Mortgage news archive 3

Home loan rate cuts, more to come Tim Blue, Rates, The Weekend Australian DEC 9-10 2000. Home Loan interest rates have begun to ease, with three big banks and a host of smaller lenders posting cheaper fixed rate loans in the wake of shifts in professional money markets. Fixed rate loans are up to one percentage point cheaper than standard fully featured variable rate home loans, in a reversal of the usual [relative] position, but can still be bettered by "no frills" variable loans.....

RBA boss issues A+ report card Jim Dickins, The Courier Mail, Dec 2, 2000. Interest rates are firmly on hold and the economy will continue generating  and jobs for the foreseeable future, Reserve Bank Governor Ian MacFarlane has indicated.

In an upbeat assessment of the economic outlook yesterday, Mr MacFarlane said the "The boom and bust cycles" of the past did not appear to be a factor in Australia's record run of economic growth......

Is it time to refinance your mortgage with Mr Mortgage? www.mrmortgage.com.au

Bankers' Front-man Jeff Oughton could hardly be accused of overstatement when he sums up the banks' perception among politicians and the public....

 See ya later indicator The Two Banks say the GST has made home finance figures look bad,  Maurice Dunlevy reports. Bargain hunters may be disappointed if they rely on key economic indicators as a pointer to lower house prices..............

New Laws set to regulate  estate agents. The Courier Mail Nov 22 2000. Anthony Marx. The biggest change in 30 years to regulate Queensland's real estate agents [and property investment marketeers] and boost consumer rights is set to take effect in April [2001].

The new legislation, approved by [Queensland State] parliament last week, has a primary aim of halting the "two tier market" where overpriced properties have been sold to gullible out of state investors.................

Rates: down from here Sid Marris. Weekend Australian Dec. 2-3, 2000.  The head of the Reserve Bank has declared victory in  Australia's battle to beat the boom-bust cycle opening the way for interest rate relief next year. Governor Ian MacFarlane signaled that interest rates may have peaked and homeowners and small business operators could look forward to falling rates. "we have, in my opinion avoided the boom-bust cycle in economic policy and hence have an excellent outlook for the coming year," he said...

Home truths at any rate. The Weekend Australian. Many home borrowers can do better than their present mortgages. Tim Blue reports.

It had to happen one day. A bank has figured out that after years of doing dumb things, it would be smart not to charge us but rather to pay us for our banking business.....