The ABS Lending Indicators report showed the number of new loan commitments to owner-occupier first home buyers grew for the second consecutive month, up 1.3%.
The strongest rises in owner-occupier loan commitments were Victoria (up 5.2%), New South Wales (up 3.0%) and Western Australia (up 7.1%).
ABS' acting head of finance and wealth Amanda Seneviratne said December’s rise was driven by a 5.3% rise in the value of new owner-occupier loan commitments.
"This is the second consecutive monthly rise in owner-occupier lending and follows the falls seen from June 2021 through to October 2021," she said.
Loans to first home buyers also rose 1.3%, the second consecutive monthly rise after falls from February 2021 through to October 2021.
In Western Australia first home buyer loan commitments rose 11.8%; Queensland, 3.8%; Tasmania, 21.6%; Victoria, 1.0%; and South Australia, 0.6%.
Investor lending also rose 2.4%, reaching $10.3 billion in seasonally adjusted terms, surpassing the record set the previous month.
"Investor lending has seen growth over the past 14 months and accounted for around one third of the value of new housing loan commitments in December 2021," Ms Seneviratne said.
"The previous investor lending peak in April 2015 accounted for 46% of new housing loan commitments."
Advertisement
Buying a home or looking to refinance? The table below features home loans with some of the lowest interest rates on the market for owner occupiers.
Lender | Home Loan | Interest Rate | Comparison Rate* | Monthly Repayment | Repayment type | Rate Type | Offset | Redraw | Ongoing Fees | Upfront Fees | Max LVR | Lump Sum Repayment | Additional Repayments | Split Loan Option | Tags | Features | Link | Compare | Promoted Product | Disclosure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6.04% p.a. | 6.08% p.a. | $3,011 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $530 | 90% | 4.6 Star Customer Ratings |
| Promoted | Disclosure | |||||||||
5.99% p.a. | 5.90% p.a. | $2,995 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $0 | 80% | Apply in minutes |
| Promoted | Disclosure | |||||||||
6.09% p.a. | 6.11% p.a. | $3,027 | Principal & Interest | Variable | $0 | $250 | 60% |
| Promoted | Disclosure |
Image by Josh Cameron via Unsplash
Ready, Set, Buy!
Learn everything you need to know about buying property – from choosing the right property and home loan, to the purchasing process, tips to save money and more!
With bonus Q&A sheet and Crossword!