Key Features of the Best Home Loans

Some loans are better than others, but the difference isn’t always obvious. Learn what makes a good home loan – from competitive rates to mortgage offset accounts, these features make all the difference.

Key Features of the Best Home Loans

Buying a home is probably the biggest purchase you’ll ever make. It’s important to consider every aspect of your home loan and not leave anything to chance. Here are some key features that can help you choose the best home loan.

Competitive Mortgage Rate

If a home loan provider gives you a fixed rate, you know precisely what your monthly repayments will be. Variable rates can go up and down, increasing and reducing your repayments. Mortgage rates can be as low as 3.5% and easily climb past 4%. Using a mortgage calculator can help you discover what an impact different rates can have. Even a 0.05% difference can genuinely increase your monthly repayments. On a $550,000 mortgage, it can mean a difference of $80 per month (assuming the interest rate and minimum monthly repayments remain the same and there are no ongoing fees). Everyone wants low interest rates on their mortgages. While the interest rate is often the key factor when choosing a mortgage, it’s not the only one. Need a home loan?UNO. The new way to get a better deal. Get Started

No Fee for Extra Repayments

If you make extra payments, you can pay off your mortgage more quickly. Unfortunately, many lenders punish mortgage holders for extra repayments by charging fees. Let’s assume you have a $350,000 home loan for 30 years. If, after 5 years, you increase your monthly repayments by $250/month, you can save over $40,000 in interest over the life of the loan (again, assuming the interest rate and minimum monthly repayments remain the same and there are no ongoing fees). However, extra payment fees can discourage people from making quicker payments. If you plan to make extra payments, a no-fee mortgage can help you repay the loan faster.

Redraw Facility

Some home loan providers will allow you to withdraw your extra repayments. For some home owners, it can be a valuable financial safety measure. Let’s say you’ve been making extra repayments on various occasions, but you’re now short on cash. With a redraw facility, you can withdraw the extra repayments you’ve made. Be warned, however, that the home loan provider may adjust the interest, so you may be paying more on future payments. To avoid this, read all the small print on your mortgage agreement documents or consult a licensed professional to make sure you know the terms and conditions of your mortgage. How much can I borrow?Use UNO's calculator to estimate your borrowing capacity. Calculate Now

Loan Portability

Some lenders allow you to bring your mortgage with you when you relocate to a new property. This can mean considerable cost-savings when you sell one property and buy another. You are less likely to incur fees and don’t have the headache of applying for a new mortgage. Paying off one mortgage early and starting a new one for a new property will likely cost you money. But some home loan providers don’t mind if you switch a loan from one property to another. Look into your loan portability if you think there’s a chance you may relocate within the term of the mortgage.

Mortgage Offset Accounts

Some home loan providers offer mortgage offset account options. This can mean considerable savings for the duration of your mortgage. The balance in your offset mortgage savings account is set against the loan principal. The home loan provider then recalculates and reduces your interest payments accordingly. For many new homeowners, this can be a good way to save money. The information in this article is general in nature. Please seek advice from a licensed professional when making financial decisions. Book a call in with UNO

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What our customers are saying

Marlon Baena
July 22, 2024
Karis dedication to assisting with our home loan, even while I was on holidays, truly exemplifies a commitment to excellent service. It's the small things that often make a big difference, and it seems Karis attention to detail and clear communication were key to our smooth home purchase. I highly recommend using UNO and Karis for your home loan needs.
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Olivia Gill
July 18, 2024
We recently used UNO Home Loans to assist us with securing our new mortgage in AU (had moved here from NZ). We had Michael Parsons as our mortgage broker and he was extremely responsive and helpful the whole way through the process. Was a great experience and definitely recommend :)
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Yash Karma
July 18, 2024
Andrew Wyers and team have been amazing. Andrew is very knowledgeable, offers practical advice and he has been pivotal in helping me secure a mortgage at a very competitive interest rate. He was highly responsive to my queries and,being a new immigrant to Perth, he was very patient with my many many questions. An added benefit for me was his knowledge of how superannuation here works. A hec of a great guy to work with, reliable and he goes above and beyond. I would recommend highly recommended him, especially for new immigrants. In fact, I will be using him again very soon!
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Rosie Deiath
July 2, 2024
Karis from UNO was so supportive throughout the entire process of buying our first home. She was contactable at any time, and answered all our silly questions for us. We couldn't recommend Karis and her team enough, as it always felt like she was in our corner with our best interests at heart.
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Jack Mikkelsen
July 2, 2024
We dealt with Karis Churchill as the mortgage broker for our first home. Karis was so supportive and knowledgeable through the whole process! A+ mortgage broker. Definitely utilise her expertise if you’re buying a house!
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Kapil Baldota
June 25, 2024
Eren Tan is absolutely one of the best mortgage brokers in Melbourne! Keeping us well informed throughout the process. Eren gave us a helpful hand in managing to get our loan over the line in a quick and efficient way which is what we wanted and he delivered on that. Thank you Eren Tan!
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A M
June 21, 2024
I only have praise from my Uno experience! I was a broker sceptic, having done all of the hard work myself for my first two property purchases and sale. I'm now a proud broker advocate having used UNO (Karis Churchill) for two refinances and purchase. The value add Karis brought cannot be underrated! Not only has Karis got me the best rate, with a bonus cash back (nearly unheard of in this climate), she has done it with the least back-a-forth and with the least administrative burden on me (the thing that can deters people from refinancing to begin with). Karis is always on top of everything. Karis knows her stuff. She is the most responsive of any professional service provider I've ever used (my banker never text with an update at 7pm on a Sunday) without being overbearing. You know she's got your back and in my experience the value speaks for itself. Thank you to the whole UNO team, thank you especially to Karis.
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Leanda Cawdry
June 8, 2024
Very pleased with the outcome of this process, Michael Parsons and his team at UNO were helpful, communicative, and took all the stress out of the process of finding me a refinance deal that met my needs. Would definitely recommend Michael and UNO, and I already have!
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Glen Matthews
May 29, 2024
Regarding UNO Home Loan services. I had great experience with uno home loans, Michael parsons was my broker for UNO Home Loans we had excellent communication throughout the whole home loan application. If I had any questions on home loan application which were many were answered in great detail. He had the time to assist me in filling out endless application forms at anytime through the day or night which made the application process stress free. So I would strongly recommend Michael parsons from UNO Home Loans to try his services you will not be disappointed. Thanks to Michael parsons I have the lowest home loan interest rate I could ever hope for which I particularly ask for. It’s was a pleasure working with him. And will be using his services in the near future.
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Gillian Anderson
May 28, 2024
Thank you to Michael and UNO for their help in securing our home loan. I like the way they break everything down in simple terms to ensure that you can make the right decision. Michael was polite and very patient to help us get things across the line. We are now sitting in our first home away from rental circus. Can't recommend them enough. Thanks Michael and thanks UNO
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Troy H
May 13, 2024
Scott Wilkinson did a great job as my broker. He was very patient and always happy to answer my numerous questions throughout the considerable period of time that it took to secure a suitable property. Would certainly recommend Scott and the team at UNO for anyone seeking a broker.
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Elvin Singh
May 10, 2024
First time I have used a Broker and I must say Andrew Wyers and his team were amazing to work with and handled my refinance from a Big4 bank. He was able to understand my needs and find a lender that will be able to help me grow my investment portfolio. Andrew and his team kept me updated as part of my refinance journey and made the process super easy and I was able to refi to new lender in under 2 weeks. Would highly recommend Andrew.
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