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For
a summary about non-conforming, or sub-prime lending, and who this type of
lending is suitable for, first read our introductory page for Non-Conforming
Loans
If
you are looking to obtain a non-conforming home loan for either an
owner occupied or investment property, we
can recommend the people
at
Financial Services Online. You can submit your details
through the enquiry form on their website, and they will call you
back for an obligation free chat.
This article contains indicative interest rates and figures which
are current as at the date of writing, October 2003. These will
change over time, so please use them as a guide only and contact
Financial Services Online for up to
date quotes on these interest rates, fees and charges.
This
article comprises several sections:
-
An
explanation of what Non-Conforming
Lending is and
who the main players are
-
A
summary of the Interest
Rates, Loan
to Value Ratios
and Products
available for non-conforming loans
-
What
to Look Out For
when seeking a non-conforming lender
WHAT
IS NON-CONFORMING LENDING
Non-conforming
lending, also known as sub-prime lending, has only sprung up as a
significant market element since 1997. This has occurred because
the conventional lenders have quite rigid lending guidelines which
have failed to cater for the changing face of employment in
Australia. People who often fail the banks lending criteria
include:
-
2
million part-time, casual and contract workers in Australia
-
1
million self-employed Australians
-
800,000
workers over the age of 55
-
300,000
Australians with defaults listed on their credit files
-
100,000
new arrivals to Australia each year
-
25,000
Australians who become bankrupt each year, and a similar
number who are discharged from bankruptcy
In
addition to catering to people in the above groups, non-conforming
lenders can also help people who have less than the mandatory 5%
or 10% deposit (plus costs) which the mainstream banks require.
There
are 4 main non-conforming lenders in Australia at present:
-
Liberty
Financial
-
Pepper
Home Loans
-
GE
Mortgage Solutions
-
Bluestone
Mortgages
These
4 combined now account for about 2% of the mortgage market here
and their market share is growing.
The
banks are themselves starting to realise the potential of this
segment of the market. So much so that St. George Bank and the
Commonwealth Bank, as at October 2003, are now offering their own Low Doc loans,
although these still have more stringent criteria than many of the
loans offered by the 4 main ncl’s.
INTEREST
RATES, LVR’s, and PRODUCT TYPES
Interest
Rates:
Expect
to pay between 1% to 5% more for a non-conforming loan compared to
a standard variable rate.
As
rule, the bigger your deposit, the lower the rate of interest you
will be charged. It all depends on the risk to the lender.
Here
are some indicative figures for different Loan to Value Ratios (LVR’s):
|
Less
than 60% LVR
(i.e.
40% deposit or more) |
Standard
variable rate
(currently around 6.7%) |
|
60-75%
LVR |
+1%
above standard variable rate |
|
76-80%
LVR |
+1.5%
above standard variable rate |
|
80%+
LVR |
Depends
on the lender and on your circumstances (+1% to +5% above the standard variable rate) |
If
you are a self-employed borrower with a 20% deposit, and 2yrs+ of
tax returns to substantiate your income, expect to pay under 7.5%.
A
borrower with multiple defaults or a judgement on their credit
history, with a smaller deposit and only seasonal employment will
be considered a higher risk and may have to pay up to 10% or more.
The lender will assess each case individually.
Interest
rates for non-conforming lenders are higher as their arrears (the
no. of loans they have that are 30 days or more overdue) can be
10% or more of their total loan book, compared with 1% or less for
the main banks.
Despite
the higher interest rate, one advantage is that no mortgage
insurance is generally payable on non-conforming loans. The banks
however, generally charge mortgage insurance on any loan over
80% LVR.
LVR
– Loan to Value Ratio:
Some
lenders will finance up to 100% or more of the property value,
whereas others may not exceed 80%.
For
example, a self-employed person who cannot prove their income with
tax returns may still be able to borrow 90% of the purchase price,
even if they have defaults listed against their name. Whereas a
CentreLink beneficiary, or someone who has incurred multiple loan
defaults or who is in part 9 or 10 bankruptcy may only be able to
borrow up to 75% of a property price.
Non-conforming
lenders are generally more concerned with why the defaults and
judgements occurred, and what your current ability is to service
the loan repayments, rather than with the fact that they have
occurred.
Products:
Non-conforming
loans come in the standard variable rate, fixed rate, split or
combination loans, or home equity loan / line of credit varieties
(see our article: The
Different Types of Home Loans).
In
some cases, no financials are necessary. The borrower is only
required to sign a statement to the effect that they can afford to
make the repayments on the loan.
WHAT
TO LOOK OUT FOR
As
well as the 4 main players we mentioned above, a number of other
mainstream lenders are coming on board with non-conforming lending
products. However, there are some less scrupulous players that
have entered the market.
The
safest way for you to seek out a non-conforming loan is using the
help of an ethical and independent mortgage broker who will look out for your best
interests, compare lenders, and find the product most suited to
your needs. We believe we have found
such a broker in
Financial Services Online.
They operate nationally. You can submit your contact details
through the
enquiry form on their website
and they will call you back and can provide you with up to
date quotes on these interest rates, fees and charges.
When
seeking a loan from a non-conforming lender, here are some of the
questions you should ask:
-
Is
the lender a member of the Mortgage Industry Association of
Australia?
-
Is
there an application fee?
-
What
is the interest rate and are there any ongoing fees?
-
What
is the penalty if I miss a payment?
-
And
what will I be charged if I decide to refinance in two,
three or five years?
This
last question is very important as many non-conforming lenders
charge break fees if you refinance with another lender within 5
years.
People
who obtain non-conforming lending usually do so because the banks
won’t lend to them. However, as non-conforming loans usually
have a higher interest rate, borrowers will often want to
refinance to a lower rate as soon as possible.
Here
are some indicative break fees for 3 of the 4 major lenders:
(these
are subject to change)
Liberty
Financial
A
flat fee of $1975 is charged if the loan is paid out within 10
years.
Pepper
Home Loans
If
the loan is paid out within:
|
Years
1 or 2 |
3
mth interest penalty payment |
|
Years
3 or 4 |
2
mth interest penalty payment |
|
Year
5 |
1
mth interest penalty payment |
Say
you borrowed $150K at 8% over 25 yrs; your monthly repayment would
be about $1160.
Therefore,
if you refinanced within the 2nd year of the loan, you
would incur a $3480 penalty.
GE
Mortgage Solutions
If
the loan is paid out within:
|
Year
1 |
$2400
flat deferred establishment fee |
|
Year
2 |
$1600
flat deferred establishment fee |
|
Year
3 |
$800
flat deferred establishment fee |
If
you are looking to obtain a non-conforming home loan for either an owner
occupied or investment property, or if you are looking to
refinance/restructure your existing lending, you can submit an
obligation free enquiry through the
Financial Services Online website. They will call
you back for an obligation free chat after you submit your details through the
enquiry form on their website.
During , you will also receive (no strings attached) a free copy
of the book
Financial Independence: Insider Secrets to Financial Success
as well as an entry into their $12,000
cash bonanza draw.
This
article is:
©
Copyright 2003, Financially Free Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
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