Latest updates
Short, useful updates on the market, lending and making your money work harder. These are the updates we share on our socials, in one place, so you never have to scroll to find them.
Longer reads
Deeper dives on the topics clients ask about most.
Only a small panel of approved providers can write a DHOAS home loan. Here is what that means for an ADF borrower, what is under review, and what you can do now.
Read more about the DHOAS lender panel
Cranes are back on the skyline. Here's what the next wave of stock could mean for your buying plans.
Read more about Brisbane's new housing supply
From slab to keys, your lender pays the builder in stages. We break down each draw in plain English.
Read more about construction loan progress payments
If your loan is more than two years old, it's worth a look. These are the signals we watch for.
Read more about home loan health check signs
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A no from one lender is not a no from all of them
Plenty of people who get in touch with us have already been told no. Sometimes that no came from a bank, sometimes from an online calculator, and sometimes from a mate who had a crack at working it out. In each case the assumption is that the answer will be the same everywhere. It usually is not. Lenders assess income, debts and living expenses in genuinely different ways, and the same set of numbers can land very differently depending on where the application goes. A knockback from one lender tells you about that lender's policy, not about whether you can borrow at all. If you have had a no somewhere and simply left it there, it is worth a second look. Get in touch and we will go through your situation properly.
View on Instagram: A no from one lender is not a no from all of themLenders do not test you at the rate you would actually pay
Most lenders add a buffer on top of your actual rate before they work out what you can borrow. APRA's standard buffer is 3 percentage points, so a loan gets assessed as though it were 3% dearer than it really is. That is the single biggest reason an online calculator says one thing and the lender says another. Here is the part most people do not know. Not every lender uses the full 3 percentage points. There are lenders assessing at 2%, and a couple at 1%. The rate itself usually sits a little higher on those, so it is a trade off rather than a free kick. But if borrowing power is the thing holding you back, those options exist and they are worth a look before you give up on the number. Working out which lender suits you is most of our job. General information only, not advice about your situation. Not every borrower or loan will qualify.
View on Instagram: Lenders do not test you at the rate you would actually payThe RBA's own forecast has no cut in it
The Reserve Bank held the cash rate steady at 4.35% on 11 August, and that part made the news. The part that did not was its own forecast table. The RBA's published cash rate assumptions run 4.4% for 2026, 4.5% across 2026/27 and 2027, and 4.4% for 2028. There is no cut anywhere in it. Waiting for rates to come down is a perfectly fair plan. It just might not be a short one. If you have parked a purchase or a refinance until things move, it is worth putting an actual number of months on that wait before you keep waiting. Source: RBA Statement on Monetary Policy, August 2026. General information only, not advice about your situation.
View on Instagram: The RBA's own forecast has no cut in itThe exit fee nobody mentions
Leaving your lender is not free, and nobody mentions it until settlement. There is a discharge fee from your current lender, the new lender's setup costs, a title search, and state government fees to discharge the old mortgage and register the new one. None of that means do not refinance. On a decent saving those costs are usually back in your pocket within months. It just means the honest question is not how good the new loan looks on paper, it is how long until you are actually in front. That is the sum we run with you before you switch.
View on Instagram: The exit fee nobody mentionsNothing beats watching a frame go up
Construction is our favourite part of this job. There's something about a bare block turning into a slab, then a frame, then a roof, then someone's actual home. You get to watch the whole thing happen, and most lending isn't like that. Jason is going through a build himself at the moment, so we've had the full experience from the other side too. Chasing invoices, lining up progress payments, working out exactly what the lender needs before it will release the next stage. It's a genuinely different animal to a standard home loan, and if nobody has walked you through it, it can feel like a lot. That's usually where we come in. Knowing what order things happen in, and what the lender wants at each stage, takes most of the stress out of it. If you're thinking about building, or you're partway through and it all feels a bit messy, give us a call.
View on Instagram: Nothing beats watching a frame go upBrokers just hit a record
81% of all new home loans in Australia now go through a broker instead of straight to a bank. Eight out of ten. That is not a trend anymore, that is just how most people do it. But here is the part we reckon matters more than the milestone. Two lenders can look at the exact same person, the same income, the same deposit, and come back with very different answers. They all run their own sums, and a fair few have just reworked them. So if you have had a knock-back before, or you are going off a number someone gave you a couple of years ago, that might not be your number anymore. No pressure either way, we are happy to have a chat and tell you honestly where you stand.
