Case Study: Karen
We're interviewing some of our amazing loans.com.au customers to get to know their home and car-buying stories.
We sat down with Karen, who lives in the ACT, and asked her a few questions about her experiences, challenges, and how she overcame them.
Background
As a mother of 4, I wanted both a family home and a retirement investment. My husband and I reviewed our finances and realised we were better off as home owners, not renters. We decided to break out of renting by buying a public house from the ACT government through its Shared Equity Scheme.
We got the loan through the scheme. I knew the rate was at the higher end but we progressed believing we could potentially refinance into a better deal, which we eventually did through loans.com.au.
The house is now over 20 years old. It needs a refresh. A few years back we fixed the kitchen. Now we want to do the bathroom, so we’re refinancing with you to release equity and renovate. By the time we retire the house should appreciate even more to become a nice retirement nest egg.
Challenges
- It’s hard to believe you could be a homeowner when you’re renting, but it’s not impossible, and with rents constantly increasing it may end up being smarter to buy even with rising interest rates
- Finding a good place to buy can be very hard, especially when there’s an undersupply of property. Take your time to find the property that works for you
- Many lenders are increasing their mortgage rates. It’s hard to know who’s offering a real good deal. That’s why you should research everything. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
- Submitting application forms in person to a branch can be difficult, especially if you work full-time. The loans.com.au application process was incredibly simple
“When you want to get into property, research everything.”
Solutions
- There are many ways to show you can service a loan. Some lenders will consider your rent history as part of your loan application as evidence of your ability to meet future mortgage payments
- Sometimes it’s easiest to stick with what you know. If you like it, consider buying the place you rent. Ask the real estate agent if the owner would sell. Maybe the agent can also show you other options
- Do your research. Compare lenders to find out who can offer you the best home loan savings
- Find a home lender like loans.com.au with excellent online application processing
How was your loans.com.au experience?
You realise that dealing with loans.com.au is not just about getting a real good rate. You guys also offer lots of knowledge about property. Buying a home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in life. I had many questions, so I really appreciated being able to always talk with someone, whether online, by email, in the onTrack application processing portal or on the phone. You were always there for me.
loans.com.au customer?
If you’re a loans.com.au customer and would like to be featured, we’d love to hear from you! Send us an email at community@loans.com.au and we’ll get in touch.
loans.com.au made the whole process so simple. Dealing with you online and by phone made everything super easy.
"Initially I asked around with the major banks but I found out that, with self-managed super, it is quite a specialised area and most of the banks don’t offer SMSF loans. So somebody suggested to look it up online. That’s how I found loans.com.au."
"We really liked the online onTrack application app which detailed the documents required and what was outstanding - it made the process easy to follow."
It was never a hassle, never a problem, he always had the right answers and just made it so, so easy. It was a good experience and then I put it through. Got the approval done. Got a great rate.