Ash Hermiz - Strategic Investor Group

03/11/2026

In the last 10 months, rates have risen by 1%, and there’s talk of more to come. Here are some ways to manage your repayments.

1. Call your bank
Ask for the retention team and request a rate review. Banks rarely offer their best rate unless you ask. We do this for our clients 2 to 3 times a year.

2. Fix a portion of your loan
Fixing locks in your repayments so a rate rise can’t catch you out. The trade-off is break costs if you sell or refinance early, limited extra repayments and usually no offset. Many clients fix a portion and keep the rest variable.

3. Refinance
If another lender is sharper, switching can cut your rate. Factor in the costs (usually $400 to $900) and how fast you recover them.

4. Extend your loan term
Stretching the term lowers your repayments straight away. The trade-off is more interest over the life of the loan, so it’s a pressure valve, not a long-term fix.

5. Go interest-only (if you qualify)
Repayments drop for the interest-only period, but you’re not paying down the loan and the rate is often higher. Best used as a short-term option.

Each one has a cost. The right move depends on your loan, your equity and your plans.

Need help deciding? Let’s talk.

12/10/2026

One call 📱.

$223 in the clients pocket per month.

What’s your loyalty costing you with your bank?

30/09/2026

Your bank won't call you to lower your rate.
(However as your broker, we will negotiate your rate regularly and let you know the outcome)

So call them first.

Ask for the retention team and say this:

"Hi, I'd like to lodge a discharge request — before I proceed I wanted to give you the opportunity to review my variable rate."

Watch how fast things change.

Don’t wait for their call, trust me, it’s not something they’ll proactively do.

18/09/2026

Quick recap , deposits of 5% vs 10% vs 20%: what’s the real difference?

20% deposit: no Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), lower repayments, great rate.

10% deposit : Some professionals like accountants , lawyers , nurses may get a LMI waiver, rate is competitive depending on lender.

5% deposit with the Government Guarantee: get in sooner, no LMI, but a bigger loan, limited to a handful of lenders .

Neither is wrong. It depends on your goals and what you qualify for.

Reach for a chat to see which one makes more sense to you.

17/08/2026

5% deposit vs 10% deposit vs 20% deposit: what’s the real difference?

20% deposit: no Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), lower repayments.

10% deposit : Some professionals like accountants , lawyers , nurses may get a LMI waiver.

5% deposit with the Government Guarantee: get in sooner, no LMI, but a bigger loan.

Neither is wrong. It depends on your goals and what you qualify for.

Reach for a chat to see which one makes more sense to you.

11/08/2026

Some clients are still confused about what’s available to them as a first home buyer …

The different types of grants , the schemes, the price caps , unexpected costs etc…

Here is a simple breakdown:

Stamp duty exemption: no stamp duty on homes up to $800,000, with a partial discount up to $1,000,000

Government guarantee : buy with just a 5% deposit and skip Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Purchase cap of $1.5m

First Home Owner Grant – $10,000 for new homes under the price cap

Buying for a $1,000,000?
You will need $50,000 for the 5% deposit, plus around $40,000 for stamps and allow another $4k or so for legal costs , settlement disbursements..

Happy to guide you in the right direction, please reach out

25/07/2026

TARGET HIT! 🎯🎉 But we’re not stopping there!

You guys are absolutely amazing — we smashed our goal and now I want to raise even MORE for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation 🏥❤️

Every extra dollar means more sick kids getting the care they deserve. Let’s keep going! 💪

👇 Donate here (DM ME IF LINK DOESN’T WORK)
https://city2surf26.grassrootz.com/schf/ashoor-hermiz

17/07/2026

I’m running City2Surf 2026 alongside 80,000 other people and I couldn’t be more excited! 🏃‍♂️🎉

But more importantly, I’m raising $1,000 for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation. These incredible kids fight battles every day that make a 14km run look like a walk in the park 🏥❤️

If you can donate anything at all — $50, $150 — it goes directly to helping seriously ill children and their families right here in Sydney.

Please share this with your friends and family too, every little bit helps me reach my goal! 🙏

👉 https://city2surf26.grassrootz.com/schf/ashoor-hermiz

Thank you so much

Hi there, I am running City2Surf 2026 to try and raise $1000 for Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation. This will be my 10th year running and I want to make it a big one. The funds we raise will help Sydney’s world-leading paediatric hospitals and services provide extraordinary care to over 159...

19/06/2026

A few years ago, I accidentally told a client to set up their repayments the "wrong" way — and it ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to them. 😅

Instead of doing weekly repayments the standard way (monthly × 12 ÷ 52), I told them to divide their monthly repayment by 4.

The difference is small each week — but over time it meant they were making an extra month's repayment every year without thinking about it.

The result? Thousands saved in interest and a redraw balance that kept growing.

Honest mistake. Great outcome.

Want to know what the difference looks like on your loan? Drop a comment below or flick me a message! 👇

05/06/2026

It’s that time of the year again ….

🏃 🏃 🏃 🏙️ to 🏄 …

If you know you know. Link in bio or DM me for the link!

Your donation goes a big way for sick kids.

Any donation you make over $2 is tax deductible. GO BIG for sick kids!!

** Check with your accountant 😒..