Success Story

Refinancing a home loan for lower monthly payments

family with dog happily refinanced home loan

For many Australians, a large portion of their monthly budget will go toward home loan repayments. With property prices being high across most of the country, repayments tend to follow suit, not to mention, 10 cash rate increases in the last 11 months, announced by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Therefore, it’s important to find ways to reduce the cost of your home loan repayments where possible.

An obvious way to reduce how much you spend on your monthly mortgage repayments is to get a lower interest rate.

A great option to lowering your monthly mortgage payment is to refinance your home loan to another lender offering a better rate. You can also choose to extend that loan term if possible, which can make it easier to pay your mortgage on time every month while also possibly covering your other debts and expenses. You can also nominate an Interest Only period.

If you’ve had your current home loan fixed for a number of years and it is expiring or maturing soon, your new monthly repayments will jump by 20% to 30%. This has been named the ‘Fixed rate cliff’ – a steep increase in costs for about $400 billion worth of fixed rate loans expiring this year alone!

Variable rate loans too have now risen in line with the RBA’s announcements from historical lows of circa 2020 until May 2022. Reviewing what rate(s) you are on is paramount.

Most lenders are offering larger discounts to secure new customers if choosing to refinance. Some are also offering ‘Cash Backs’ up to $5000. Refinancing your home loan could save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the life of the loan.

Contrary to belief, refinancing your existing home loan has never been easier and working with a brokerage firm like Bell partners Finance, we make it even easier.

This case study reflects on our clients Ian & Olivia Haigh.

Ian and Olivia are in their late 40s with a young family and are one of our very valued and satisfied existing clients. They had recently completed renovations on their Leichhardt home in Sydney’s Inner West with a $1,650,000 mortgage remaining.

They had three loans with their previous lender with one loan that was fixed for 3 years @ 1.89%. The fixed loan expired in January 2023 and the revert rate or cliff rate was 5.29%. Ian & Olivia’s monthly repayments on this part of the loan rose from $3168 to $4826 or an extra $1658 extra per month in repayments.

Loan 2 was a construction loan which reverted from Interest Only to Principal & Interest once the occupancy certificate was granted. The rate and repayments also increased.

As the RBA Governor Dr Philip Lowe has alluded, there may be additional cash rate increases for the calendar year of 2023, to bring inflation under control. Ian and Olivia are very aware if this and have decided re-fix 70% of the loan for two more years and split 30% variable.

Problem-solving:

Ian’s business was impacted by COVID in 2021 and the company reported a loss in that financial year. This made it difficult to service the loan with banks requiring the latest two years Income Tax returns and financials for all entities and personal Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Notice of Assessments (NOA); COVID government grants like job keeper and cashflow boost are not considered regular ongoing income by the majority of lenders, effectively lowering their borrowing capacity.

However, the business has since recovered with revenues and profits higher than pre-pandemic levels and this growth is indicated in their draft FY2022 Tax returns. Their accountant had not lodged but stated in on a signed letterhead that the ‘Draft Tax Returns for FY2022 are final and will be lodged as is’. This and accompanying lodged Business Activity Statements (BAS) for July-September (Quarter 1) November-December (Quarter 2).

Olivia has been employed outside the business since 2019 but is still a shareholder. She occasionally does some work for the business and is remunerated accordingly.

They have already approached their existing bank and were offered a 2-year fixed rate @ 5.79%, which was less than satisfactory hence choosing to refinance to another lender.

Research methodology:

For clients in the position of Ian and Oliva, it was so important to do everything possible to make the process a smooth and pleasant one, and to show a high level of care and empathy. The second part was easy, as they are such lovely people it came effortlessly!

We travelled to meet with them in their Leichhardt home, at a time that best suited their routine. The meeting was unrushed, and we enjoyed their warm hospitality (tea and biscuits) while hearing stories about their family and lives. This also included the polite, frank, and respectful discussion around Ian’s company and Olivia’s role and the lower rates they needed and the huge impact that would have on their lives.

We explored the market offerings and what the process was moving forward, answering any questions they had before we helped them collect the necessary information and documents which would be required for the refinance application. We returned to their home to go through and sign the application forms with them in person.

