The home loans in question were the 'Home Package Plus' products for owner occupiers paying interest-only, fixed for two and three years with a maximum loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of 90%:
- Two Years: Down to 2.74% p.a. (3.94% p.a. comparison rate*)
- Three Years: Down to 2.74% p.a. (3.85% p.a. comparison rate*)
The equivalent non-packaged loans were also cut by a full percentage point, but the advertised rate is 15 basis points higher, as seen below:
- Non-Package Two Years: Down to 2.89% p.a. (4.76% p.a. comparison rate*)
- Non-Package Three Years: Down to 2.89% p.a. (4.60% p.a. comparison rate*)
As always, check the comparison rate, and check the fees associated with both packaged, and standard home loans.
Other noteworthy Suncorp home loans to get slashed include the 'Home Package Plus' line, again for owner occupiers, but this time paying principal & interest and fixed for one year.
These home loans were cut by 25 basis points, and the comparison rate differs based on the size of the deposit:
- <80% LVR: Down to 2.04% p.a. (2.92% p.a. comparison rate*)
- <90% LVR: Down to 2.04% p.a. (3.04% p.a. comparison rate*)
Note, these two home loans are listed as 'special offers', meaning they could end at any time.
What about investors?
Suncorp also changed an incredibly wide variety of rates for investors - again, mostly in the fixed space. Some more noteworthy ones included:
- Inv Home Package Plus Fixed P&I 80% 2 Years: 21 basis point cut to 2.28% p.a. (3.20% p.a. comparison rate*)
- Inv Fixed P&I 2 Years 90%: 21 basis point cut to 2.73% p.a. (5.10% p.a. comparison rate*)
Some interest-only home loans also got a haircut, which are favoured by some investors. Noteworthy ones include:
- Inv Home Package Plus Fixed IO 80% 2 Years: 10 basis point cut to 2.49% p.a. (3.22% p.a. comparison rate*)
- Inv Fixed IO 2 Years 90%: 10 basis point cut to 2.94% p.a. (5.14% p.a. comparison rate*)
Archistar chief economist Dr Andrew Wilson said the investor market is creeping back but remains at 'record low' levels.
"Investors have clearly now joined the stampede of buyers rushing housing markets, but the overall home loan market share of investors remains at record low levels, offsetting any concerns by the RBA and financial regulators of potential market disruption," he said.
“Although investor lending is on the rise, the overall residential loan market share remains at record low levels with current strong prices growth clearly driven by unprecedented owner-occupier lending activity."
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 |
Question mark over 'record low' fixed home loan rates
Fixed home loans grew their marketshare in 2020, with the likes of CommBank indicating that its fixed loan book grew 38% in the second half of 2020 compared to the first half.
One big reason for this is the Reserve Bank's 'term funding facility' (TFF), which is providing up to $200 billion in low-cost funding for banks, repaid over three years.
With the Reserve Bank due to 'reshape' the TFF in June, this could spell the end for 'record low' fixed rates by July according to Firstmac CFO James Austin.
“If you look at where the banks are offering mortgage rates, their variable rates are not down, they’re still very expensive," he told Mortgage Professionals Australia.
“Those fixed rates will disappear but customers who have been put into these sub-2% rates, at the end of three years they are going to be repricing fairly heavily to the bank’s standard variable - so just question whether that’s in the best interest of the customer.”
Photo: Harrison Astbury
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