Central Mortgage Broker

11/08/2026

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) today left the cash rate target unchanged at 4.35%.

Key takeaways from the announcement:

Unanimous Decision: The Board unanimously voted to keep rates on hold, extending the pause from June after rate increases earlier in the year.

Inflation & Outlook: Headline inflation sat at 3.8% for the year to June 2026. The RBA expects inflation to return toward its 2–3% target range by late 2027, though upside risks remain.

My take: They still somehow want you and me to slow spending: While higher rates slow demand (As no one has any money left to spend anyway), the Board warned it remains ready to raise rates further if persistent inflation pressures or global energy price shocks materialise.

24/06/2026

As someone who is seeing just how much those trying to save for a first home spend on things like Uber Eats.

I decided to ask AI this question

“Is Uber Eats financially making it harder for those saving for a home?”

You will be shocked by the reply >>>

Yes, absolutely. In fact, it acts as a double-edged sword for prospective homebuyers, draining their physical savings while simultaneously trashing their borrowing profile in the eyes of mortgage lenders.
Here is exactly how the food delivery habit actively pushes homeownership out of reach.
________________________________________
1. The Financial Drain (Slowing Down the Deposit)
Saving for a home deposit in today’s market is a game of velocity. A recent study by the Mortgage Research Network noted that everyday "lifestyle creep" items—with food delivery apps being a chief offender—can easily account for hundreds of dollars a month in leaked cash.
Consider the raw math:
• The Premium: Because of menu price markups, delivery fees, and service charges, ordering a $20 meal on Uber Eats regularly balloons to $35–$40.
• The Lost Momentum: If you order just three times a week, that is roughly $120 a week, or over $6,000 a year in purely discretionary premium costs over cooking or picking up groceries.
In many mid-market regions, redirecting that food delivery bleed into a savings account can shave years off the timeline required to hit a standard 5% or 10% down payment.
2. The Bank Underwriting Trap (Lowering Your Borrowing Power)
Many buyers don't realise that a big deposit is only half the battle; you also have to prove you can service a loan. When you apply for a mortgage, lenders don't just look at your gross income—they take a microscopic look at your bank statements (typically the last 3 to 6 months) to calculate your HEF (Household Expenditure Measure).
• Line-Item Scrutiny: Mortgage underwriters look at digital transaction histories to categorise your spending. Frequent, recurring charges to Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Menulog are flagged as "unnecessary discretionary spending."
• Reduced Borrowing Capacity: If a bank sees $500 a month consistently going toward delivery apps, they will subtract that directly from your disposable income. In the algorithmic eyes of a loan calculator, that $500 reduction can slash your total borrowing capacity by tens of thousands of dollars.
3. The "Buy Now, Pay Later" Gateway
Uber Eats often integrates seamlessly with digital payment wallets and "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) services. Financing a pizza via a BNPL service is a massive red flag for a lender. It signals to a bank's risk assessment team that an applicant relies on short-term credit lines even for basic, low-cost lifestyle luxuries.
________________________________________
The Bottom Line: Uber Eats isn't inherently evil, but it is a "convenience tax." If you are actively preparing to buy a home, mortgage brokers universally recommend doing a "cleanse" at least 3 to 4 months before applying for a loan. Completely cutting out delivery apps during this window fixes your cash flow and presents a spotless, low-expense financial profile to the bank.

16/06/2026

Key Takeaways from the RBA Decision today

• The Cash Rate: Held steady at 4.35%.
• Inflation Status: Remains above the 2-3% target range at 4.2%, but is easing.
• Economic Indicators: Showing signs of moderation, including softer demand, slower growth, and rising unemployment.
• Current Risks: Ongoing pressures in energy and services, alongside global economic influences.
• My take on it: While the RBA took a cautious stance due to economic uncertainty this month, don’t be looking for a rate drop anytime soon. As the RBA have a strict commitment to returning inflation to its target range, I suggest we’ll see no downward movement in rates until this happens.

12/05/2026

Did history repeat itself?
For those who don’t know, they have already done this before.

