Competition for owner occupied business heats up: Mortgage Choice's John Flavell

GUEST OBSERVER

As lenders seek to wind back their level of investment lending, competition in the owner occupied space has started to heat up. 

Many lenders were starting to offer some “very competitive” owner occupied home loans in a bid to pick up more of this business. 

Over the past few months, many of Australia’s lenders have made significant changes to their investment product pricing and policy in a bid to curb their level of investment lending growth. 

But just because many of Australia’s lenders are actively trying to reduce their level of investment activity, doesn’t mean to say they are not hungry for business – quite the opposite.

Australia’s lenders are just as hungry for business as they ever were and because the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has told them to limit their level of investment lending growth, the lenders have been forced to turn their attention to owner occupiers.

Many of Australia’s lenders are currently offering owner occupied borrowers a raft of incentives including, interest rate discounts, cash back offers and fee waivers. 

In the 20 years I have worked in financial services, I have never seen the level of lender competition we are witnessing now. Regardless of whether people are looking to buy a home or refinance their current property, they can be guaranteed of securing an incredibly competitive home loan deal.

For those borrowers who have been in the same home loan product for a while, now may be a good time for them to give their mortgage a much needed spring clean. A good de-clutter never goes astray and often borrowers uncover financial aspects of their life that need some reassessment or to be changed altogether. 

Borrowers who give their home loan a spring clean may realise that they are in the perfect position to refinance their mortgage.

Refinancing may allow borrowers to repay their home loan sooner and ultimately achieve their next financial goal sooner. 

Further, refinancing can be a great way for borrowers to lower their mortgage repayments, consolidate their debt and even access equity in their home.”

John Flavell is chief executive officer Mortgage Choice.