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2024 Mortgage Professional Australia - Top Brokerages #20 in Australia
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2024 The Adviser Better Business Awards VIC/TAS - Best Boutique Non-Franchise Office
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2023 Mortgage Professional Australia - Top Brokerages #40 in Australia
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2023 The Adviser Better Business Awards VIC/TAS - Best Boutique Independent Office
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2023 The Adviser Better Business Awards VIC/TAS - New Broker Of The Year - Luke Rowland
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2023 The Adviser Better Business Awards VIC/TAS - New Broker Of The Year - Adam Piper
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2023 Mortgage Professional Australia Rising Star Award - Luke Rowland
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2022 The Adviser Better Business Awards VIC/TAS Best Newcomer - Adam Piper
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2022 Mortgage Professional Australia Magazine Top Brokerages (AUS) - Axton Finance #40
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2022 Connective Excellence Award VIC/TAS Brokerage Of The Year
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2022 Connective Excellence Award VIC/TAS Rising Star - Luke Rowland
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2022 Connective Excellence Award All Round Broker Of The Year VIC/TAS - Clinton Waters
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2022 The Adviser Australian Broking Awards - Newcomer Of The Year - Luke Rowland
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2022 Mortgage Professional Australia - Top 25 Rising Star Award - Adam Piper
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2022 Mortgage Professional Australia - Top 25 Rising Star Award - Luke Rowland
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2019 Mortgage Professional Australia Top 100 Brokers - Ranked 46 in Australia - Clinton Waters
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Top 100 MPA Brokers - Ranked 56 in Australia
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Connective Excellence Award VIC/TAS - Mercury Hero - Winner
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Connective Excellence Award VIC
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Platinum Sales Master PLAN Australia
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The Adviser Magazine Finalist for Best Innovator
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PLAN Australia Best Technology Innovation
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PLAN Australia Hall of Fame
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PLAN Victorian Business Of The Year Finalist
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Platinum Sales Master PLAN Australia
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Platinum Sales Master PLAN Australia
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Australian Achievers Awards – Highly Recommended
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Top 50 Elite Business Writers – The Adviser Magazine

What is a Reverse Mortgage?

A reverse mortgage allows seniors (typically aged 60 and above) to borrow against their home’s value without the need to sell or make monthly repayments. The loan is repaid when you sell the property, move into long-term care, or pass away. Interest is added to the balance, and over time, the loan grows. For many seniors, a reverse mortgage can be a helpful way to access the equity tied up in their home, providing funds for living expenses, home improvements, or even just a financial safety net. But there are key protections and factors to consider.

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Loan Repayment and Equity Impact

Many seniors worry that their reverse mortgage balance will grow over time, potentially diminishing the equity in their home or even surpassing the property’s value. Fortunately, reverse mortgages in Australia mostly come with a ‘No Negative Equity Guarantee’, ensuring you’ll never owe more than the value of your home when it’s sold. This safeguard means that if the loan exceeds the value of your home at sale, neither you nor your estate will have to cover the shortfall—providing peace of mind for both you and your family. We can guide you to some great ASIC calcuators that simulate possible scenarios to help you make an informed decision.

Flexibility with Repayments

Another important feature is that reverse mortgages allow for voluntary repayments at any time, without penalty. Many borrowers opt to make occasional lump-sum payments to manage the accruing interest, and in some cases, redraw those funds later if needed. This flexibility can help reduce the total loan balance over time, giving you more control over your finances.

Understanding the Costs and Interest

Reverse mortgages typically carry higher interest rates than traditional home loans, and the interest compounds over time, adding to the loan balance. Interest is calculated daily and added to your loan balance monthly, so it’s important to understand how this will affect your home equity in the long term. AXTON Finance is here to guide you through these complexities, ensuring you have a clear understanding of how a reverse mortgage fits into your financial plan.

How Does a Reverse Mortgage Affect Your Estate?

How Does a Reverse Mortgage Affect Your Estate?

While a reverse mortgage can provide valuable funds during retirement, it’s important to remember that it will reduce the amount of equity left in your home. This can impact the inheritance passed down to your family. At AXTON Finance, we recommend discussing this with your family and incorporating your reverse mortgage into your overall estate planning strategy.

Government Benefits, Costs and Fees to Consider

Government Benefits, Costs and Fees to Consider

Taking out a reverse mortgage may also impact your eligibility for government benefits, such as the Age Pension. Before proceeding, it’s essential to get expert advice on how a reverse mortgage could affect your entitlements. Our team at AXTON Finance can connect you with financial advisers who can provide personalised advice in this area.

