Invest
Don’t give up on an SMSF property loan
As of today, only one major bank will offer SMSF home loans, but that doesn’t mean self-funded retirees should give up hope.
Don’t give up on an SMSF property loan
As of today, only one major bank will offer SMSF home loans, but that doesn’t mean self-funded retirees should give up hope.
The Commonwealth Bank will be the only major lender offering SMSF home loans as of today, but there are still plenty of smaller lenders in the market, comparison provider, RateCity.com.au said today.
Money spokeswoman Sally Tindall said while it’s getting more difficult to buy property through an SMSF, it’s still not impossible.
Noting that NAB stopped lending to SMSFs in 2015 and Westpac exited today, with ANZ never offering them to begin with, Ms Tindall said investors will need to consider other options.
“We’ve also seen other lenders tighten serviceability rules, which has further limited people’s options,” she said.
“However, even though the Financial System Inquiry in 2014 recommended banning SMSF home loans, there is still plenty of life left in the sector.”
These are the 18 lenders that still offer SMSF home loans to new customers:
1. AMP Bank
2. Bank Australia
3. Bank of Queensland
4. Bendigo Bank
5. Big Sky Building Society
6. Commonwealth Bank
7. Heritage Bank
8. Hume Bank
9. IMB Bank
10. La Trobe Financial
11. Liberty Financial
12. LJ Hooker Home Loans
13. Macquarie Bank
14. Mortgage House
15. Regional Australia Bank
16. Resi
17. Switzer Home Loans
18. Yellow Brick Road
These lenders no longer offer SMSF home loans to new borrowers, but will still service existing borrowers:
1. Bank of Melbourne
2. BankSA
3. Beyond Bank
4. Homeloans
5. NAB
6. St.George Bank
7. Westpac
Commenting on the list, Ms Tindall said many of these lenders are smaller so may have escaped notice.
“It’s important to shop around, because there’s quite a lot of variation in terms of rates, fees, LVRs, interest rate options, loan amounts and loan terms,” she concluded.
A troubled area
The question mark around SMSF lending returned to headlines in July when Westpac announced it would pull out of SMSF lending, citing a need to streamline its product offering.
According to property research group RiskWise, lenders' shift away is a reflection of the "high risk endeavour" that is SMSF property investment as apartment oversupply takes effect.
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