Borrow
Home loan competition heats up as Aussies walk
The rate of borrowers refinancing with another mortgage lender has increased for the fifth consecutive month, as mortgagors look for a better deal, national figures have shown.
Home loan competition heats up as Aussies walk
The rate of borrowers refinancing with another mortgage lender has increased for the fifth consecutive month, as mortgagors look for a better deal, national figures have shown.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported a 2 per cent increase in the value of new housing finance commitments in October (seasonally adjusted terms) up from $17.8 billion to $18.2 billion.
The increase was driven by a 2.2 per cent rise in the value of new owner-occupied commitments, from $12.8 billion to $13.1 billion.
The value of new investor commitments also increased, up 1.4 per cent, from $5 billion to $5.1 billion.
The ABS also reported a rise in first home buyer (FHB) activity, with the number of new FHB owner-occupied loans rising 1.4 per cent in October, making up 29.9 per cent of all new owner-occupied loans.
The numbers reflect previous research by Mozo, which showed that customers can get a better deal if they left for a more competitive deal.
Ditching a big four bank and switching to the best variable rate on the market could shave well over 100 basis points off your home loan rate and save the typical borrower with a $400,000 home loan close to $4,000 a year over 30 years.
“If you are looking to reduce your loan repayments as soon as possible, it pays to compare rates and switch to the lender offering the most competitive rate you can find,” Mozo director Kirsty Lamont said.
Reflecting on the research, Tim Reardon, chief economist at the Housing Industry Association, attributed the rise in home loan volumes to recent developments in the market, which include rate reductions, changes to lending guidance, and public policy initiatives.
“Stimulus measures, including interest rate cuts, tax cuts and the easing of APRA’s lending restrictions, are having a positive impact on the housing market,” he said.
“The government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme will also assist eligible first home buyers to enter the market from January.
“If these conditions remain, the market will stabilise during 2020, at levels well below those experienced in recent years,” Mr Reardon concluded.
RELATED ARTICLES
About the author
About the author
Loans
Beyond the mortgage: SME lending is where growth, margin and loyalty are shifting
SME credit is moving from branch desks to APIs, from collateral to cashflow, and from monoline lenders to embedded platforms. For banks, fintechs and brokers, this is not a side-bet—it’s where ...Read more
Loans
Debunking credit myths leads to big wins with transparent hardship design
New research from Arca’s CreditSmart initiative surfaces a stubborn problem: Australians under financial strain are avoiding hardship support because they fear lasting damage to their creditRead more
Loans
No-deposit home loans in Australia: The growth gambit that tests risk discipline
A new no-deposit mortgage has landed in Australia, promising to crack the hardest nut in housing—fronting a deposit—while raising old questions about risk and capital. For lenders, the product doubles ...Read more
Loans
Rate relief ignites a mortgage scramble — and a technology arms race
Australia’s rate easing has flipped mortgage demand from ‘defend and retain’ to ‘originate and grow’. Refinance waves and a rekindled purchase market are colliding with digitisation, broker dominance ...Read more
Loans
Trust is the moat: How brokers can win in an AI-accelerated, commoditised mortgage market
In an evolving mortgage landscape where algorithms are levelling the playing field, Australian mortgage brokers are finding that trust, rather than price or speed, is becoming their most valuable ...Read more
Loans
CreditSmart revolutionises hardship support and lenders risk missing out
Australians under cost‑of‑living pressure are sidestepping hardship help because they fear a permanent stain on their credit file. Arca’s CreditSmart initiative has thrust this misconception into the ...Read more
Loans
Australia’s 40‑year mortgage moment: affordability optics, lifetime cost, and the new risk calculus
Forty‑year home loans are shifting from niche to feature in Australia, led by challenger banks and mutuals courting first‑home buyers. The headline promise—lower monthly repayments—masks a material ...Read more
Loans
The mortgage-regret economy: Why borrower confusion is reshaping Australia’s home-loan playbook
Mortgage regret has become a measurable market force, driving record refinancing, rising arrears off a low base, and a scramble by lenders and brokers to redesign the borrower journey. With the ...Read more
Loans
Beyond the mortgage: SME lending is where growth, margin and loyalty are shifting
SME credit is moving from branch desks to APIs, from collateral to cashflow, and from monoline lenders to embedded platforms. For banks, fintechs and brokers, this is not a side-bet—it’s where ...Read more
Loans
Debunking credit myths leads to big wins with transparent hardship design
New research from Arca’s CreditSmart initiative surfaces a stubborn problem: Australians under financial strain are avoiding hardship support because they fear lasting damage to their creditRead more
Loans
No-deposit home loans in Australia: The growth gambit that tests risk discipline
A new no-deposit mortgage has landed in Australia, promising to crack the hardest nut in housing—fronting a deposit—while raising old questions about risk and capital. For lenders, the product doubles ...Read more
Loans
Rate relief ignites a mortgage scramble — and a technology arms race
Australia’s rate easing has flipped mortgage demand from ‘defend and retain’ to ‘originate and grow’. Refinance waves and a rekindled purchase market are colliding with digitisation, broker dominance ...Read more
Loans
Trust is the moat: How brokers can win in an AI-accelerated, commoditised mortgage market
In an evolving mortgage landscape where algorithms are levelling the playing field, Australian mortgage brokers are finding that trust, rather than price or speed, is becoming their most valuable ...Read more
Loans
CreditSmart revolutionises hardship support and lenders risk missing out
Australians under cost‑of‑living pressure are sidestepping hardship help because they fear a permanent stain on their credit file. Arca’s CreditSmart initiative has thrust this misconception into the ...Read more
Loans
Australia’s 40‑year mortgage moment: affordability optics, lifetime cost, and the new risk calculus
Forty‑year home loans are shifting from niche to feature in Australia, led by challenger banks and mutuals courting first‑home buyers. The headline promise—lower monthly repayments—masks a material ...Read more
Loans
The mortgage-regret economy: Why borrower confusion is reshaping Australia’s home-loan playbook
Mortgage regret has become a measurable market force, driving record refinancing, rising arrears off a low base, and a scramble by lenders and brokers to redesign the borrower journey. With the ...Read more
