Greg Carroll More Than Accountants

09/09/2026

It's not a good time for homeowners to sit on their hands. - Check the comments

07/09/2026

Home owners are facing a double hit - see the comments

06/09/2026

03/09/2026

For the last few years, trying to negotiate a better deal with your bank has been a bit like getting blood out of a stone.
Maybe they'd shave a little off your rate.

Maybe they'd offer you something to stay.

But generally, they knew they didn't have to try too hard.

The property market was running hot.

There was plenty of lending going around.

And they knew refinancing was enough of a pain in the backside that most people wouldn't bother moving for a tiny saving.

But like most things, lending goes in cycles.

And the cycle is starting to turn.

The property market has slowed.

There's less lending going around.

And suddenly the banks are getting a lot more interested in winning your business.

It's basic supply and demand.

When there's plenty of lending to go around, banks don't have to compete as hard for it.

When there's less lending around, every decent borrower becomes more valuable.

And that's when you can sometimes see the banks start to drop their pants on rates.

Some lenders are even starting to throw cashbacks around again.

And if you've been around long enough, you've seen this cycle before.

When banks want lending, the deals get better.

When they don't need it, the generosity tends to disappear pretty quickly.

But here's the thing.

This window won't necessarily stay open forever.

Because there are a couple of other things lurking in the background.

Firstly, property values.

Generally, the lower your loan-to-value ratio, the better the rates you can potentially access.

If you owe $700,000 against a $1 million property, you're at 70% LVR.

But if that property falls to $900,000, you're suddenly closer to 78%.

Same loan.

Same borrower.

But potentially a very different deal.

Then there's interest rates.

If we get another rate rise, it doesn't just mean higher repayments.

It can also reduce your borrowing capacity.

So you might find a great rate with another lender...

but no longer qualify for it.

That's why I think now is a pretty good time to check your home loan.

Does that mean you should refinance?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

There are plenty of things to weigh up, and sometimes staying exactly where you are will be the right answer.

And there's no guarantee you'll qualify to move anyway.

But right now we've potentially got a bit of a window.

Banks are hungry for business.

Rates are getting more competitive.

Cashbacks are starting to appear again.

And for some borrowers, their property value and borrowing capacity may be in a stronger position today than they will be six months from now.

If you want to see what's available and whether it's actually worth doing anything, message me.

02/09/2026

If you’ve been thinking about refinancing or pulling equity out of your home, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Because two things are starting to move against borrowers.

Firstly, property prices.

CBA is forecasting falls up to $211,000 from across the major capital cities.

If those forecasts are anywhere near right, that means less equity.

A $1.2 million property falling 8% is nearly $100,000 in value gone.

Whatever your property was worth three months ago is now irrelevant.

Because when prices start shifting down valuers don't just value where things sit today they start pricing on where they think it's heading.

As more sales data comes through, valuations are likely to get tighter.

But there's also another problem.

Banks are starting to factor in the possibility of another interest rate rise.

And higher rates don't just mean higher repayments.

They also mean lower borrowing capacity.

So you could potentially get squeezed from both directions.

Less equity because your property is worth less.

And less borrowing capacity because servicing gets tighter.

That's why, if you've been thinking about refinancing or accessing some of your equity for renovations, an investment or something else, I wouldn't be sitting on my hands.

I've seen this before.

It can very quickly become a case of use it or lose it.

Most people make the mistake of asking for money when they need it.

But the smart ones know the best time to ask for money is when you don't need it.

You grab it while you can and park it for a rainy day.

You don't have to spend it just because you've got it.

But if property values fall and servicing gets tighter, you might find the door has already shut on you.

If you want to look at where you currently stand, you can book a call below.
https://calendly.com/greg-mtafinance/game-plan

01/09/2026

When do you reckon you'll have your home loan paid off?

Do you know the month and year?

More importantly, are you happy with it?

Hopefully it's not the same as your loan maturity date.

Most people don't look at this sort of stuff.

They just say, "The mortgage will get paid off one day."

But there's a reason that date matters.

Because paying off your home is only half the job.

It's a roof over your head, but it's not going to pay the bills or fund your lifestyle when you stop working.

Somewhere else, you need to be building assets that can eventually provide you with an income.

And the bad news is, for most people, super isn't going to do the whole job.

Which still leaves you with a fair bit of heavy lifting to do.

And the longer the mortgage hangs around, the less time you have to focus your financial firepower on that second job.

That's why getting the home paid off sooner isn't just about saving interest.

It's about making better use of the years you're still earning good money.

And for most of us, there are fewer of those years left than we probably think.

Every year you put this in the "I'll have a look when I have time" basket is one less year you've got to deal with what's coming next.

If you're not sure where to start, start with a plan to get the home paid off sooner.

Know exactly when you want it gone.

Then zero in on what needs to happen to get there.

That's where we start.

31/08/2026

The perfect plan high income earners can use for an imperfect market

30/08/2026

Remember how the last pay rise was going to change everything?

This will help us get on top of the home loan.

Give us a bit more breathing space.

Maybe get rid of those pesky credit cards as well.

Yet here we are, further down the track, and not much has really changed.

The home loan has barely moved.

There's still debt on the cards.

And it still seems to be money in, money out.

Funny thing is, you're earning more than you ever have.

So why doesn't it feel like you're getting ahead?

A lot of people think the answer to their financial problems is to earn more.

But from what I've seen:

A high income won't make you wealthy if every pay rise upgrades your lifestyle.

So here's a simple way to test it.

When will your home loan actually be paid off?

What's the date?

Month and year.

If you're earning good money and you don't know the answer, it might be time to work out what's missing.

27/08/2026

When most people decide they want to pay off their home loan faster, they usually start in the same place.

The mortgage.

Get a lower rate.

Make extra repayments.

Put more money into the offset.

Maybe refinance to a better deal.

And all of those things can help.

But they’re also all doing essentially the same thing.

You’re pulling one lever.

And there’s only so much you can get out of it.

You might shave a bit off the rate.

Find another couple of hundred dollars a month.

Save some interest through the offset.

But if you’ve still got 15, 20 or 25 years left on the mortgage, at some point you have to ask:

Is pulling that lever harder really going to get me where I want to go?

There is another lever.

And it can make a much bigger difference.

But this is where things get interesting.

Because depending on how you use it, it can either help accelerate what you’re trying to achieve...

Or work against you.

26/08/2026

Using this approach to pay off your home can backfire if you get it wrong