Like any mortgage, there are fees associated with reverse mortgages. These might include establishment fees, valuation fees, and ongoing administrative costs. AXTON Finance will walk you through all associated costs to ensure full transparency and help you understand how these fees affect your borrowing power.

Protecting Your Future

Protecting Your Future

With hundreds of five-star reviews and a track record of helping Australians make informed financial decisions, AXTON Finance is here to support you every step of the way. We’ll ensure that your reverse mortgage aligns with your broader financial goals, protecting your assets and giving you the flexibility you need. We are highly experienced in understanding the unique needs of our clients, from first home buyers to retirees.

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At Axton Finance, we offer what the banks won't.

Banks
Vs
Axton Finance
Confusing, convoluted advice
Considered, caring advice
Lender needs come before yours
Your needs and goals always come first
Application frustrations due to offshore credit departments
Experienced mortgage experts located in Melbourne
Call centres and a revolving door of staff
A stable dedicated team to champion your approval
Customers are treated like transactions
Customers are treated like people

Reviews

We pride ourselves on being brokers you can actually trust, from the initial consultation through to annual reviews that we perform years after your settlement, our tailored services and relationship focus is built to last. 

 Need proof that we are one of Melbourne’s best mortgage brokerages then don’t just take our word for it – we have hundreds of positive Google reviews from real clients so you can rest assured you’re making the right choice with choosing Axton Finance.

Get access to competitive rates
from leading lenders

At Axton Finance we have access to the best rates from all the leading lenders. You no longer have to rely on a DIY internet search from just the  ‘big four’ banks, our licensed brokers have access to over 30 lenders including hundreds of products and niche policies.

We Will always help secure a suitable approval with an ultra competitive rate to boot, no tricks – no dramas – we have the proven track record that you can trust

Select from over 30 different lenders offering hundreds of mortgage products

A Holistic Approach to Your Financial Well-being

At AXTON Finance, we pride ourselves on understanding the unique needs of retirees. Whether you’re looking to access funds to improve your quality of life or preserve your superannuation by using a reverse mortgage to cover living expenses, we offer advice you can trust. We work closely with both legal and financial advisers to create a holistic plan that suits your financial and lifestyle goals. In retirement, having access to trusted advice is crucial, and we’re here to provide that support.

For personalised advice and to explore your reverse mortgage options, reach out to our experienced team at AXTON Finance today. We’re here to help you confidently navigate your financial future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of home loans do you offer?

At Axton Finance, we understand that every individual’s financial situation and homeownership goals are unique. That’s why we offer a diverse range of home loan options tailored to meet your specific needs. Our home loan products include:

  • Variable Rate Home Loans: With interest rates that fluctuate based on market conditions, these loans offer flexibility and potential cost savings over the long term.
  • Fixed Rate Home Loans: If you prefer stability and want to lock in a consistent interest rate for a set period, our fixed-rate loans might be the ideal choice for you.
  • First Home Buyer Loans: Designed to assist first-time homebuyers, these loans often come with favourable terms and government incentives to help you get started on the property ladder.
  • Investment Home Loans: If you’re looking to invest in property, our investment home loans provide options to help grow your property portfolio with a tailored structure that meets your cash flow needs.
  • Refinancing Solutions: We also offer refinancing options to help you secure a better interest rate, access equity, or consolidate debt.

Our experienced mortgage brokers will guide you through the available options and assist you in finding the best home loan solution for your circumstances.

What is home loan refinancing, and how can it benefit me?

Refinancing your home loan involves comparing  your existing home or investment loan with what is available in the wider market and if it makes financial sense it is swapped out with a new mortgage agreement typically with a new lender.. This process allows you to take advantage of better interest rates, more favourable loan terms, or access equity in your property to spend on almost anything you like. At Axton Finance, we understand that your financial situation and needs can change over time, and refinancing offers an opportunity to optimise your home loan. Here are some ways refinancing may benefit you:

