Managing a budget is a crucial skill for achieving financial stability and reaching your goals. In this guide by Barwon Mortgages, we'll break down the process of creating a budget step by step, empowering you to take charge of your financial health and make informed decisions about your money.

Thinking about applying for a loan this year? Whether it’s for a mortgage, a business loan or asset finance, it’s a good idea to think ahead and consider what the banks look at when you apply for credit. Banks will typically follow what is called the ‘Five Cs of Credit’ to assess the level of risk associated with providing finance. Kathryn at Barwon Mortgages explains the assessment criteria.

Thinking about starting your journey to home ownership? It’s a great time to get familiar with the many schemes available to help first home buyers. From the familiar First Home Owners Grant to the upcoming Help To Buy Scheme (set to launch in 2024), we'll uncover the opportunities that can fast-track your path from paying rent to owning a home in our beautiful corner of the world.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has raised the interest rate by 0.25%, to a cash rate of 4.35%. Here is some information from the team at Barwon Mortgages about what this means for home owners.

Property investment can be an effective and worthwhile option to assist you in your wealth creation, but property investing like a pro can be difficult. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when beginning to build your own property portfolio.

When purchasing a property, it can be very difficult to know if you’re making the right decision, and on top of that whether you’re overpaying on a property. As a buyer, how do you know if you’re paying too much for a property?

Building a property portfolio can seem daunting, but with the right preparation, it may be easier than you think. Property investment can be a very effective way of building wealth and achieving long-term financial goals. Sarah Daly of Barwon Mortgages provides some tips that could assist you in breaking into the property market and making a start on building your property portfolio.

Australia has been some record low interest rates in 2020 and 2021, but what will interest rates look like for the new year? Predicting interest rates can be a very difficult thing to do, but we can tell you what Barwon Mortgages expects from 2022 interest rates.

Equity is the difference between the market value of your property and the amount you still owe on your home loan. With increasing property values, chances are you have available equity that you may be able to use to your advantage. It’s important to understand the difference between equity and useable equity – as you can’t use all of your available equity. In this guide, Sarah Daly of Barwon Mortgages shares how to use equity to improve your property value, lifestyle and wealth.

Have you or someone you know experienced buyer’s remorse? Buyer’s remorse is unfortunately quite common, with a third of Australian homeowners experiencing it after they discovered issued with their property while moving into their new home. Buyer’s remorse can be a daunting experience after such an achievement, especially for first home buyers.

Redraw facilities work in a similar way to offset accounts, but there are some key differences. Generally speaking, redraw facilities are less flexible, but they can have advantages too. In this blog, Sarah from Barwon Mortgages provides a summary of the features and benefits of offset accounts vs redraw facilities.

Stamp duty. Legal fees. Moving in. When you’re saving for a deposit on your home, it can be frustrating to see all the extra costs building up. If you’re also trying to save a large enough deposit to avoid paying Lender’s Mortgage Insurance on your home loan, it can be even harder.

That’s where the Family Security Guarantee can help.

With interest rates at an all-time low, and many lenders’ fixed rates lower than their variable options, locking in an interest rate on your home loan to guard against possible future fluctuation may be attractive. However, it pays to know the ins and outs of fixed-rate loans before committing to one.

Considering transforming your home from ‘banal’ to ‘brilliant’, but lack the funds to support your makeover? Never fear, Sarah at Barwon Mortgages has rounded up five home renovation finance options that could help turn your dream into reality.

If you are a homeowner with a mortgage, chances are you have heard of the term ‘refinancing’. Refinancing involves reviewing your current mortgage, and potentially swapping your loan to another lender who can better meet your current needs. Refinancing can also allow you to consolidate your debts and pay down your mortgage quicker.

However, refinancing may not be the best option for everyone. Here are some tips on refinancing from Sarah Daly at Barwon Mortgages.