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Fixed mortgage rates set to rise in coming months: experts

House prices could jump 17% in 2021 and mortgage rates are set to rise much sooner than expected, ANZ Bank has tipped. How much earlier than expected? Well, the Reserve Bank has repeatedly said the official cash rate isn’t likely to increase for a few years, but ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett believes fixed-mortgage rates have already reached their lowest point, or close to it. In recent times, more than 30% of new loans have been at fixed rates, says…...
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How do you compare: how much of your pay goes to your mortgage?

The property market is going through a boom phase, which means housing affordability is getting tougher. So how much does the average Australian household need to put towards their monthly home loan repayments in the current market? Let’s take a look. You’ve probably noticed the housing market is going a bit crazy at the moment. FOMO has taken hold and many properties across the country are selling well above their reserve. As such, housing affordability has deteriorated, says Moody’s Investor…...
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Free new mental health support service for small business owners

Floods, fire and pandemic - it’s been an incredibly tough 15 months for many Australian businesses. And with government support about to end, looking after your mental health will be just as important as taking care of your business’s financial health. With the federal government’s COVID-19 JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme expiring on 28 March, experts are tipping as many as a quarter of a million jobs could be lost. When you also consider that rental eviction moratoriums are coming to…...
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$15,000 HomeBuilder grant deadline fast approaching

Thinking of building, buying a new home or renovating? The HomeBuilder scheme ends on March 31, which means you’ve got less than two weeks to take advantage of the $15,000 grant. The Australian government scheme, which was initially due to end in December but was extended to 31 March, has led to a big spike in new home sales in recent months. And experts are tipping HomeBuilder applications will continue to rise before the impending cut-off date. “We expect a…...
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Do you have a succession plan in place for your business?

Who would take the reins of your family business if you had to take a step back from it? Turns out just one-in-six businesses have a proper plan in place. But rest assured you can develop your own succession plan fairly painlessly, with the help of a new guide. So ... it turns out the Murdochs aren’t alone when it comes to succession headaches. Latest family business data from KPMG shows that just 17% of Australian family businesses have a documented…...
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7 ways to make your property more attractive to potential buyers

Did you know more than a third of Australian homeowners are considering putting their property up for sale so they can take advantage of the current boom in prices? Here’s how to get your property looking spick and span for prospective buyers. New data shows seller confidence is now higher than it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 35% of homeowners considering selling by 2026, Westpac says. And 12% of homeowners are already in the process of putting their…...
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Boom time: Australian home values surging at fastest pace in 17 years

It’s official: Australia’s housing market is in the midst of a broad-based boom, with the national home value surging 2.1% higher in February; the largest month-on-month change since 2003. We haven’t seen this kind of fast-paced growth since Guy Sebastian robbed Nollsie to win Australian Idol, Roger Federer won his first of 20 grand slams (against the Scud at Wimbledon), and people primarily used their mobile phones to make calls (well, and play Snake). The February surge, which was recorded…...
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