3 reasons to act now before the return to better times

It’s easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom of the COVID-19 crisis. But for those who are looking to save money on their home loan, invest in a property, or even buy their first home – there are good reasons to act now.

It’s easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom of the COVID-19 crisis. But for those who are looking to save money on their home loan, invest in a property, or even buy their first home – there are good reasons to act now. Book in a quick call with our customer care team.

1 – Refinance

With interest rates at record lows, there are big savings to be made on your home mortgage. If you’re in a position where you can refinance you may be able to get a lower rate and to take advantage of generous cash back offers of $2000 to $4000 from lenders, which may be more than enough to cover the cost of refinancing. UNO home loans adviser Paul Sealey has calculated the sorts of savings that are possible using the below example as an illustration. Someone with a loan of 600,000 with 28 years left to pay at an interest rate of 3.5% is making monthly repayments of $2,820. If they refinanced their rate to 2.8% then their monthly repayments would drop to $2,578, and they would save $75,780 in interest over the life of the loan. Alternatively, if they refinanced to the lower rate but kept their repayments the same, they would pay off their loan in 25 years and save $116,000 in interest. The actual rate that you are able to secure will depend on your circumstances.

2 – Renegotiate

You might prefer not to gather the paperwork and deal with the loan discharging that comes with refinancing to a new lender. Alternatively, your income might have dropped and refinancing might not be a viable option. In which case, renegotiating with your current lender could be a good option. While savings might not be as large, a lender will often reduce your interest rate when challenged to do so. This is something UNO helps customers with all the time, speaking directly with a customer’s lender on their behalf. “You could get the interest rate savings without having to go through the whole process of a refinance,” says Sealey. Furthermore, the option of refinancing might still be available down the track when your circumstances change. UNO offers this renegotiation service for free.

3 – Get ready for an investment property

The housing market has largely come to a standstill, but if you’ve been thinking about buying an investment property, this could be the time to make sure you’re ready for when the property sector gets going again. With some analysts forecasting falls in property prices, if an investment purchase is right for you, you may be able to acquire an investment property at a lower price than before. As and when we can all start safely going to open houses, you could at least get pre-approval for your investment loan so you’re ready for when they do. Most lenders’ loan approvals last for three months and you can apply to extend for another three month period. Additionally, lenders are now adapting and are making it easier for borrowers to prove their identities from home, rather than having to visit their lender. It’s a good idea to consult a mortgage broker, who can help collate the necessary documents. You should also contact your financial advisor, who will be able to help you understand how the investment will work for you and the most tax-effective way to structure the purchase. If you take action now, you could set yourself up to execute your investment strategy. We do understand that there are also a lot of people who have lost their jobs and livelihoods while others have seen the value of their assets and investments shrink or even disappear. If this is you, we have some articles that can help you understand your options in our Newsroom which we recommend you check out. There is a lot of helpful information to understand what options are available to you and to help you make the best financial decisions for your situation. It’s easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom of the COVID-19 crisis. But for those who are looking to save money on their home loan, invest in a property, or even buy their first home – there are good reasons to act now.

1 – Refinance

With interest rates at record lows, there are big savings to be made on your home mortgage. If you’re in a position where you can refinance you may be able to get a lower rate and to take advantage of generous cash back offers of $2000 to $4000 from lenders, which may be more than enough to cover the cost of refinancing. UNO home loans adviser Paul Sealey has calculated the sorts of savings that are possible using the below example as an illustration. Someone with a loan of 600,000 with 28 years left to pay at an interest rate of 3.5% is making monthly repayments of $2,820. If they refinanced their rate to 2.8% then their monthly repayments would drop to $2,578, and they would save $75,780 in interest over the life of the loan. Alternatively, if they refinanced to the lower rate but kept their repayments the same, they would pay off their loan in 25 years and save $116,000 in interest. The actual rate that you are able to secure will depend on your circumstances.

2 – Renegotiate

You might prefer not to gather the paperwork and deal with the loan discharging that comes with refinancing to a new lender. Alternatively, your income might have dropped and refinancing might not be a viable option. In which case, renegotiating with your current lender could be a good option. While savings might not be as large, a lender will often reduce your interest rate when challenged to do so. This is something UNO helps customers with all the time, speaking directly with a customer’s lender on their behalf. “You could get the interest rate savings without having to go through the whole process of a refinance,” says Sealey. Furthermore, the option of refinancing might still be available down the track when your circumstances change. UNO offers this renegotiation service for free.

