Hamara Finance Services, Building 5/22 Magnolia Drive, Brookwater (2026)

03/09/2026

🏡 A positive mortgage update specifically for regional Queensland buyers.

Getting a mortgage in a regional or remote location can sometimes be difficult—even when you have a stable income and can afford the repayments.

The Queensland Government's new Housing Finance Loan Regional Trial is designed to help address that gap.

Under the trial:
🔹 The maximum household income threshold for eligible regional applicants has increased from $141,000 to $201,000 per year
🔹 The expanded criteria apply across 45 rural and remote Queensland council areas
🔹 Eligible buyers may be able to purchase an established house, unit, townhouse or duplex, or build a new home
🔹 The Queensland Housing Finance Loan can potentially be accessed with a deposit from 2%
🔹 The program is specifically aimed at people who can afford home ownership but have difficulty obtaining finance through a bank or building society.

Eligible areas include Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Gympie, Southern Downs, Gladstone, Whitsunday, Central Highlands and many others.

For regional Queenslanders who previously assumed their income was too high for government assistance—or who have struggled to obtain conventional mortgage finance—the expanded $201,000 threshold could open another pathway to home ownership.

Eligibility and lending conditions apply.

01/09/2026

🏡 Some positive news for Australian mortgage borrowers as we head into September.

Despite the RBA cash rate sitting at 4.35%, lenders are continuing to compete for new home-loan customers—and the number offering rates below 6% has increased again.

The latest Canstar rate tracking reported:
🔹 52 lenders now offer at least one variable home-loan rate below 6%
🔹 That's up from 49 lenders earlier in August and 38 at the beginning of June
🔹 In the latest weekly movements, six lenders cut 12 variable rates, by an average of 0.11 percentage points
🔹 Four lenders also reduced 37 fixed rates, by an average of 0.17 percentage points
🔹 The lowest variable rate tracked was 5.69% p.a., although eligibility, LVR and individual lending criteria apply

What does this mean for borrowers?

An unchanged RBA cash rate doesn't necessarily mean your mortgage rate can't change. Lenders can adjust their pricing independently as they compete for customers.

If you've been with the same lender for some time, this growing competition makes it worth checking whether your existing rate and loan structure are still competitive.

More lender competition = more reason to compare your options.

Rates and eligibility vary by lender, loan type, LVR and borrower circumstances.

30/08/2026

🏡 Your home's energy efficiency could increasingly matter when choosing a mortgage.

Green lending is gaining momentum across Australia's home-loan market, creating another area for borrowers to consider when comparing lenders. The Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia says energy-efficient homes are becoming a bigger part of Australia's property and lending landscape.

So, what exactly is a green home loan?
🔹 These are home-loan products or incentives designed for properties that meet certain energy-efficiency requirements
🔹 Depending on the lender, eligible borrowers may have access to discounted interest rates, fee reductions or other incentives
🔹 Some lending options can also help finance eligible improvements such as solar panels, batteries and energy-efficiency upgrades
🔹 Eligibility varies significantly between lenders and may depend on the property's energy rating, construction standards or the type of improvement being financed

For buyers, builders and existing homeowners, this means energy efficiency may now be worth considering alongside the interest rate, fees, offset facilities and other traditional mortgage features.

As lender competition continues, understanding these newer loan options could help borrowers find a mortgage that better suits both their property and their long-term financial goals.

27/08/2026

🏡 For many first-home buyers, one of the biggest mortgage barriers isn't the repayment—it's saving the deposit.

Australia's expanded 5% Deposit Scheme** is changing that pathway for eligible buyers by allowing them to purchase a home with a deposit from just 5%, without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance.

That can make a significant difference when property prices make saving a traditional 20% deposit increasingly difficult.

🔹 Eligible first-home buyers can purchase with a deposit from 5%
🔹 The Australian Government guarantees part of the home loan, allowing eligible buyers to avoid LMI
🔹 Avoiding LMI can potentially save buyers thousands of dollars in upfront or financed costs
🔹 A smaller deposit may allow some buyers to enter the property market sooner rather than spending additional years saving towards 20%
🔹 Your LVR will still be higher with a smaller deposit, so understanding repayments, borrowing capacity and the total cost of the mortgage remains important

The important message is that 20% is not automatically the deposit every first-home buyer needs.

Government assistance, lender policies and your individual financial circumstances can all affect how much deposit you actually need to secure a mortgage.

Before assuming you're still years away from buying, it may be worth finding out what home loan options you're currently eligible for.

Eligibility criteria, property requirements and lender credit assessment apply.

25/08/2026

🏡Australian borrowers are looking beyond the big banks—and the shift is significant.

New mortgage market data shows non-bank home lending has surged 65%, highlighting a growing willingness among Australians to consider alternative lenders when searching for a home loan.

Why does this matter for borrowers?

🔹 More lender choice means your home loan options don't necessarily begin and end with the major banks
🔹 Non-bank and specialist lenders can have different lending policies and eligibility criteria
🔹 Different lenders may offer competitive rates, loan structures and features depending on your circumstances
🔹 This can be particularly valuable for borrowers whose income, employment or financial circumstances don't fit neatly within a traditional bank's lending criteria
🔹 Greater competition across the mortgage market can encourage lenders to work harder to attract suitable borrowers

The key takeaway is simple: being declined by one lender—or receiving one home loan offer—doesn't necessarily tell you what's available across the wider market.