Analysis:

While Ian’s company FY2020 & FY2021 tax returns and Olivia’s PAYG income were suggestive of a circa $1,200,000 borrowing capacity when reviewed in the traditional prior two (2) year method, further documentation was requested by us.

Utilising the company draft FY2022 tax returns and accompanying first two (2) quarters of FY2023 lodged Business Activity Statements (BAS), reflected a large 40% increase in core revenue and profit. With the provision of accountant prepared year to date financials, profitability levels had not only returned but exceed pre-COVID levels.

It was clear that the traditional prior two (2) year method of assessing income levels was not a true reflection of the business’s current financial position and therefore not a true indication of the individual’s borrowing capacity.

In recent times with COVID, a large range of mainstream lenders had learnt to become more flexible with assessing income, so the first port of call among the 40 plus lenders we have available on our panel are those that may consider a larger loan based on the most recent BAS statements and accountant prepared year to date financials in isolation.

There are a whole host of non-major lenders that as a matter of course offer products specifically designed for the self-employed without the need to provide two (2) years financials and tax returns at all. These include lenders that rely on other forms of income verification such as 12 months BAS statements, or six-month business transactions bank statements or simply an accountant’s letter verifying the individuals’ circumstances. We left Ian and Olivia at their home giving them the confidence that we would get their required loan sorted.

Once it was established which lenders would be able to assist Ian and Olivia, a process of comparison was needed to help determine which lender would best meet their needs and requirements and offer the better outcome.

This involved looking at the lenders upfront charges and any ongoing fees, their interest rates, and how quickly the lender would provide an answer given the clients were paying higher monthly repayments due to higher rates.

With refinancing existing mortgages, the borrower(s) must demonstrate the ability to service the required ongoing loan repayments and meet a process of qualifications and checks that needs to take place. This ranged from simple identity verification tasks through to assessing the loan funds required against the value of their property to ensure they were within the parameters offered by the lenders.

Once it was established which lenders would be able to assist Ian and Olivia, a process of comparison was needed to help determine which lender would best meet their needs and requirements offer the better outcome. This involved looking at the lenders upfront charges and any ongoing fees, their interest rates and features requested.

Recommendations:

The recommendation provided to Ian and Olivia was a refinance with St. George Bank;

The reasons for this recommendation were based on:

  • St. George Bank would view the loan favourably allowing using Ian’s company draft FY 2022 Tax Returns with accountant’s letter and FY2023 Q1 & Q2 BAS’ to secure the required funds to refinance for Ian and Olivia.
  • Ian and Olivia had expressed they preferred either a major bank or a well-known second trier lender. They would not feel comfortable with an unknown named lender to them and ultimately were comfortable with St. George Bank.
  • Having a local branch presence was not important to Ian and Olivia as they are used to doing internet banking which they prefer and find far more convenient.
  • Ian and Olivia needed the lowest 2-year fixed rate and St. George Bank was the lowest
  • Able to provide this formal approval within 14 business days of application submission
  • St. George Bank were the most competitive lender available on our panel across the areas of upfront charges, ongoing fees, 2 Year Fixed & Variable interest rate
  • Rate lock was offered and accepted by Ian and Olivia securing the 5.59% rate

Results:

We were able to obtain refinance for a 70% 2 Year Fixed rate of 5.59% and 30% variable split rate of 4.99% with pricing discount applied for the required refinance amount of $1,650,000. They were able to reduce their monthly repayments to a level they feel comfortable with considering the impact of the fixed rate cliff increase.

Lessons learned:

Being able to understand and accommodate the needs, requirements, and limitations of Ian and Olivia were critical to achieving a success outcome. The process was one they could not have undertaken on their own without assistance, and it was important that the experience was pleasant and involved minimal stress.

There was a significant issue as the loan was originally submitted to Macquarie Bank. At the time, Macquarie Bank had the lowest 2 Year Fixed rate of 5.29%, but during February, and after the RBA announcement, it increased to 5.79%, a massive 0.5 percentage point increase.

Ian and Olivia had formal approval with Macquarie, but after the rate increase, they chose the proceed with St. George.

