Notes fromthe broker's desk.
Plain-English writing on rates, refinancing, first-home buying and investment lending in Australia. Published when it's useful, not on a schedule.
Buying21 Apr 2026Bridging loans: how to buy before you sell
Found the next home before yours is on the market? A bridging loan lets you settle the new purchase using equity in the old one, then pay it down when the sale lands. Here's how the maths actually works.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Refinancing20 Apr 2026Offset or redraw: what to weigh up as rates climb
Both park spare cash against your loan and shrink the interest bill. The difference is access, tax treatment, and what your lender quietly does with the balance. Here's how to choose.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home23 Mar 2026Why most first-home buyers now use a mortgage broker
Brokers settled 76% of all home loans in 2025. For first-home buyers it's higher again. Here's what they actually do — and the four things they catch that the bank app won't.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment23 Mar 2026Three tips for navigating interstate property investing
Sydney and Melbourne aren't the whole market. Interstate investing opens up better yields and lower entry points — but the risk profile shifts too. Here are three rules to stay on the right side of it.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment13 Feb 2026Property investment trends to watch in 2026
Three rate cuts in 2025 reset the market. Now the cash rate has moved up again. Here are the five forces shaping where investor money will go this year.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home13 Feb 2026First-home buyer choices: apartment or house on land?
Same budget, two very different bets. Apartments win on lifestyle and location; houses on land win on long-term capital growth. Here's how to think about the tradeoff for your situation.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home19 Jan 2026The budget-friendly path to your first home
The deposit is the bottleneck. Most paths to first home ownership in 2026 are about how you stack savings, government schemes and lender choices to get past it sooner.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment19 Jan 2026Property investment in 2026: five things investors are weighing up
We've spoken to a lot of investors in January. Five themes keep coming up — none of them obvious, all of them shaping where money is going in the first half of 2026.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home12 Dec 2025How young Australians are navigating housing affordability
The gap between first-home buyer incomes and median property prices is at a 40-year high. Here's how the under-35 cohort is actually getting in — through schemes, family, rentvesting and shared ownership.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Market12 Dec 20252025 in review: what to expect in 2026
Three rate cuts, an 8% rise in dwelling values, and a rental market that finally hit its ceiling. Here's what happened in 2025, and what the data points to for 2026.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment18 Nov 2025Investing in a holiday home: the full guide
A holiday home is part lifestyle, part investment. Get the structure right and it pays for itself; get it wrong and it's a slow drain. Here's how to think about both sides.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Lifestyle18 Nov 2025How to run a budget-friendly festive season
December habits often undo a year of careful saving. A few small changes — set early — can take the pressure off without making it feel like a tight Christmas.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home10 Oct 2025Common first-home buyer mistakes — and how to avoid them
After hundreds of first-home buyer files, the same handful of mistakes keep showing up. Most are avoidable with one conversation early in the process. Here are the big ones.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment10 Oct 2025Four ways to identify a growth suburb
Past performance is the worst predictor of future suburb growth. These four signals — gentrification, infrastructure, demographic shift, ripple effect — are what to actually look for.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Buying15 Sept 2025New build or established home: which is right for you?
New builds get you a fresh property and warranty cover. Established homes get you proven location and faster move-in. The right choice depends less on which is 'better' and more on what trade-off suits you.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home15 Sept 2025Big changes coming to the first-home buyer 5% deposit scheme
From 1 October 2025, the First Home Guarantee expanded significantly — more places, higher caps, broader eligibility. Here's what changed and who benefits most.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
First home18 Aug 2025Redraw vs offset: what first-home buyers should know
Two features, similar outcome, very different mechanics. For most first-home buyers, picking between offset and redraw early can save tens of thousands over the life of the loan.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment18 Aug 2025Investing interstate: a practical guide
Interstate property investment can unlock yield and growth you can't get in your home market. But it changes the risk profile in ways that catch new investors out. Here's the playbook.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment16 July 2025Using your home's equity to buy an investment property
Your home is probably worth more than you realise. Tapping that equity to fund an investment deposit is the most common path to a second property — and the easiest to get wrong.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Lifestyle16 July 2025Seven budget-friendly ways to keep your home warm this winter
Winter energy bills are climbing. A few low-cost interventions — sealing leaks, reverse-cycle settings, smart curtain habits — can knock 20–30% off heating costs without sacrificing comfort.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Strategy3 July 2025A strategic way to build wealth using your super
SMSF property lending isn't right for everyone — but for the right balance and time horizon, it's a powerful structure. Here's the honest take on when it makes sense.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Strategy16 June 2025Why more Australians are turning to mortgage brokers
Brokers now write three out of four new home loans in Australia. The reasons are practical, not philosophical — better outcomes, less friction, and someone who works for you rather than the bank.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Refinancing15 June 2025EOFY financial health checklist: is your home loan still working for you?
End of financial year is the natural prompt to review your mortgage. Here's the seven-point checklist we use with clients — most find $200+ per month in savings within the first three.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment26 May 2025End-of-financial-year tax tips for property investors
Property investors leave money on the table every year by not preparing for tax time. Five moves to make before 30 June that meaningfully change your return.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Lifestyle6 Apr 2025Common renovation mistakes — and how to avoid them
Most renovation regret comes from a handful of repeatable mistakes. A few hours of planning at the start saves months of stress at the end.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Lifestyle18 Mar 2025Thinking of a sea change? What to keep in mind
Coastal living has gone from retirement plan to mainstream relocation choice. Before you list the city home, here are the practical questions that decide whether it actually works.
By The Arthr Team · 3 min read
Buying18 Mar 2025A guide to strata fees: what you need to know
Strata levies can run from a few hundred to several thousand dollars a quarter. Understanding what's in them — and what's not — affects affordability and long-term ownership cost.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read
Investment22 Feb 2025Property investment jargon, explained
Every industry has its own language. Property investment has more than most. Here's a plain-English glossary of the terms that come up most often — and the ones that actually matter.
By The Arthr Team · 3 min read
Buying22 Feb 2025Five tips to take the stress out of settlement day
Settlement day is one of the most administratively dense days of a property purchase. With a small amount of preparation, it goes from stressful to anticlimactic — which is exactly what you want.
By The Arthr Team · 2 min read