Back in mid-1985, Australia banned tax breaks for negative gearing, as part of a package of sweeping tax reforms. A year later, under the Reagan administration, the United States did the same – and also abolished tax breaks for capital gains. After two years, the Hawke government wobbled under pressure from vested interests and restored the tax break for negative gearing.

But the United States has never restored it. If we want to know what might happen here in Australia now that Labour has removed negative gearing again, we can only look at what happened in the American experience for valuable lessons.

05/05/2026

With Australia's inflation being one of the highest in the world, it is no surprise that at its meeting today, the Board decided to increase the cash rate target by 25 basis points to 4.35 per cent.

This means, unfortunately, homeowners will have to pay the price once again through increased mortgage repayments, in a bid to try and slow out-of-control inflation. With banks typically trying to make as much as 2% above the RBA rate. This means your mortgage may now be as much as 6.35% pa 😳

What the RBA said:
Inflation picked up materially in the second half of 2025, and information since the beginning of this year confirms that some of this increase reflected greater capacity pressures. In addition, the conflict in the Middle East has resulted in sharply higher fuel and related commodity prices, which are already adding to inflation.
Read more here: https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2026/mr-26-12.html

05/05/2026

Wow, with the Property market booming, $90K literally only gets you a prison cell, in the market nowadays. Though I do hope our first home buyers aim a little higher than this. When Cell 120 goes up for auction later this month. 😮

The decommissioned jail once housed some of Australia’s most infamous inmates.

29/04/2026

-WARNING-

The RBA will most likely increase interest rates again when they meet next week on the 5th of May.

As inflation has gone up to 4.6% from last month's 3.7%. The target is 2-3%, so at 4.6% I think the RBA, will push to raise rates.

Let us know your thoughts. What could they do better to manage this? Would higher export taxes on resources be a better option to lower inflation? Could this help reduce our cost for fuel here?

The RBA even says on their own site: "A powerful lesson from history is that low and stable inflation is a prerequisite for a strong economy and sustained full employment and growth in real wages."

14/04/2026

NEW WARNING: With AI use on the rise, it’s fair to say we have already seen many convincing AI fake photos and videos. But what if you are shopping for a new home, and unknown to you, the real estate agent used AI to alter the Photos? Are you okay with this? Or is it ethical to allow? Does this waste your time looking at homes that are not true to what you thought you saw advertised?

For our team, it was a shock to read in a recent Real Estate listing the following words at the bottom of their listing: “Please note that some photographs in this Real Estate advertisement have been digitally enhanced using AI-assisted editing software.”

So, with the rise in AI, we strongly warn our clients, please make sure when shopping for property, to check all photos are true and correct on inspection. Ask the Agents whether they have used AI to alter any photos? And if so, ask them what changed. Why they changed it, and if they could supply you with the original, non-altered photos. To help you make a better-informed decision before buying.

17/03/2026

Please don’t shoot the Messenger!!

As I‘m really sorry for hardworking families out there! The short of it is that the RBA at its meeting today decided to increase the cash rate target by another 25 basis points, to 4.10 per cent. This makes 2 increases, within two months! As they force homeowners yet again to make higher mortgage repayments in an attempt to slow inflation.

Their reasoning:

While inflation has fallen substantially since its peak in 2022, it picked up materially in the second half of 2025. Information since the February meeting suggests that some of the increase in inflation reflects greater capacity pressures. In addition, the conflict in the Middle East has resulted in sharply higher fuel prices, which, if sustained, will add to inflation. Short-term measures of inflation expectations have already risen. As a result, the Board judged that there is a material risk that inflation will remain above target for longer than previously anticipated. You can read the rest of this on their page: https://www.rba.gov.au/media-releases/2026/mr-26-08.html

Effective from the 18th of March 2026

25/02/2026

Buckle up! The latest inflation figures were just released...
The bad news is that we are still at 3.8% for Jan 2026

What does this mean?

This could likely prompt the RBA to raise rates again.
They next meet on the 17th of March 2026.

Note the RBA deem normal inflation between 2-3%,

Chat to us here at Central Mortgage Broker for any more info regarding how this affects your home loan.

See this chart for reference