View on Instagram: Brokers just hit a recordA quiet deadline for SMSF buyers
Quick heads up for anyone thinking about buying property inside a self-managed super fund. From 10 August, the rules change. SMSFs will not be able to take out a new loan to buy a residential investment property. A few things worth knowing: if your contract is signed before it starts, you are generally fine; existing SMSF loans are not affected; and commercial property is not part of this change. We are not here to tell you an SMSF is right for you, that is a proper conversation with your accountant and adviser. But if this was on your list, the window to get moving is genuinely short. If you want to talk through what is still possible, get in touch.
View on Instagram: A quiet deadline for SMSF buyersThe market's falling? Not up here.
Everywhere you look right now the headline is the same. The market's falling. And in a couple of the big southern cities, it is. Sydney and Melbourne both dipped last month. But up here? Brisbane home values went up again, around 0.9% for the month. Perth, Adelaide and Darwin kept climbing too. A cooling market is never really one market. It's a dozen of them, all moving at different speeds. What actually matters is what's happening in your suburb, and what it means for your borrowing power. Want to know where you really stand? Send us a message and let's take a look.
View on Instagram: The market's falling? Not up here.Your bank can only offer you one loan
Ever noticed your bank only ever offers you its own home loan? That is the catch. Walk into one lender and you get one answer, one product, one rate, and they will never tell you if someone down the road would look after you better. That is the whole reason a broker exists. We compare dozens of lenders, we work for you and not for them, and we go and find the one that actually fits. A fair few lenders have been sharpening their offers lately, and most of those deals are aimed at new customers rather than loyal ones, so if you have not looked at your loan in a while it is worth a fresh set of eyes. The first chat is the easy part, send us a message whenever you are ready.
View on Instagram: Your bank can only offer you one loanSome lenders reward an efficient home
Here is one that does not get talked about enough. Some lenders will give you a sharper deal if your home is energy efficient. Solar on the roof, a battery, a strong energy rating. There is real appetite in the market for this kind of lending right now, and a few lenders have been sharpening what they put on the table for it. Two honest caveats. It will not apply to every property, and a loan is not automatically the right one for you just because it has green in the name. The benefit still has to stack up against everything else, and sometimes it does not. But if you have already got panels up, or you are weighing it up, it is worth asking the question rather than assuming the answer. We are happy to check whether your place would qualify.
View on Instagram: Some lenders reward an efficient homeAnother one settled
Another settlement for a very happy customer, and we could not be happier for them. Getting the keys to your own place is a big moment, and being trusted to help make it happen is easily the best part of this job. If you are thinking about making a move, send us a message.
View on Instagram: Another one settledOne day, the keys are yours
There is nothing quite like the moment someone gets the keys to their own home. All the saving, the paperwork, the "are we actually going to get there" moments, and then suddenly it is done. First home or forever home, helping people get there is exactly why we do this job.
View on Instagram: One day, the keys are yoursWhen did you last actually look at your home loan?
Not just glance at the repayment leaving your account, but really check whether it still fits. Life moves on: incomes change, balances come down, fixed terms roll off. Refinancing is not always the answer, and we will tell you straight if you are already in a good spot.
View on Instagram: When did you last actually look at your home loan?Your bank is not your only option
When you walk into your own bank, they can only offer their own products. One menu, take it or leave it. We compare a whole panel of lenders to find the one that genuinely fits your situation, sometimes a big name, sometimes a lender you have never heard of that suits you far better.
View on Instagram: Your bank is not your only optionRefinancing activity has dropped 5.6% this year
Fewer people are checking their home loan, and that is exactly how borrowers end up quietly overpaying for years. When did you last give yours a health check? It costs nothing to look, and we will run the numbers for you.
View on Instagram: Refinancing activity has dropped 5.6% this yearAustralia is running a two-speed property market
Perth and Darwin are surging while Sydney and Melbourne are cooling, so where and when you buy matters more than ever. If you are weighing up your next move, or your first one, we are happy to chat about what it means for your plans.
View on Instagram: Australia is running a two-speed property market1 in 4 Aussie mortgage holders are feeling the squeeze
If that is you, please do not sit on it. The earlier we look at your options, the more options there are. Sometimes it is a better rate, sometimes a restructure, sometimes just a plan to get ahead of it. No judgement, just a chat.
View on Instagram: 1 in 4 Aussie mortgage holders are feeling the squeeze