What is the average mortgage in Australia?
The latest lending data from the ABS shows that the average mortgage size in Australia was $624,000 as of December 2023. This is for owner-occupied dwellings, rather than loans specified for first-home buyers or investors wishing to rent out a property.
What is the current home loan interest rate in Australia? Average variable rate home loan: 6.82% p.a. Average Big 4 Bank variable rate: 7.48% p.a.
Average mortgage size | Monthly repayment | |
---|---|---|
New South Wales | $722,132 | $3,429.79 |
Victoria | $590,450 | $3,460.72 |
Queensland | $527,463 | $3,091.55 |
South Australia | $489,978 | $2,871.84 |
Assuming that the average mortgage age in Australia starts somewhere between 25 and 34 years, then to work out the average age to pay off a mortgage in Australia, you just need to add a 25 to a 30-year term. This would make the average age to pay off a mortgage in Australia between 50 and 64 years.
A mortgage is a loan agreement between a lender and a buyer used to purchase a residential property. You (the buyer) repay the loan in instalments over a set period of time, usually 20 to 30 years. The length of the loan can be shorter or longer, depending on the amount you borrow, among other factors.
Mortgage Rate in Australia remained unchanged at 6.80 percent in January. Mortgage Rate in Australia averaged 6.86 Percent from 1990 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 15.50 Percent in September of 1990 and a record low of 2.14 Percent in March of 2021. source: Reserve Bank of Australia.
The cash rate is Australia's official interest rate which is currently held at a target of 4.35% by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). The cash rate is determined by the Reserve Bank of Australia in a board meeting every month (excluding January).
Banks do not offer 30-year fixed-rate residential mortgages in Australia, unlike the United States (US).
The required salary can vary depending on certain factors. In low rate environments with large down payments, it can be as low as $45,000 per year. However, when taking into account the cost of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), it could increase to as much as $95,000 per year.
In the past two decades, from 1999–00 to 2019–20, the percentage of Australian households that own their own home: With or without a mortgage decreased from 71% to 66%. Without a mortgage decreased from 39% to 30%. With a mortgage increased from 32% to 37%.
Can a 70 year old get a 30 year mortgage?
There's no age limit for getting or refinancing a mortgage. Thanks to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, seniors have the right to fair and equal treatment from mortgage lenders.
Age doesn't matter. Counterintuitive as it may sound, your loan application for a mortgage to be repaid over 30 years looks the same to lenders whether you are 90 years old or 40.
Most lenders take your gross income and then apply Australian tax rates. However, Australia has high tax rates which means that many people who could afford the mortgage repayments using their country's tax rates find that their application gets declined.
A key reason why lenders don't offer 30 year fixed mortgage rates in Australia is because we don't have a well-developed secondary mortgage market. This is a space where lenders and investors buy and sell mortgages.
Mortgages typically last between ten and thirty years in Australia. If you opt for a shorter mortgage, of say 15 years, you can expect your monthly repayments to be higher, but the good news is that you will pay off the loan sooner and pay less in interest.
Most lenders offer a one to five-year fixed rate on home loans. Some lenders can offer fixed rate periods of up to 10 years, although these are very rare circ*mstances.
Most mortgages in Australia have a loan term of between 20 and 30 years, though it may be possible to choose a home loan with an even longer term of up to 40 years, which could have benefits and drawbacks.
New research from Roy Morgan shows 1,527,000 mortgage holders (30.3%) were 'At Risk' of 'mortgage stress' in the three months to December 2023. This period included an interest rate increase on Melbourne Cup Day with the RBA raising interest rates by +0.25% to 4.35%.
There is no limit to the amount of physical currency that may be brought into or taken out of Australia. However, travellers entering and departing Australia must report any currency they are carrying of $10,000 or more in Australian dollars, or the foreign currency equivalent.
Consumer Price Index, Australia
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.6% this quarter. Over the twelve months to the December 2023 quarter, the CPI rose 4.1%.
Is cash common in Australia?
The volume of banknotes in circulation remains high in Australia, as they are widely used as a store of wealth. But actual cash usage has dropped to just 13% of transactions, according to professional services firm Accenture, down from 27% before the pandemic. The decline in cash usage has been swift.
The longest fixed rate home loan term in Australia is 10 years. Some lenders may offer longer terms, but this is rare. So, for a 15-year fixed rate mortgage, you will have to fix your rate for up to 10 years and then extend it by 5 years afterwards.