3 – Get ready for an investment property

The housing market has largely come to a standstill, but if you’ve been thinking about buying an investment property, this could be the time to make sure you’re ready for when the property sector gets going again. With some analysts forecasting falls in property prices, if an investment purchase is right for you, you may be able to acquire an investment property at a lower price than before. As and when we can all start safely going to open houses, you could at least get pre-approval for your investment loan so you’re ready for when they do. Most lenders’ loan approvals last for three months and you can apply to extend for another three month period. Additionally, lenders are now adapting and are making it easier for borrowers to prove their identities from home, rather than having to visit their lender. It’s a good idea to consult a mortgage broker, who can help collate the necessary documents. You should also contact your financial advisor, who will be able to help you understand how the investment will work for you and the most tax-effective way to structure the purchase. If you take action now, you could set yourself up to execute your investment strategy. We do understand that there are also a lot of people who have lost their jobs and livelihoods while others have seen the value of their assets and investments shrink or even disappear. If this is you, we have some articles that can help you understand your options in our Newsroom which we recommend you check out. Book in a quick call with our customer care team.There is a lot of helpful information to understand what options are available to you and to help you make the best financial decisions for your situation. This information in this article is general only and does not take into account your individual circumstances. It should not be relied upon to make any financial decisions. UNO can’t make a recommendation until we complete an assessment of your requirements and objectives and your financial position. Interest rates, and other product information included in this article, are subject to change at any time at the complete discretion of each lender.Book a call in with UNO

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Philip Smith
December 20, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons provided my wife and I outstanding service for our home loan. I have never dealt with someone who is so helpful and goes the extra mile and provides such excellent service the way Mike did. Highly recommend Mike as your broker for all investment/home loans you won’t be disappointed.
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Neil Venkataramiah
December 20, 2024
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Mike Parsons: Working with Mike was amazing. My wife and I were a couple from Sydney that had a 7 year stint overseas. On moving back, our loan had gone from Interest Only to Principal and Interest. The challenge: to get 2 recently re-patriated Aussies on an Interest Only loan. With only 1 year of Oz financials. And with income from an overseas company. We had equity in our property, but the ability to service was the issue. A very tough brief. Step in Mike. He contacted all his lenders, knowing that this was a unique situation. He never let up and followed through with calls and whatsapps at every stage of the process. We simply could not have got our Interest Only loan if it wasn’t for Mike. I highly recommend Mike for any loan or re-finance that you’re looking at. His attention to detail and ability to find creative solutions is second to none. And most importantly - he's a good guy that will guide you through the whole process in what can be a stressful time. Steph and Neil
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Stéphane Aumont
December 19, 2024
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Highly recommend Mike - great service, very responsive and helped us through the whole process from product selection, approval all the way to settlement. Mike is supported by a great team at UNO
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Gemma Smith
December 19, 2024
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Mike Parsons was truly amazing when he organized our home loan. He offered service that far exceeded my expectations. He was on top of everything and was very organised. He has a true “do it now” attitude and ensured everything ran smoothly. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was in place. He was always contactable (even when he was on holidays!). Keeping us up to date at every step and his communication was great! Would VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND Mike!
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David Thorn
December 17, 2024
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I had a fantastic experience with UNO Home Loans. I want to personally recognise the work of Mike Parsons from UNO. Mike went above and beyond in helping me navigate and select a lender his attention to detail, knowledge of the Market, Excellent Communication skills matched by a patient and friendly personality made the whole process simple and painless. Thanks Mike and thanks UNO
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Kathryn Cretney
November 14, 2024
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Paul helped us from day one before we even arrived in Australia so we knew exactly what we needed to prepare. He’s got a tonne of knowledge and was really lovely and supportive to deal with. Helpful and easy going. Would highly recommend - now in our first Aussie home and Paul made the process all very easy!
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Sean O'Neill
November 14, 2024
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We received excellent service and a tailored solution to our home loan requirements from Uno. Paul kept us informed at all milestone stages and throughout the process he demonstrated a ‘can do’ attitude that ultimately allowed us to get over the line and meet our deadline. We’re most grateful and very impressed. Highly recommend
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Crush Huston
November 8, 2024
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Paul is an amazing broker. Communicative, responsive and knows his stuff! Highly recommend
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Amanda Pearce
November 7, 2024
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After just four months in Australia, our New Zealand home sold, prompting us to stop renting and invest locally. We found Paul through a Kiwi Facebook group, and his exceptional service exceeded our expectations. From initial contact, Paul provided clear explanations, friendly communication, and prompt responses to our queries, making our mortgage process remarkably smooth. We highly recommend him.
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Dom Saric
November 3, 2024
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Mike Parsons went above and beyond to ensure that our refinancing journey was painless and successful. He was communicative, accessible (even working while on holidays!), and his knowledge of the systems at play meant that he picked up on things that other brokers missed. Would 100% recommend Mike, and will definitely be back next time we need a broker.
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Ashleigh Breaden
October 31, 2024
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Mike Parsons handled our refinance of our home loan with ease and a depth of knowledge that ensured we got the best deal possible for our situation. We didn't have an easy one to solve for with my husband being self employed and we were consolidating finances as well for a car loan. But Mike handled it all for us and once we had provided him with all the documents we literally didn't have to do a thing after that, it was so easy and so quick we are super happy with the experience! Top notch! Highly recommend!!
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Kyle Richards
October 10, 2024
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Absolute legend, helped me through the first home buyers scheme, explained everything in a way that made sense, was very knowledgeable and a joy to work with.
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