value. With any sort of Debt Consolidation, the maximum amount of the value of your home you can borrow, will be around 80-85%.
You will incur Risk fees or a Mortgage insurance cost and the Interest rate will be determined by the risk factors involved. But considering the amount of money it costs to sell a house, move and then get back into the market later, it is often worth it. Especially if house prices are rising at the same time. However, you are of course, not stuck here, once you are back on a better financial footing, we can refinance you back to a better rate. We suggest a quick yearly review for all Home Loans to see what is available and if it can save you money. As the family home is most peoples major cost, it can make a major favourable difference in the long run.
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SELF EMPLOYED LOW DOC HOME LOANS
If you have done your Tax Returns and Financials and are showing good income for the last 2 years, the process and Interest rate will be the same as a normal Home Loan.
But Self-employed borrowers often come up against the challenge of not being able to present a raft of payslips and tax returns to back up their loan applications. This need not stop you buying your dream home.
Many lenders offer low-doc or Alt-Doc loans for self-employed borrowers who can’t hand over Tax returns, Financials or haven’t been in Business for 2 Tax return periods. This means that, rather than the usual documentation, you prove your ability to service a loan using bank statements, GST BAS reports, and a declaration from your accountant.
Of course, as with any mortgage application, you must still prove that your income outstrips your spending and you can service the loan. Getting this right is more than presenting a lender with a few quick sums on the back of a napkin; it takes preparation. Here are some quick tips to help get you that loan:
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When applying for a new Home Loan reduce debt: pay down credit cards and personal loans, and be sure to lower the credit limits as they are paid down, as lenders assess the total credit available to you as a potential debt level, not just the amount you owe. If it’s a refinance we can look at consolidating these Debts into the home loan to increase serviceability of the payment.
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Speak to Money Buckets about how the structure of your business and your taxable income will impact your ability to borrow.
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Do your taxes when you should, and always pay your tax assessments on time.
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Save. Saving a deposit is obviously important, and showing your ability to live within your means and save is as well. This is key to serviceability – you want to show at least a six-month history of high income and low expenses.
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Come to Money Buckets rather than a bank. Money Buckets has access to specialist lenders that assess applications on a case-by-case basis and tailor their products to self-employed borrowers and contractors, while bank lenders generally do not.
Low-doc loans do differ from standard loans in a few ways, apart from the application process. Lenders offset the extra risk they are taking by lending to a self-employed borrower or contractor by charging slightly higher interest rates and placing some extra rules on loan-to-value ratios (LVR) and insurance requirements.
Generally, you can expect an interest rate for a low-doc loan to be one to two percentage points higher than for a full-documentation loan.
Most lenders will also insist on an LVR of no more than 80 per cent – meaning that they will not lend more than 80 per cent of the property value, as assessed by the lender.
In cases where the loan amount is for more than 60 per cent of the property’s value, some lenders also require self-employed borrowers to pay for lenders’ mortgage insurance.
But the Lenders are all super competitive at the moment, so these restrictions may change.
REVERSE MORTGAGES AND AGED CARE
If you would like the financial ability to spend your retirement how you choose, with independence and dignity, you should talk to Money Buckets. Most people would like to stay in their family home as long as possible. A Reverse Mortgage will allow you to Draw against the equity in your home without having to sell it – releasing funds for a well-earned and comfortable retirement. There is no repayments needed until the Home is sold. So your super and pension can be used for living costs and Lifestyle.
You can take funds as a lump sum, as a top up to your pension to give you a higher regular income or a combination of both.
The total loan amount, including accumulated interest, is usually repayable when you move permanently from your home. This could occur when you sell your property, move into long term care or pass away. With Couples it is when the last person leaves.
You will be expected to keep the Home maintained, rates and Insurance up to date. You continue to own and live in your own home for as long as you wish, benefiting from any potential increase in property values. There is very strict Government regulation to protect you. Making regular repayments is not necessary, although you are free to do so at any time. The amount you can borrow is typically based on your age, property location and the value of your home. A Reverse Mortgage is designed to help you manage your financial requirements by accessing only what you need, as and when you need it.
What can I do with the money?
A Reverse Mortgage is yours for you to do whatever you choose. Many people use the loan to fund home repairs or improvements, repay debt, travel to visit family members, pay for medical procedures, upgrade to a more reliable car, assist with in-home care, or a host of other uses to make life easier and more comfortable. Fundamentally, a Reverse Mortgage is designed to help you live a better retirement. You should contact Centrelink to discuss any impact borrowing may have on your pension or other government entitlements.
An Aged Care Loan works similarly. This can provide the large deposit needed for a Nursing Home, where the family home is not wanting to be sold at that time. There is generally more of the Equity in a home available in this case.
Who can apply?
Anyone aged 60 or over who owns their own home can apply for a Reverse Mortgage.
Secondary Properties
A Reverse Mortgage is also available to be taken over an Investment Property or Holiday Home.
Aged Care Option
The Aged Care Option is available for those residing in or moving into permanent long-term care. It has a maximum term of 5 years. Any customers who currently reside in and intend to stay in their home should not consider or select this option.