Ratings
Fixed term options
Unlike in the US, there are no lenders in Australia that offer 20 or 30 year fixed rates for standard residential home loans. Horizon Bank Rate Home Loan offers fixed loan terms between 1 - 5 years.
Selling the property or refinance during the fixed rate term can trigger hefty fees for breaking a fixed rate contract, and fixed rate loans tend to have restrictions on making extra repayments. Before you lock your rate in, you need to be sure that a fixed rate home loan is suitable for your situation.
LVR options
LVR is an acronym for Loan-To-Value Ratio. The LVR is the amount you are borrowing against the property value being used as security, represented as a percentage.
An LVR of 95% is a high risk, whereas an LVR of 80% or less is considered safe by most lenders. The majority of lenders will require you to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) if you borrow over 80% LVR.
70%
LVR
Horizon Bank
95%
LVR
Horizon Bank
Repayment options
Interest only loans have traditionally been tailored to investors so they can reduce their mortgage repayments and maximise their tax benefits and overall return on investment (ROI). However, getting home loan with interest only (IO) has its place and some lenders are willing to consider your application if you can provide valid reasons.
Interest only repayment option is not available with Horizon Bank Rate Home Loan for first home buyer.
Paying pricinpal and interest
Horizon Bank
Q&As
Does Horizon Bank Rate Home Loan comes with an offset account?
Yes, Rate Home Loan comes with a 100% offset account.
A 100% offset account is an account linked to your home loan where you can park your savings and spare cash to reduce the interest you pay. Then, when interest is calculated on your home loan, the balance in your offset account is deducted from the loan amount owing, and interest is only charged on what remains.
What are the costs to apply for Horizon Bank Rate Home Loan?
There is upfront costs of $1120 to apply for Rate Home Loan, with no ongoing account keeping fees.
- Application fee: $350
- Valuation fee: $280
- Legal fee: $490
Are there costs when I exit or refinance to another lender?
Horizon Bank charge a discharge fee of $435, which covers the cost for removing the mortgage that has been registered on the title of your property.
Horizon Bank may also charge you a fixed-rate break cost if you refinance out of Rate Home Loan or sell your house before the fixed term ends. It can cost thousands of dollars, and the advantages of breaking the fixed loan won't always outweigh the disadvantages.
IMPORTANT: Lenders change their policy from time to time so this information is current only accurate at the time that it was written. You should always check with Horizon Bank or a mortgage broker just to be sure. This information should be used as a guide only.