Columnist Peter Boehm

In my last column , I gave some tips on making yourself more attractive to a home lender. In response, a number of readers raised the question of using a mortgage broker instead of going straight to a bank. This week, I'd like to outline what the

When you're on that first romantic date, you want to make a good first impression. From your clothes to your hair and your opening line, a little planning and preparation can go a long way. The same applies when you meet your home lender. With

With poor lending practices in America at the root of the global financial crisis, the federal government has come up with a plan to encourage responsible lending in Australia by expanding our consumer credit reporting system. Lenders in Australia

As anyone with a home loan would be well aware, official interest rates have jumped 0.25% to 3.25%. We can expect two further rises before Christmas, and - if the current market view is right - rates will be 1% to 2% higher a year from now. While

The First Home Owners Boost has just halved - down to $3,500 for existing properties and $7,000 for new homes. At the end of the year, it will vanish altogether. When it does end, first home buyers will be either $7,000 or $14,000 worse off than they