  • Lower Interest Rates: If market conditions have shifted or your lending capacity and credit score is good, refinancing can lead to lower interest rates and cheaper monthly repayments. You can use the monthly savings and plough them back into the loan to help speed up your debt reduction plans or use the savings for any other of life’s demands.
  • Accessing Equity: If your property has increased in value or you’ve made significant repayments, you may have built up equity. Equity is simply the difference between the value of your property and the amount owing on it. Refinancing allows you to access this equity, which you can use for home improvements, investments, consolidating debts, or other personal or financial needs.
  • Consolidating Debts: If you have other debts with higher-interest rates, such as credit cards, car loans or personal loans, refinancing can be an effective way to consolidate these debts into your home loan. By doing so, you’ll have a single, more manageable repayment at a potentially lower interest rate but this needs to be applied with caution as you don’t want these typically shorter loan terms being paid over a much longer loan term associated with a normal home or investment loan
  • Changing Loan Features: Refinancing enables you to switch to a loan product with features that better suit your current circumstances. For example, you may want to move from a variable rate to a fixed rate, or vice versa, or set up an offset home loan which is a linked savings account that does not pay interest but the balance instead ‘offsets’ the balance of the mortgage loan which in turn can be an effective structure to pay off your home loan sooner.
  • Debt Repayment Strategies: Our mortgage brokers can work with you to develop a personalised debt repayment strategy, which may involve refinancing at strategic intervals to optimise your financial outcomes.

Before proceeding with refinancing, it’s essential to consider potential costs, such as exit fees from your current lender, application fees, legal fees and whether any other short term offers exist such as honeymoon interest rate periods or cashback offers from a shortlisted lender. Our experienced team at Axton Finance will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your financial situation using industry leading tools, guide you through the process, and help you determine if refinancing is the right choice for you.

Can you arrange bridging finance?

Many people table the idea of using bridging finance  but few really understand how its operates or what it effectively achieves. At its simplest it enables a home buyer to purchase a new property before the sale of their existing home. More often than not it is owner occupiers rather than investors who will use this product.

The finance structure basically enables you to borrow up to the full purchase price of the new property plus all stamp duties and closing costs like stamp duity, legals. Generally the lender will give you between six and twelve months to sell your current property and release its equity to enable the current loan to be closed out and use any surplus money left over to reduce the bridging loan on the new property plus any interest fees and charges. Generally the interest on the bridging loan is capitalising (interest is added to the loan). Your responsibility is to only meet the repayments on the existing loan during the bridging time frame. A few important things to consider;

  • You generally need a fairly good amount of equity in your current property to consider the use of bridging finance especially if you new purchase property is likely to be more expensive than your selling property
  • Some lenders require servicing evidence (afforrdability testing) on the end debt position after your current home is sold but other lenders require your servicing evidence to be on the peak debt amount which makes it difficult to secure support with such lenders
  • Interest rates on bridging finance are generally not discounted and are higher for the term you might have bridging for
  • The bridging finance interest calculation only starts when the target purchase property settles so if you can negotiate a long enough settlement you might be able to secure a quick sale on your current property which maye minimise or completely eliminate the time frame you need to be exposed to a bridging loan structure

As you can see there are quite a few variables to bridging finance and not all lenders and policies are created the same so get in contact with us here.

How do I know if I need to refinance my home loan?

Quite simply you need to be sure that that a refinance is going to save you a meaningful amount of money after any potential refinancing costs.

Fortunately we can calculate accurate savings you may be eligible for by comparing hundreds of lending products from over 30 lenders to tailor a lending solution that matches your needs and not just the lender involved.

In a rising rate market more than ever is it important to keep a regular eye on your current interes rate to ensure that it is remaining competitive. You can bet your bottom dollar that your current lender is unlikely going to tell  you that there might be a  heaper rate out there that may be more suitable and thats where our difference comes into play.

As a client of AXTON our systems ensure annual reviews of your structure that ensure your loan remains competitive and we work in the back ground to ensure we needle your current lender to ensure that your interest rate remains as compeitvie as possible.

What does it actually cost to refinance?

Refinancing your home or investment loan is usually not that expensive but you need to be aware of a few things. As a rule of thumb a simple refinance will not cost more that $500-$750 but the upside could be many thousands in saved interest and could slash years off your existing loan.

In recent times many lenders have also been offering cashback rebates on your home loan if you refinance to them which can be several thousand dollars but like with most things there are often catches. The good news is that we can help you evaluate this possible benefits and compare apples with apples.

Basic refinance costs are discharge fees payable to your current lender usually about $300 per mortgage, lender legal fees may or may not be included in this cost but are usually less than $250. Government discharge and mortgage registration fees are payable and differ from state to state but again are less than a few hundred dollars per mortgage security (property). 

One important consideration is if there are break fees payable to paying out a fixed loan early. However generally speaking if your current fixed rate is cheaper than the preailing rates your lender will let you out without charge. If you need to break a fixed loan and the fixed rates have fallen below current fixed rates the you may be up for a pretty expensive cost in many cases. Each lender uses a different calculation and its usually easy to get a quote just by ringining your current provider.

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