Home loans on the rise are a positive sign of low interest rates

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Home loan approvals surge in March

“The biggest jump in home loan approvals in four years has all but confirmed the housing sector is recovering after a difficult couple of years”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/breaking-news/home-loans-rose-52-in-march/story-fni0xqe3-1226641015083?utm_content=buffercb34b&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

2013 First Home Buyer Changes

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The Victorian Government has announced some changes to state taxes and grants which will be included in the 2013-14 State Budget when it is handed down on 7 May 2013.

Please be aware of the following important changes affecting First Home Buyers purchasing residential property in Victoria from 1 July 2013.*

First Home Buyer Grant

From 1 July 2013, the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) will increase from $7,000 to $10,000 for newly constructed homes under $750,000.

The increase in the FHOG will apply for first-home buyers who enter into a contract to purchase or build a new home on or after 1 July 2013. This includes newly constructed houses and apartments built under a home building contract, built by an owner-builder, purchased off the plan or sold for the first time as residential premises.

The Government has also announced that the existing $7,000 FHOG on the purchase of an established home will conclude on 1 July 2013. To receive the FHOG on an established home, first-home buyers must enter into a contract to purchase the home on or before 30 June 2013.

First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Reduction

The Victorian Government is bringing forward stamp duty cuts of 40 per cent for all first home owners taking effect from 1 July 2013. Currently the concession is 30 per cent for eligible first home buyers purchasing a principal place of residence (PPR) valued at not more than $600,000.

Stamp duty concessions for eligible first home owners (whether newly constructed or established homes) will increase to 40 per cent from 1 July 2013 for homes valued up to $600,000.

Eligible first-home buyers will benefit from a further 10 per cent duty reduction from 1 September 2014 for homes valued up to $600,000, increasing total duty savings for eligible first-home buyers to 50 per cent.

Note the stamp duty concessions are determined by the settlement date not the contract of sale date. (ie, An eligible first home buyer will still be entitled to the 40 per cent duty reduction if they entered into a contract to purchase their first home before 1 July 2013, as long as settlement occurs on or after that date.)

For more information please feel free to contact a First Point Group Consultant for an obligation free discussion.

We look forward to working for you!

*Above details sourced from State Revenue Office Victoria and correct as of 06/05/2013 – http://www.sro.vic.gov.au/first-home-owner

 

Why is the Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) so important when you are financing your property?

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Firstly, what is the LVR?

The Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) is the amount you are borrowing, represented as a percentage of the property value. For example, if you are considering a loan of $400,000 and the property is worth $500,000 the LVR is 80%.

Why is the LVR important when you are considering the finance of your property?

All Lenders in Australia are currently very keen to lend you money to assist you with the purchase of your home, investment or commercial property. It is a very competitive market. However, the higher the LVR, the greater the risk for the Lender (and you).

Let’s consider three types of property lending:

  1. Residential Property (owner occupied and investment)Most lenders are comfortable to lend you up to an 80% LVR. Many will also lend above 80%, however, once the LVR increases above 80% the lender must seek further approval from the Mortgage Insurer. If your application is subsequently approved the Mortgage Insurer will charge you a once only (but costly) insurance premium. This insurance protects the Lender (not you) if the Lender needs to sell your property to recover your loan, and your property value has decreased. So, whilst it is possible to borrow up to 95% LVR the exercise can be very expensive. Additionally, most Lenders are happy to discount/decrease their interest rates if the LVR is 75% or below.
  2. Commercial Property (owner occupied and investment)Most commercial Lenders are usually comfortable to lend up to 65% LVR, with some happy to provide up to 75%. The reason you cannot borrow to 80% on commercial property is that Lenders consider the prospect of selling a commercial property to recover the loan as a greater risk to them (and you), than for residential property.
  3. Self-Managed Super Fund Lending (SMSF – Residential and Commercial)Buying property in your super fund is more complex, but a growing area of wealth creation. Many SMSF Lenders will lend up to 80% LVR (maximum) for residential property and 65% LVR (maximum) for commercial properties.

In summary, the more contribution you can provide to the purchase of your particular property the easier and cheaper the finance will be – simply as it helps to reduce the overall risk for the Lender and you.

Self Managed Super Fund Loans

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Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) Borrowing – Peter Reber – First Point Group

Like other superannuation funds, SMSF’s are primarily used to build wealth for retirement. SMSF’s are different from other superannuation funds as all members are also trustees (or trustee directors, if the SMSF has a corporate trustee). Members are responsible for running the fund including the documented strategy for investing the fund’s assets, paying benefits and meeting the administrative and compliance requirements of the fund.

Changes to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cwlth) and Regulations (SIS Act) during late 2007 allow SMSF’s to borrow money from a Lender to purchase investment assets such as residential & commercial property. This ability to borrow can build on the taxation advantages currently available to superannuation funds (refer to your Accountant) and can help a fund to acquire a larger and more diversified portfolio of investments with a view to successful long term wealth accumulation.

Since early 2008, First Point Group has completed many successful SMSF Loan/Borrowing transactions with Lenders to assist clients in this rapidly growing area including:

  • Purchase of an owner occupied commercial building
  • Purchase of a waterfront investment home
  • Purchase of three residential townhouses
  • Purchase of a factory from a related family trust

It is important to note that the ATO have recently advised (9/2011) that SMSF’s will be able to improve properties held within funds, provided that borrowings are not used to renovate. You will need to speak to your Accountant to understand the full ATO implications of this change.

Please contact Peter, Simon or David from First Point Group on 9882 2500 if you would like to learn more about borrowing using your Self-Managed Super Fund.

Award Winning Team

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First Point Group won this years 2012 FAST Group Operator of the Year Award.

Our wide range of mortgage lenders allows us to match your specific needs to the right home loan

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Our wide range of mortgage lenders allows us to match your specific needs to the right home loan.

First Home Buyers

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First Home Buyers

First Point Group has helped hundreds of first home buyers to take that next step and buy their first home. There is so much to think about when buying your first home – from how much you can afford, to what type of property you want and where. We can help you to understand all of these things, and the whole process will become much easier by discussing your needs with your First Point Group Consultant.

We make it easy for you by:

  • Helping you choose a suitable home loan from hundreds of different loans from our wide panel of lenders
  • Completing all the necessary documentation for you
  • Showing you what all of the costs are including stamp duty, conveyancing fees and bank fees
  • Helping you apply for the First Home Buyer’s Grant if you are eligible

At your first meeting we will discuss all of your needs, goals and objectives. We also gather your personal information so that we can make a comprehensive recommendation on the most suitable loan for you. From there, we will handle all of the lender conversations and phone calls, to ensure you receive your loan approval as soon as possible.

Pre approval for a loan really should be “Step 1” for any first home buyer. We can arrange this for you. A pre approval offers the lender a chance to review your situation (including income / employment, assets, liabilities and credit history) and provide you with a written approval BEFORE you sign a contract to buy a property!