However, some lenders offer fixed home loans up to 5, 7 and even 10 years. If the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA's) cash rate is sitting low and you're able to find loans at very low rates, you could consider fixing one for a long period.
Applying the 28/36 rule, which states that you shouldn't spend more than around a third of your income on housing, multiply $36,000 by three and you get $108,000. So to afford a $500K house you'd have to make at least $108,000 per year.
A mortgage on 200k salary, using the 2.5 rule, means you could afford $500,000 ($200,00 x 2.5). With a 4.5 percent interest rate and a 30-year term, your monthly payment would be $2533 and you'd pay $912,034 over the life of the mortgage due to interest.
References
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/this-is-the-average-age-most-americans-become-mortgage-free
- https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2023/10/31/cs103123-australia-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2023-article-iv
- https://www.savings.com.au/term-deposits/buying-government-bonds
- https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/todays-housing-crisis-is-worse-than-the-17pc-home-loans-of-the-1980s-20170224-gukd59.html
- https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/mortgages/advice/mortgage-rate-predictions-january-fed-meeting/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/personal-finance/cost-of-living-in-australia/
- https://www.8newsnow.com/news/national-news/when-will-mortgage-rates-fall/
- https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/australia/long-term-interest-rate
- https://www.bankrate.com/real-estate/how-much-house-can-i-afford-100k-salary/
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-mortgage-rates-drop-to-5-in-2024/
- https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/mortgage-stress-december-2023
- https://www.rba.gov.au/fin-services/resources/cash-report.html
- https://www.9news.com.au/national/finance-news-commonweath-bank-forecasts-interest-rates-will-lower-in-2024-and-2025/0a2c0457-0252-41a2-9831-63affbb06091
- https://www.ratecity.com.au/home-loans/mortgage-news/high-will-rates-go-here-experts-think-rba-cash-rate
- https://www.morningstar.com/markets/when-will-fed-start-cutting-interest-rates
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-02/summers-warns-interest-rates-may-be-well-above-3-through-2030
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/investing/guide-to-investment-bonds/
- https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/sort
- https://krcgtv.com/features/beyond-the-trivia/beyond-the-trivia-australia-day
- https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/will-mortgage-rates-ever-be-3-percent-again/
- https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/when-will-interest-rates-rise/
- https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/refinance-programs-for-seniors
- https://translayte.com/blog/home-loans-for-foreigners-in-australia
- https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/singapore-banks-unlikely-cut-mortgage-rates-2024-despite-expected-fed-rate-cuts
- https://www.ratecity.com.au/home-loans/articles/average-age-to-pay-off-a-mortgage-australia
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/australia-business-economy-predictions-2024-recession/103073948
- https://www.ratecity.com.au/home-loans/40-year-mortgages
- https://wallethub.com/answers/cc/what-percentage-of-america-is-debt-free-2140664784/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/home-loans/what-is-a-mortgage/
- https://ownhome.com/articles/historical-mortgage-interest-rates-in-australia
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/home-loans/fixed-rate-home-loans-explained/
- https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-yield
- https://www.asx.com.au/markets/trade-our-derivatives-market/futures-market/rba-rate-tracker
- https://www.choice.com.au/money/banking/savings-options/articles/top-high-interest-savings-accounts
- https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2-85-per-cent-fresh-interest-rate-predictions-and-when-the-first-cut-could-come/ti4b3qwts
- https://www.gobankingrates.com/loans/mortgage/what-will-mortgage-rates-be-by-2025/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/au/home-loans/how-long-to-pay-off-mortgage
- https://themortgagereports.com/32667/mortgage-rates-forecast-fha-va-usda-conventional
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-finances/21015657/are-you-ever-too-old-to-get-a-mortgage
- https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/mortgage-rate
- https://ycharts.com/indicators/10_year_treasury_rate
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/au/home-loans/what-is-a-mortgage-home-loan
- https://www.australiangovernmentbonds.gov.au/how-invest/tax-considerations
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/09/my-whole-world-revolves-around-cash-why-some-australians-fear-being-left-behind-by-a-cashless-future
- https://www.foxroach.com/blog/house-affordability-calculator/
- https://money.usnews.com/loans/mortgages/mortgage-rate-forecast
- https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/housing-targets-at-risk-as-building-stalls-at-decade-low-pace-20231207-p5eprv
- https://www.cbo.gov/publication/52391
- https://www.idp.com/kenya/blog/what-makes-australia-unique/
