APRA loosens home loan serviceability restrictions
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has announced that it has loosened the serviceability restrictions on home loan mortgage assessments.
It will allow borrowers to lift the size of their loans as lenders will be allowed to provide mortgages up to 14 per cent larger.
In a letter to lenders issued Friday, APRA confirmed its updated guidance on residential mortgage lending.
They will no longer expect them to assess home loan applications using a minimum interest rate of at least 7 per cent or 7.25 per cent which has been the common industry practice.
Lenders will use a revised interest rate buffer of at least 2.5 per cent over the loan’s interest rate.
AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver noted the prudential changes were yet to have a real impact, although they would have helped sentiment at auctions.
“The interest rates cuts and the election result are the main factors,” he said.
Federal Housing Minister Michael Sukkar said yesterday there was renewed confidence and “tentative green shoots” in the housing market.
“With the dark clouds of Labor’s housing taxes — abolishing negative gearing and doubling capital gains tax — gone after the election, two successive interest rate reductions and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s sensible changes to the serviceability buffer, there are good reasons to be confident about the Australian housing market,” he said.