Does HECS Debt Affect Home Loan Borrowing Power?
HELP debt reduces how much you can borrow because the repayments count in serviceability. What lenders look at and how the repayment thresholds work.
personal-finance
Griffith and the MIA: Why Irrigated Farming Isn’t Standard Riverina Lending
Griffith and the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area run on irrigated horticulture and viticulture, not broadacre farming — and that difference changes how water allocations, perennial crops, and local income should actually be presented to a lender.
Offset Account vs Extra Repayments: Which Actually Saves You More
Both reduce the interest you pay. Only one keeps your money accessible. Here’s the actual difference, and how to work out which fits your situation.
Can You Use Gifted Money for a Home Loan Deposit?
Gifted deposits are common, but lenders ask for evidence. What a gift letter, genuine savings and lender policy mean for your application.
What Canberra’s Public Servants Need to Know About Home Loan Serviceability
Canberra’s economy runs on APS employment — and that changes how lenders actually assess a borrower here compared to almost anywhere else in the country. Here’s what that means in practice.
Canberra vs the Illawarra: Two Very Different “Commuter” Markets
Canberra and the Illawarra both get called “commuter-adjacent regional markets,” but they’re built on almost opposite structures — one concentrated around a single employer type, the other diversified but inconsistently assessed by postcode.
Changing Jobs While Buying a House: What Lenders Check
Changing jobs mid-application can delay approval. What lenders check on employment, probation and income, and what to tell them.
Buying in the Illawarra: What the Bank Actually Looks at Differently
The Illawarra sits close enough to Sydney to price like a commuter market, but far enough to have its own local economy — and lenders assess it with that duality in mind.
Riverina Property: Why Regional Serviceability Rules Catch Buyers Out
Wagga Wagga, Griffith, and the surrounding Riverina run on agriculture, and agricultural income doesn’t fit the standard PAYG serviceability model most lenders build their processes around.
Does a Car Loan Affect Your Home Loan Borrowing Power?
Car loan repayments reduce borrowing power more than most people expect. How lenders count them, with an illustrative example.