- https://www.savings.com.au/current-interest-rates-australia/
- https://www.axios.com/2023/12/12/mortgage-free-homes
- https://www.quora.com/What-is-6-interest-on-a-30-000-loan
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/money-mentor/mortgage-property/when-will-interest-rates-go-down-uk
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-mortgage-rates-ever-fall-to-3-again/
- https://www.loans.com.au/home-loans/average-australian-mortgage-size-2023
- https://www.homeloanexperts.com.au/non-resident-mortgages/applying-for-a-mortgage/
- https://www.creditkarma.com/home-loans/i/how-often-can-you-refinance
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/personal-finance/will-interest-rates-go-down-in-2024/
- https://www.9news.com.au/interest-rates
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chart-day-mortgage-rates-stay-030536086.html
- https://www.smartrepm.com.au/2019/04/australia-has-how-many-property-investors/
- https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/smp/2024/feb/overview.html
- https://pacresmortgage.com/knowledge-center/news-insights/recession-home-value
- https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/when-will-interest-rates-go-down/
- http://www.worldgovernmentbonds.com/bond-historical-data/australia/10-years/
- https://www.brokernews.com.au/news/breaking-news/housing-crisis-are-empty-homes-the-answer-283939.aspx
- https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/this-is-not-america-rates-are-not-coming-down-in-2024-20240103-p5euv6
- https://pearlfinancial.com.au/invest/how-many-australians-own-an-investment-property/
- https://www.ccn.com/analysis/projected-us-interest-rates-in-5-years/
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/06/rba-interest-rates-announcement-hold-4-35
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/will-mortgage-rates-go-down-in-2024
- https://fox59.com/news/national-world/when-will-mortgage-rates-fall/
- https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2023/12/staff-analytical-note-2023-19/
- https://www.9news.com.au/national/countries-with-highest-number-residents-who-own-property-in-australia/619bd79f-ad79-462d-b4d6-c679789db680
- https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2223/Quick_Guides/30yearFixedRateMortgage
- https://www.rba.gov.au/education/resources/explainers/recession.html
- https://constructioncoverage.com/research/where-residents-have-paid-off-homes
- https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/projected-interest-rates-in-5-years/
- https://population.org.au/about-population/australias-population/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/275190/ten-year-treasury-constant-maturity-rate-in-the-united-states-as-of-2009/
- https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/investing/what-are-government-bonds.html
- https://moneywise.com/real-estate/benefits-of-buying-a-home-when-interest-rates-are-high
- https://www.professionalhomeloans.com.au/home-loans/non-resident-home-loans/
- https://www.odinmortgage.com/resources/15-year-fixed-rate-home-loan/
- https://www.tembomoney.com/learn/how-long-should-i-fix-my-mortgage-for
- https://www.noradarealestate.com/blog/will-interest-rates-go-down-in-2025/
- https://www.ratecity.com.au/home-loans/10-year-fixed-rate
- https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/mortgage-interest-rates-forecast/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/10-year-treasury-yield
- https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/housing/housing-occupancy-and-costs/latest-release
- https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/04/a-quarter-of-australias-property-investments-held-by-1-of-taxpayers-data-reveals
- https://ycharts.com/indicators/china_long_term_interest_rates
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/home-loans/average-mortgage-price-australia/
- https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-isn-t-ready-to-rule-out-another-rate-rise-20240220-p5f6cl
- https://mozo.com.au/home-loans/interest-rates
- https://www.canstar.com.au/home-loans/interest-rate-forecast-australia/
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/au/personal-finance/will-australia-go-into-recession/
- https://lendingloop.com.au/why-dont-30-year-fixed-mortgages-rates-exist
- https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/AU10Y-AU
- https://mozo.com.au/home-loans/articles/when-will-interest-rates-finally-come-down
- https://www.omnicalculator.com/finance/compound-interest
- https://www.jvmlending.com/blog/what-salary-do-you-need-to-afford-a-250000-home/
- https://www.mortgagehouse.com.au/news-resources/what-is-the-average-age-to-pay-off-a-mortgage-in-australia/
- https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/home-ownership-and-housing-tenure
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/100814/why-10-year-us-treasury-rates-matter.asp
- https://fortune.com/recommends/investing/high-yield-savings-vs-certificate-of-deposit-vs-treasury-bill/
- https://homelessnessaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Homelessness-fact-sheet-2023-1.pdf
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/09/how-interest-rates-affect-markets.asp
- https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/interest-rate
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/business/interest-rates-federal-reserve.html