Most people think a mortgage broker just helps with home loans — but there’s more to it. Here’s what a broker actually does and how they can help.

What is equity in your home — and how can it actually be used? From renovations to refinancing and cash-out options, here’s what equity really means.

Thinking about buying, refinancing or building — but not sure if it’s “too early” to speak to a broker? Here’s when it actually makes sense to reach out, and why earlier is usually better than later.

What Is a Fixed Rate Home Loan? (And Could It Ease Rate Stress?)

Interest rates have been climbing.
Repayments have jumped.
And for some households, that pressure is starting to feel very real.

This week’s Can We Beat Dave? episode breaks down:

👉 What is a fixed rate home loan?
👉 And when might it actually make sense?

Stamp duty (officially called transfer duty) is a government tax you pay when you buy property. And yes — it’s annoying.

Because it’s a big bill, paid up-front, and it doesn’t reduce your loan or help you buy a better house.

It just… exists.

What is the 5% First Home Buyer Scheme?

The scheme (officially known as the First Home Guarantee) allows eligible first home buyers to:

• Purchase a home with as little as 5% deposit

• Avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI)

The government guarantees the difference between your deposit and 20% — you still have a normal home loan and normal repayments.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a $10,000 cash grant from the Victorian Government to help first home buyers — but only if you buy or build a new home.

That’s it.
That’s the headline.

When you’re looking at home loan options, you’ll often see the term “redraw facility” pop up. It’s a handy feature on many variable-rate loans, but it’s also one that plenty of Aussies aren’t 100% clear on. So let’s break it down in plain English.

What Is an Offset Account?

An offset account is a bank account that’s connected to your home loan.
The money sitting in this account doesn’t earn interest like a normal savings account—instead, it reduces (or “offsets”) the amount of interest your lender charges on your home loan.

What is LVR?
In this first episode of the Iain-Sight Series, I break down exactly what LVR (Loan-to-Value Ratio) means, why lenders care about the 80% benchmark, and how first home buyers can still get into the market with a smaller deposit using government schemes like the First Home Guarantee and the First Home Owner Grant.

A Standard Variable Rate (SVR) home loan is one of the most common types of mortgages in Australia. The key word here is variable — meaning the interest rate can go up or down over time.

When applying for a home loan, lenders don’t just look at your income — they also need to understand your living expenses.

That’s where the Household Expenditure Measure (HEM) comes in.

If you’re borrowing more than 80% of a property’s value, you’ll often come across LMI — Lenders Mortgage Insurance.