Claire Nguyen edits the housing desk from Fremantle. She spent a decade reading loan contracts for a community legal centre before joining First Choice Loans, and still treats comparison rates as a public-interest document rather than a marketing line. She writes the home-loan and first-home-buyer guides.
Claire Nguyen
Housing editor · Fremantle, Western Australia
Articles by Claire Nguyen
Investment home loans vs owner-occupier loans
Investor mortgages in Australia are usually priced higher, assessed harder, and structured with an eye on interest deductibility. They are not a slightly spicier version of the home you live in.
7 July 2026
Construction home loans in Australia
A construction loan pays a builder in stages, charges interest on what has been drawn, and turns into an ordinary mortgage when the house reaches practical completion. The risk sits in cost overruns, variations and vacant land in between.
9 June 2026
Split home loans in Australia: a practical guide
Splitting a mortgage between fixed and variable portions can buy repayment certainty without giving up an offset. It is a cashflow tool, not a way to beat the Reserve Bank.
11 May 2026
Mortgage broker vs bank: how to choose in Australia
A broker is a search and a file-builder paid by lenders; a bank is a single credit box. Neither is free of incentives. Choose based on the complexity of your file and your willingness to shop.
6 May 2026
How much deposit do you need for a home loan in Australia?
The honest answer is: enough to satisfy the lender's LVR, plus costs, plus a buffer. Twenty per cent is a pricing threshold, not a moral one. Five per cent is possible with the right scheme and a strong stomach.
18 April 2026
Read How much deposit do you need for a home loan in Australia?
LVR and lenders mortgage insurance in Australia
Loan-to-value ratio decides your rate band and whether lenders mortgage insurance applies. LMI protects the lender, not you, and it is often capitalised into the loan so you pay interest on the premium for years.
3 April 2026
Extra repayments and redraw facilities explained
Paying extra on an Australian home loan is the most reliable way to cut interest — if the product lets you, and if redraw does not quietly become a second spending account.
28 March 2026
How to compare home loans in Australia
A working method for comparing Australian home loans that looks past the advertised rate: comparison rates, fees, LVR pricing, features you will actually use, and the serviceability test that decides whether the loan exists.
12 March 2026
Variable vs fixed home loans in Australia
Fixed rates buy repayment certainty for a few years; variable rates buy flexibility and usually cheaper extra repayments. The choice is a cashflow and risk decision, not a prediction of the Reserve Bank.
18 February 2026
Home loan offset accounts explained
A 100 per cent offset account can cut years off an Australian mortgage if your pay actually sits there. Partial offsets, package fees and tax treatment are where the brochure gets slippery.
22 January 2026
First home buyer guide for Australia
A full-path guide for Australian first home buyers: savings, borrowing power, schemes, stamp duty, the contract, and the settlement day that still feels like a film set.
15 January 2026