Macquarie Bank does not offer rate lock and will honour the rate if formally approved. However, in this instance, we were reliant on their accountant to provide the accountants letter and lodged BAS which he hesitated to do causing Ian and Olivia to miss the formal approval deadline.

To protect the privacy of the individuals involved, the names used in this case study have been changed. The case study is based on real-life scenarios and events, but all names have been substituted with fictitious ones to ensure the confidentiality of the parties.

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Rachel organised our remortgage and building loan. Very efficient, speedy and negotiated us a discounted rate. Would highly recommend

Karen Osborne

November 29th, 2023
Honestly the best experience and nothing but thanks and praise to Les and Rachel These guys worked tirelessly to assist us with our new home loan for our new house after things didn’t go to plan with building They were on the ball the whole time, extremely helpful and extremely knowledgeable Cannot highly recommend them enough and certainly would recommend them to anyone needing assistance in financing their home Externally grateful to you guys for everything you did to help us

Leah Russell

November 9th, 2023
I have refinanced my mortgage with Greg several times and have always had excellent service and results. The Bell Partners team were very helpful and responsive every step of the way.

Luke Daley

October 24th, 2023
Rachel from Bell Partners in Perth was absolutely amazing from start to finish with my recent refinancing. Her overall communication and efficiently make the whole process very easy. Rachel kept me up to date every step of the way and was always available to help or answer any questions I had. I highly recommend going through Rachel, it was a pleasure meeting her!

Louise Taylor

October 19th, 2023
Rachel has been a pillar of support and excellent help with information and organising my mortgage refinancing. I would have been lost without her.

mei ko

October 19th, 2023
From the very moment Rachel took charge of my request, her performance was nothing short of exceptional. Despite a tight timeframe, she orchestrated a seamless transaction. Throughout the process, she maintained continual communication, ensuring i was up to date everyday. I highly recommend Rachel and her associate Akshay and I will definitely be using them and Bell Partners for all my future needs.

Kimberley Shepherd

September 26th, 2023
We dealt with Les throughout our first home buying experience and he was extremely helpful. Any questions we had big or small Les did not hesitate to reply to and would go into detail ensuring we understood the process. Les is so polite and made us feel like we could ask anything knowing he would guide us in the right direction. I would recommend Les to anybody looking for a mortgage broker, he was amazing.

Samuel Tyers

September 26th, 2023
Due to his amazing work in the past, Andrew Woodley was our first and only choice when it came to refinancing. He did a fantastic job in securing us what we wanted whilst navigating a long process due to our property type. We cannot recommend Andrew enough and will definitely be seeking his expertise in the future!

Max Chuquimia

September 25th, 2023
We cannot express our gratitude enough to Bells Partner Finance for their outstanding support in making our dream of owning a home a reality. From purchasing the land to building our dream house, they were with us every step of the way. Greg and Sarah, in particular, deserve a special shoutout. Their dedication and expertise were truly remarkable. They made the entire process seamless and stress-free. Greg's knowledge of our financing options was invaluable. He helped us through the financial intricacies with ease. Sarah's attention to detail during the construction phase was impressive. She ensured that everything went smoothly and kept us informed at every stage of the build. But what truly sets Bells Partner Finance apart is their unwavering commitment to their clients. They didn't just disappear after the paperwork was signed; they continued to support us until we were comfortably settled in our new home. That level of dedication is rare and deeply appreciated. I would also like to give thanks to Clayton with helping me setup my own business which is now thriving, I always found setting up a business overwhelming however, Clayton was able to guide me through the process. Our experience with Bells Partner Finance has been nothing short of fantastic, and we wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone looking to set up a business, buy and build a home. Thank you, Bells Partner Finance, for turning our dreams into reality. Andrew and Michelle

Andrew Absalom

September 17th, 2023
Excellent service and communication. Michael O’Connor is very grateful for the help in switching banks and getting him the best possible outcome. Thankyou Greg English.

Michaela O'Connor

September 4th, 2023
Rachel and the team provided excellent service when we recently refinanced our home. I was pleased with the timeliness, clear communication, and ease of the process. Definitely recommend!

Daniella Joyce

August 27th, 2023
Amazing service, thanks to Les and Akshay for the help and assistance. Will be sure to recommend to our friends and family.

Josh Lopez

August 25th, 2023

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