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How soon can you refinance a home loan?

February 7, 2023

 

Refinancing a home loan is a great way to save money and reduce your monthly payments. It can also help you pay off your loan faster and reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. But how soon can you refinance a home loan?

 

 

The answer to this question depends on a few factors, including the type of loan you have, the current interest rate, and your credit score. Generally speaking, you can refinance a home loan as soon as you have enough equity in the home to cover the costs of the new loan.

 

 

If you have an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM), you may be able to refinance sooner than if you have a fixed-rate mortgage. With an ARM, the interest rate can change over time, so you may be able to take advantage of a lower rate if it becomes available. However, if you have a fixed-rate mortgage, you will need to wait until the end of the term before you can refinance.

 

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Your credit score is also an important factor when it comes to refinancing a home loan. Generally speaking, the higher your credit score, the better your chances of getting approved for a new loan. If your credit score is low, you may need to wait until it improves before you can refinance.

 

Finally, the current interest rate also plays a role in how soon you can refinance a home loan. If interest rates are low, you may be able to refinance sooner than if rates are high. However, it’s important to remember that interest rates can change quickly, so you should always be prepared to act quickly if you want to take advantage of a lower rate.

 

 

In general, you can refinance a home loan as soon as you have enough equity in the home to cover the costs of the new loan, your credit score is good, and interest rates are favorable. However, it’s important to remember that the timing of your refinance will depend on a variety of factors, so it’s best to speak to a financial advisor or mortgage lender to determine the best time for you to refinance.

 

February 2024 Cash Rate

February 6, 2024
Property and cash rate predictions for 2024

Banks “stand ready to help” people with home loan problems

January 3, 2024
The Australian Banking Association (ABA) has launched a campaign encouraging borrowers struggling with loan repayments to seek help, in a valuable reminder there are options available if you're finding it hard to keep up with your mortgage. Your bank may be able to: Reduce your home loan repayments. Pause your repayments temporarily. Switch your repayments from principal and interest to interest-only temporarily. Increase the length of your loan (thereby reducing the repayments). ABA CEO Anna Bligh said banks understood many borrowers were facing challenging circumstances. “Banks stood by their customers during the COVID-19 pandemic, deferring payments for people who for the first time in their lives found themselves unable to pay. Banks stand ready to help people again now,” she said. “People who are finding their finances are stretched should not feel they have no options and they have to do it on their own. Banks have dedicated, highly experienced teams ready to help.” As your broker, I'm also here to help. You're welcome to contact me for advice; I can then speak to and negotiate with your lender on your behalf. The key thing is to move fast, because the further you get ahead of the problem, the more flexible and helpful banks tend to be.

Is 2024 the year to buy property?

January 2, 2024
The Reserve Bank of Australia has rounded out 2023 with the decision to hold the nation’s cash rate at 4.35%. 2023 hasn’t been an easy year for homeowners or ambitious first-home buyers. The cash rate increased from 3.10% to 4.35% over the course of eleven months in the RBA’s bid to bring inflation back within its target range. According to data from the RBA, the average home loan rate at the start of the year (for existing home loans) was 5.46% p.a.. If the lender passed on interest rates in line with the increased cash rate, that would make the interest rate 6.71% p.a.. Based on the average Australian mortgage of $599,000 on a 25-year term paying principal and interest, that equals an additional $459 per month simply to service the mortgage (from $3,661 to $4,123 per month). For first-home buyers, the average time to save for a deposit has increased to 14 years, according to a recent paper by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute Limited, with the national ratio of median house price to median income now sitting at 8.5. That is the hard reality many Australians are currently facing. So the question is, what will 2024 bring? Short of looking into an Australian-economy crystal ball, we can’t predict exactly what will happen with inflation, the cash rate and therefore interest rates. However, there are a couple of factors to consider. The RBA will meet only eight times in 2024 to determine whether to move the cash rate, down from the eleven in 2023. This means potentially less movements through the year. The next cash rate announcement will be 6 February. Economists from the Big Four predict the cash rate is at, or near, its peak. Some predict at least one more rate hike in 2024 and rate cuts likely not happening until at least December. Despite predictions of a decline in house prices in 2023, they have actually continued to increase in most areas around the country. This could be good news for refinancers as we enter 2024, as they could find their equity has grown. Why 2024 could be a good time for first-home buyers Despite some potential challenges, 2024 could actually be a good time to get into the housing market. Here’s why. Savings interest rates are up - the pro of the cash rate going up is that savings interest rates also tend to go up. This can help expedite saving for a deposit. It could be cheaper to be a homeowner - according to PropTrack data, it is now cheaper to buy an apartment rather than renting one in most capital cities (based over a ten-year period with a 20% deposit). In fact, a third of properties nationally are cheaper to buy than rent. The First Home Guarantee has expanded - in 2023 the eligibility criteria for the First Home Guarantee, Family Home Guarantee and Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee was expanded, enabling eligible buyers to get into the market sooner. This means if you have a 5% deposit (or 2% if you are a single parent or guardian), you may be able to use one of the schemes to purchase property without paying lenders mortgage insurance. ‘Help to buy’ scheme to be introduced - the federal government has announced plans to rollout a new scheme that will help up to 40,000 eligible buyers with as little as a 2% deposit get into the housing market with lower repayments. If 2024 is the year you want to purchase your first home, it is a good idea to speak with your broker to find out how much you may be able to borrow and set a plan in place to achieve your goal.
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