Your journey to buying a new home is exciting. You’ll make so many life-changing decisions along the way; which community will I settle in - beachside, close to nature, or near the city? What will my home look like? Do I need a butler’s pantry or perhaps an alfresco dining area? Will I build my new home or buy an established home?
However, one of the very first decisions you’ll need to make is “How much can I afford?”.
Q: I want to buy my first home, what’s the first thing I should do?
Just like the many other decisions you’ll make, Peet recommend that you engage expert advice to help you understand your options, and to guide you through what can be a complex process.
Mortgage Brokers are finance experts, and can help you arrange finance for your home. They will work with you to determine; how much you can afford, the correct loan type for your situation, the best interest rate options and any Government assistance that you may be eligible for.
Q: What’s the main advantage of using a mortgage broker?
What to bring to your first mortgage broker meeting
It’s important that you provide your Mortgage Broker with a full picture of your financial situation. The best way to do this, is to have the following information ready for your first meeting:
- Two recent payslips
- PAYG summary
- Credit card statement(s)
- 6-months savings account statements
- Centrelink statements
- 3 months personal loan statements
- ID – driver’s licence and Medicare card
- Marriage certificate & birth certificate
- Break down of your monthly expenses ((fixed expenses such as rent, insurance, gym membership, childcare) AND variable expenses including eating out, petrol, car maintenance.
Useful questions to ask your mortgage broker
It’s also a good idea to consider what information you require from your Mortgage Broker. We understand that it can be difficult to know what questions to ask - especially if you’ve never been through this process, so we’ve come up with a selection to get you started.
- Looking at my finances, how much will I be able to comfortably borrow?
- Based on my borrowing capacity, how much can I expect for monthly repayments?
- Am I eligible for any Federal or State Government assistance?
- What is the minimum deposit required?
- How long will it take to get a pre-approval?
- Based on my situation, what do you think is the best loan type/structure for me?
- What is the best interest rate you could offer me?
- Are there any ways I could achieve a better interest rate?
- Will I need Lender’s Mortgage Insurance (LMI)?
- Can you outline what other costs I need to budget for?
- Is there anything else I should be doing to put myself in the best possible position to get my loan approved?
For first home buyers
- Looking at my situation, do you think I can afford my first home?
- Are you/the lenders you represent authorised First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) agents in this state?
- Do you think I’ll be eligible for a FHOG?
- If I’m eligible, based on my situation when will the FHOG funds be paid to me?
Whether it’s your first home, your next-step home or your dream forever home, buying real estate is likely to be the largest financial purchases you’ll ever make. Arming yourself with expert advice to help you organise your finances will empower you to act quickly when you find the perfect property.
5 easy steps to get you into your own home.
Our Toolkit contains expert advice and resources to guide you through your first home buying journey.
Find out more
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