You can choose to fix your home loan interest rate for a set period, typically between one and five years. This can help provide certainty around your repayments during that time. The available fixed terms may vary depending on the loan product you choose.

No, the interest rate on a fixed rate loan doesn't change over your fixed period, so you'll know how much you need to pay each month and not be affected by any interest rate increases. There are limits to the amount of extra repayments you can make, and you cannot access additional repayments until the fixed term has ended.

A split loan means that a portion of the loan is subject to fixed home loan rates and a portion is subject to a variable interest rate. For instance, you might fix 50 per cent of the loan, and leave 50 per cent variable. This means that if rates go up, your repayment will only increase on the variable portion, while the other half will remain the same. A split loan is a compromise between the pros and cons of fixed and variable interest rate loans.

A rate lock is an option we offer prior to the settlement of your loan, where we will ‘lock’ in the fixed rate you have applied for. A rate lock period is typically offered for 90 days and rate lock fee of $350 is applicable. Rate lock is required for 5 year fixed loans. During the rate lock period, we will hold your fixed rate for you while your loan application proceeds to settlement, giving you peace of mind if fixed rates change, you will be guaranteed your applied for rate.

There are a few documents you'll need to provide in your home loan application. Some of these include:

• Two (2) most recent consecutive payslips for each applicant
• Three (3) months bank statements showing regular salary credits, including most recent salary credits with the name of the employer evident
• Evidence of Salary Sacrifice or Packaging (if applicable)
• Evidence of Company Vehicle/Car Allowance (if applicable)
• Six (6) consecutive months of home loan statements showing consistent repayment history (if applicable)

loans.com.au requires a minimum deposit of 10% of the purchase price of the property, or the current value of the property if you are refinancing. Some products like SMSF loans require a minimum 20% deposit. In most cases, borrowers need a 20% deposit to avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

If you're thinking about buying property, applying for a home loan can be seamless from start to settlement. One simple online application can tell you how much you can borrow, give you pre-approval and help you track your application progress all the way to ownership. To learn more, click here.

The settlement process is different depending on each individual applicant's personal situation, but we generally say it can take anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks. To get to settlement, you'll need to apply, speak to one of our lending specialists, upload your documentation, get the property valued, have your loan approved and the documentation delivered and signed, then you'll settle.

After settlement, you'll nominate on your direct debit form when you start repayments. Our Customer Care team will also confirm your repayment dates when calling you at loan settlement. Additional repayments into a fixed home loan are allowed and are up to $10,000 per year.

We charge a $300 settlement fee plus a security assessment fee. The security assessment fee for a standard property in a metropolitan area in a major city starts at $230 for properties valued up to $1 million. The security assessment fee is not refundable and is payable when the security assessment is ordered.

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