Monday, December 17, 2012

5.27% Refinancing with Ubank is worth looking at

If you are looking to refinance your home loan, have a look at UBank's offer of 5.27% interest for a strictly no fee home loan that is backed by its parent company National Australia Bank. The only problem is if you are needing an offset account for tax purposes, otherwise this offer is pretty good because any amount you put into the home loan which is over and above the minimum repayment for the loan can be redrawn at any time without any fees incurred.

Also, I assume you noticed that 5.27% is a rate that is impossible to beat with the big four banks (otherwise let me know!) They are currently offering a $500 incentive (0.25% discount for the life of your loan) for those that refinance before the end of the year  14 March 2013. And no, I don't receive anything from UBank unless you happen to click on one of their ads if they appear on this website.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

House Hunting Will Begin December as Rates Drop 0.25%

Yesterday, the Reserve Bank (RBA) announced a drop of 0.25% for the cash rate down to 3.00%. Whether the banks follow or not, we will keep you updated here on this post (bookmark this!). For now here is the official announcement from the RBA as to why rates fell.

UPDATES: 
  • Bank of Queensland immediately dropped their rates by 0.20% to 6.51%
  • ING direct also followed BoQ and on the same day dropped rates by 0.25% to 5.72%
  • National Australia Bank on Wednesday morning cut their rates by 0.20% to 6.38%
  • UBank's UHomeloan followed their parent company NAB and has dropped their rates by 0.20% to 5.17%
  • Commonwealth Bank dropped their rates on Wednesday afternoon by 0.20% to 6.40%
  • Westpac have finally announced on Wednesday afternoon a 0.20% drop in their interest rates to 6.51%
  • ANZ announced on Friday 14th Dec that rates will be cut by 0.20%
At its meeting today, the Board decided to reduce the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.0 per cent, effective 5 December 2012.
Global growth is forecast to be a little below average for a time. Risks to the outlook are still seen to be on the downside, largely as a result of the situation in Europe, though the uncertainty over the course of US fiscal policy is also weighing on sentiment at present. Recent data suggest that the US economy is recording moderate growth and that growth in China has stabilised. Around Asia generally, growth has been dampened by the more moderate Chinese expansion and the weakness in Europe.
Key commodity prices for Australia remain significantly lower than earlier in the year, though trends have been more mixed over the past few months. The terms of trade have declined by about 15 per cent since the peak, to a level that is still historically high.
Sentiment in financial markets remains better than it was in mid year, in response to signs of progress in addressing Europe's financial problems, though Europe is likely to remain a source of instability for some time. Long-term interest rates faced by highly rated sovereigns, including Australia, remain at exceptionally low levels. Capital markets remain open to corporations and well-rated banks, and Australian banks have had no difficulty accessing funding, including on an unsecured basis. Borrowing conditions for large corporations are similarly attractive and share prices have risen since mid year.
In Australia, most indicators available for this meeting suggest that growth has been running close to trend over the past year, led by very large increases in capital spending in the resources sector, while some other sectors have experienced weaker conditions. Looking ahead, recent data confirm that the peak in resource investment is approaching. As it does, there will be more scope for some other areas of demand to strengthen.
Private consumption spending is expected to grow, but a return to the very strong growth of some years ago is unlikely. Available information suggests that the near-term outlook for non-residential building investment, and investment generally outside the resources sector, remains relatively subdued. Public spending is forecast to be constrained. On the other hand, there are indications of a prospective improvement in dwelling investment, with dwelling prices moving a little higher, rental yields increasing and building approvals having turned up.
Inflation is consistent with the medium-term target, with underlying measures at around 2½ per cent. The introduction of the carbon price affected consumer prices in the September quarter, and there could be some further small effects over the next couple of quarters. Partly as a result of that, headline CPI inflation will rise above 3 per cent briefly. Looking further ahead, with the labour market softening somewhat and unemployment edging higher, conditions are working to contain pressure on labour costs. A continuation of moderate wage outcomes and improved productivity performance will be needed to keep inflation low, since the effects on prices of the earlier exchange rate appreciation are now waning. The Bank's assessment remains that inflation will be consistent with the target over the next one to two years.
Over the past year, monetary policy has become more accommodative. There are signs of easier conditions starting to have some of the expected effects, though the exchange rate remains higher than might have been expected, given the observed decline in export prices and the weaker global outlook. While the full effects of earlier measures are yet to be observed, the Board judged at today's meeting that a further easing in the stance of monetary policy was appropriate now. This will help to foster sustainable growth in demand and inflation outcomes consistent with the target over time.

Monday, December 3, 2012

November Rise for Perth Houses

Perth has outperformed its interstate rivals last month, with property prices rising one percent in November. Adelaide and Brisbane were the next best capital cities with 0.5% growth. A research analsyst, Cameron Kusher from RP Data, said that Perth and Brisbane are the only capital cities where the house prices are still under those of five years ago, indicating that Perth and Brisbane may have greater growth spurts in the coming years.

Darwin continues its strong performance with a 3.1% growth over the last quarter and a massive jump of 13.1% over the past year.

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