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Home loan tips & news for Bendigo
The First Home Guarantee: Buy With a 5% Deposit (Without Selling a Kidney)
Saving a 20% deposit in Melbourne can feel like training for a marathon where someone keeps moving the finish line. The First Home Guarantee (FHBG) is the…
16 October 2026 · 6 min read
How Much Can I Borrow for a Home Loan? (And Why the Bank's Answer Is Never the Whole Story)
Every borrower asks the same question: "How much will the bank lend me?" It's the most-searched home loan question in Australia for a reason. The honest answer is it…
15 October 2026 · 5 min read
How Much Deposit Do I Need for a Home Loan? The Honest, Number-Filled Answer
The house deposit has become Australia's national sport: everyone has an opinion, nobody has enough avocado toast money, and the finish line moves every spring. Let's…
14 October 2026 · 5 min read
The First Home Owner Grant in Victoria: Free $10,000 (Terms and Conditions Apply, Obviously)
Who doesn't love a $10,000 payment from the government? Before you start choosing paint colours, here's the catch: the Victorian First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is only…
13 October 2026 · 5 min read
Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI): The Insurance That Protects Everyone Except You
Imagine paying for an insurance policy where the bank gets the payout, and you get… a polite thank-you. Welcome to Lenders Mortgage Insurance, or LMI. It's confusing…
12 October 2026 · 5 min read
What Is a Reverse Mortgage? (Spoiler: It's Not a Mortgage Going Backwards)
The name makes it sound like you're un-buying your house and getting paid for the privilege. Not quite, but it's closer than you'd think. A reverse mortgage lets…
11 October 2026 · 6 min read
How Long Does It Take to Get a Home Loan Approved in Australia? (Plus How to Speed It Up)
There's a special kind of suspense reserved for waiting on a home loan: it's like watching a pot boil, but the pot is your future house and the water is paperwork.…
10 October 2026 · 5 min read
What Documents Do I Need to Apply for a Home Loan? The Master Checklist
Applying for a home loan is like applying for a passport, a job and a gym membership all at once, except the gym wants three months of bank statements. The good news…
9 October 2026 · 5 min read
Self-Employed and Want a Home Loan? Can You Use Just Your Latest Tax Return and Financials?
Being your own boss is wonderful: flexible hours, no annoying manager, and a boss who completely understands when you want a day off. Then you apply for a home loan…
8 October 2026 · 5 min read
Self-Employed for 3+ Years: Can You Get a Home Loan on an Accountant's Letter Alone?
You've been in business for years. You pay your bills, you invoice on time, your accountant likes you (mostly). So surely a nice letter from that accountant saying…
7 October 2026 · 5 min read
What Is a Bridging Loan? How to Buy Your Next Home Before You Sell the Old One
You've found your dream home. Your current home is not yet sold, and your dream home will not wait for your open-for-inspection schedule. Enter the bridging loan: a…
6 October 2026 · 6 min read
Buying Your First Investment Property in Australia: A Sensible Step-by-Step Guide (Post-2026 Budget)
Everyone has a cousin who "made a fortune in property" and a barbecue theory about how easy it is. Reality is a little less glamorous: spreadsheets, loan assessments…
5 October 2026 · 6 min read
Buying Your First Home: How Much Extra Cash Do You Need on Top of Stamp Duty?
You've saved the deposit, you've won the auction, and the lender has said yes. Time for champagne? Not quite. There's a hidden cast of costs waiting at the door…
4 October 2026 · 5 min read
Before You Sign Your First Contract of Sale: What to Check and Which Clauses to Ask For (Victoria)
Signing a contract of sale is the moment a lovely daydream turns into a legally binding document. There's no "undo" button, no extended warranty, and no friendly shop…
3 October 2026 · 7 min read
How to Shave 10 Years Off a 30-Year Home Loan: A $750,000 Worked Example
A 30-year mortgage is a bit like a long-haul flight: you will get there eventually, but the in-flight cost is shocking. On a $750,000 loan, the bank can end up…
2 October 2026 · 8 min read
Can a Couple Pay Off a $650,000 Mortgage in 10 Years? The Aggressive Playbook (and the Reality Check)
Paying off a mortgage in 10 years sounds like something only lottery winners and people who live on rice can do. Plenty of people pitch the idea of clearing a home…
1 October 2026 · 8 min read