A home loan broker who writes owner-occupied lending properly.

The interest rate is what's charged on the balance. The comparison rate adds the lender's fees and charges into the rate calculation, so it's a fairer like-for-like figure. We'll show you both side by side when we present a shortlist.

Variable suits people who want flexibility, may sell or refinance, or want offset working hard. Fixed suits people who value certainty and won't be making large extra repayments during the fix period. Splits are common when the call is genuinely close.

Most lenders want 20% deposit plus stamp duty to avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). With less than 20% you can still borrow, you'll just pay LMI or use a guarantor. The stamp duty estimator is the quickest way to see the upfront cost in your state, and we'll model the deposit paths side by side.

Yes, when there's a meaningful balance sitting in it. $20,000 in offset on a $600,000 loan at 6% saves about $1,200 a year in interest. The annual fee on a package loan is usually $300 to $400, so the maths needs to work for your balance.

Pre-approval is typically 3 to 10 business days once all documents are in. Full unconditional approval after you have a contract usually takes another 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the lender and the property type.

Most fixed loans cap extra repayments at around $10,000 to $20,000 a year. Anything above the cap can trigger break costs. If you expect to repay aggressively, a variable or split usually fits better.

Brokerage is paid by the lender at settlement. There's no fee to the client for a standard home loan. Anything different is disclosed upfront. See the Credit Guide.