An intro rate home loan offers borrowers a lower-than-usual interest rate to begin with, which will revert to a standard rate after the introductory period. These may also be known as ‘honeymoon rates’, after which the reality of your marriage to the home loan may set in! Intro rate home loans are usually only available to new customers of the bank, and in some cases they may only be available to first home buyers.
Intro rate home loans give you a breather period at the beginning of your home loan, but it is important that you check the comparison rate, as well as any ongoing fees for products which might be linked to your home loan. Although early exit fees have been abolished for all consumers by law, you should also ensure that there will be no associated fees for leaving this loan after the introductory rate no longer applies.
With a simple, upfront listing of the comparison rate for introductory rate home loans, RatesOnline removes the single most important trap of intro rate loans – the potential for them to cost even more than a standard variable rate loan over the life of the loan.
Our handy comparison feature and the ability to talk to a RatesOnline broker about the benefits and drawbacks of these loans in your particular situation, makes it easy to compare intro rate home loans. If it’s a good deal, our comparison table makes it easy to identify. If there are traps, our home loan experts can help you see them before you tumble into them.
What Are the Benefits of an Intro Rate Home Loan?
Intro rate home loans can give you a little head start at a time when you’re paying off a catalogue of other expenses associated with purchasing your home, such as conveyancing fees, real estate commissions, title searches and improvements to your home for liveability. If you plan to switch to another lender soon after the introductory period is finished, you may be able to save money – but you’ll need to do a detailed assessment of the relevant fees for doing so!
While they do have benefits in certain situations, intro rate home loans also take more finesse in comparison, a longer-term view and a keener eye for relevant terms and conditions than when comparing other types of home loans. You should also consider that once the introductpry period is finished, the default option which your loan reverts to might not suit your financial situation, and extra switching costs might be incurred.
- Cheaper in the short term: Introductory rate home loans have the very obvious benefit of being cheaper in the short term – up to 1% cheaper. You can use our comparison table on site to see what sort of dollar-difference this might make in your situation.
- Fit one-off home purchase expenses into a tighter budget: Home purchases come with a raft of single-time expenses. It can seem that there is a hundred-dollar bill attached to every piece of paper that you need somebody to look at! An introductory rate home loan might help you fit these expenses into a tight budget.
- Simplicity: Apart from the comparison of costs over the longer term, intro rate home loans are basic, no-frills products, and as such may be simpler and therefore more suitable to inexperienced borrowers.