A mortgage broker can compare options across a panel of banks and non-bank lenders to help identify loans that may better suit your circumstances.

More competition. More choice. And potentially more ways to find the right home loan.

23/08/2026

🏡 Some encouraging news for Australians trying to get into their first home.

Saving a traditional 20% deposit can be one of the biggest barriers to home ownership. But Australia's expanded 5% Deposit Scheme is helping eligible first-home buyers enter the market sooner.

Recent Housing Australia data and property-market analysis show:

🔹 Around 48,000 properties have been purchased through the expanded scheme since October 2025
🔹 Eligible first-home buyers can purchase with a deposit as low as 5%
🔹 The government guarantee can allow eligible participants to avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)
🔹 Despite recent property-price softness, fewer than 0.2% of buyers analysed under the expanded scheme were estimated to be in negative equity
🔹 In fact, 52% had built equity above their original 5% deposit level

The takeaway? A 20% deposit isn't necessarily the only pathway into your first home.

Understanding government schemes, your borrowing capacity and the different home loan options available can help you work out whether buying sooner is realistic for your circumstances.

For Brisbane and Queensland first-home buyers, speaking with a mortgage broker before assuming your deposit isn't large enough could uncover options you didn't know were available.

Eligibility criteria, lending requirements and scheme conditions apply.

20/08/2026

🏡 Ever wondered why the amount a bank will lend you can be lower than expected?

One important reason is the mortgage serviceability buffer.

APRA currently requires banks to assess most new home loan borrowers using an interest rate at least 3 percentage points above the actual loan rate.

For example:
🔹 If your home loan rate was *6.0%, your borrowing capacity could be assessed using repayments calculated at around **9.0%*
🔹 The buffer is designed to test whether you could continue meeting repayments if interest rates or your financial circumstances changed
🔹 It can directly affect how much you're able to borrow—even if you can comfortably afford repayments at today's advertised rate
🔹 Different lenders can still assess income, expenses and borrowing capacity differently within their lending policies

This is why borrowing capacity isn't always the same from one lender to another.

Understanding serviceability before you start property hunting can give you a much clearer idea of your realistic budget and help you avoid surprises during the application process.

18/08/2026

When comparing home loan rates, there's an important number borrowers shouldn't overlook: LVR.

LVR stands for Loan-to-Value Ratio. It measures how much you're borrowing compared with the value of the property.

For example:
🔹 Property value: $800,000
🔹 Home loan: $640,000
🔹 Your LVR: 80%

Why does this matter in today's mortgage market?
🔹 Some lenders price their home loans differently depending on LVR
🔹 A lower LVR can potentially give borrowers access to more competitive lending options
🔹 A higher LVR may limit the products or rates available and could involve Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), depending on the loan and borrower
🔹 Current lender competition means it's worth comparing more than just the headline interest rate

So when you see a lender advertising a particularly low home loan rate, check the eligibility criteria. The advertised rate may only apply to borrowers within a particular LVR range.

Understanding your LVR before comparing loans can give you a much clearer picture of the options actually available to you.

16/08/2026

🏡 Some positive news for Australian home loan borrowers.

Despite the RBA cash rate remaining at 4.35%, competition between lenders continues to create opportunities for borrowers looking for a more competitive home loan.

Recent market data shows:
🔹 49 lenders now offer at least one variable home loan rate below 6%
🔹 Growing lender competition means borrowers have more options to compare across the market
🔹 Existing homeowners may be able to negotiate with their current lender or explore refinancing to a more competitive rate
🔹 Buyers entering the market can benefit from comparing lenders rather than relying on the products offered by just one bank
🔹 Even a small difference in your interest rate can potentially translate into meaningful savings over the life of a home loan

The important takeaway? You don't necessarily need to wait for an RBA rate cut to review your mortgage.

Lenders set their own home loan rates, and competition in the market can create opportunities even when the official cash rate doesn't move.

If you've been with the same lender for a while, it could be worth reviewing your current rate, loan features and repayments to see how they compare with what's available today.

Individual rates, eligibility and lending criteria vary between lenders.

13/08/2026

🏡 There's some positive news for Australian home loan borrowers.

Even though the RBA has kept the official cash rate at 4.35%, competition in the mortgage market is creating opportunities for borrowers.

Recent market data shows:
🔹 18 lenders have reduced variable home loan rates since the RBA's May decision
🔹 15 lenders are now offering variable rates below 5.90%
🔹 Some lenders have also reduced selected fixed home loan rates
🔹 Increased competition means borrowers may have more opportunities to negotiate, refinance or find a more competitive loan

The important takeaway? You don't always need to wait for an RBA rate cut to potentially get a better home loan rate.

If you've been with the same lender for a while, now could be a good time to review your mortgage and see how your current rate compares with what's available in the market.

Hamara Finance Services

03/09/2026

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30/08/2026

27/08/2026

25/08/2026

23/08/2026

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