Buying a house is a massive financial investment and one that most people cannot afford on their own. This is why many South Africa’s take out a home loan to help them through the home buying process. In our current economic climate, it has become increasingly difficult for potential home buyers to qualify for a home loan, let alone buy a house for cash.

Homeownership is not for the fainthearted. With South Africa’s economy perched precariously on the verge of a recession for several months, buying a home can be risky.

Buying a house is a huge commitment. For at least the next 20 years, you have to pay off a substantial debt. If you try to sell your house without at least having paid off the interest on your bond, you’re unlikely to turn a profit.

Insurance is one of those purchases that you hate to spend your money on although you know it is a necessary investment that will protect you in the future. The money you spend on insurance each month is minuscule compared to what it would cost you in the event you need the pay-out.

Last year was a bit of an annus horribilis for the property industry. A volatile combination of political and economic uncertainty led to a cauldron of concern.

The year of 2018 was an interesting one for South Africans – from a newly instated president, interesting IT revelations from SARS, and a couple of finance ministers

After months of searching, you’ve finally found a home and signed an offer to purchase. Now you need to apply to a financial institution for a bond

These days, many of us live with debt because we want things that we can’t afford to buy outright

Crime data suggests that the biggest crime hotspots countrywide are located in city centres.

Property owners who remember the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 may be apprehensive about the road ahead for South Africa’s property market, especially since South Africa is now officially in a technical recession.

Buying a house? Congratulations! Before you sign, give the offer a bit of thought.

Your credit report is an indication of your financial behavior patterns and a detailed history of how you have handled credit in the past.

This is a question that has been on the mind of many South Africans in recent weeks.

Who is to blame if a dog attacks a potential home invader? This question is not as bizarre as you might think.

Debt review is a tool that has been designed to help people that are over-indebted and struggling to meet their commitments.

There are a growing number of South African citizens that work and live abroad. Many of them intend to return to SA and often they wish to purchase property back home and pay for it with their foreign earnings.

Most municipalities have very specific zoning regulations for all property within an area. This includes commercial, residential and industrial zones.

The divorce rate in South Africa is over 50% and unfortunately, in almost all the cases the first question to be raised is “what happens to the property after the divorce?”

Loan repayments used to be confusing and difficult to calculate. Quite a lot of information and understanding is needed and one normally would have to use a good financial calculator.

As a first-time potential homeowner, it can be quite a daunting task ahead of you if you are unsure of the requirements and documents you will need to ensure that your application for a bond is successful.

A bond is one of the lowest interest loans you can get and there are many times a second bond is a good idea.

If your credit status is bad, you won’t get a home loan approved…

Did you know that most banks insist that you have life cover?

So you found your dream home and you have approached the bank and after jumping through some hoops with paperwork, various banking personnel you find that your application has been rejected due to some algorithm on the banking system.

Many South African are opting for the security and convenience of a boomed/gated community or a lifestyle estate.

There are two schools of thought on property ownership with many seeing it as one of the best investments you can make while others insist it is a liability.

The average bond is 20 year although bonds of 25 and 30 years are not unheard of. A bond over such a long period is a classic example of compound interest working against you.

Buying a home is generally one of the biggest investments most people make. It is an exciting purchase and many times, a very emotional one as well.

The relatively new 72-hour clause has implications for both buyers and sellers and it is a provision that is often misunderstood.

Buying a home may well be one of the biggest financial decisions you are likely to make in your lifetime.

Buying a house is probably one of the biggest investments you will make during your life and it’s also the place where you and your family will reside for quite a few years.

Buying your home should be an exciting and fun experience. This will probably be the biggest investment that you will make in your life.

People who are in the process of applying for a bond and buying a house should insist on a beetle certificate which covers all the different types of wood destroying animals.

We have all seen that it is a very common scene for banks to decline an application for a home loan. In this article I will explain ways to increase one’s chances for getting that much needed loan.

We have seen that special levies are definitely something which is being frowned upon by sectional scheme owners.

Over the past few years, African Bank has proven to be a well reputed and one of the most trusted banks in South Africa.

Professionals in the financial trades have stated that property is thus a better investment than the money market.

It is of utmost importance that you make use of a well reputed real estate agent, whether you are the seller or the buyer.

It happens very often where tenants and private landlords forget the date of when the lease expires, and then months go by where there is no official lease agreement in place.

Due to the low interest rate and the booming of the real estate market, we have seen that there are opening up many opportunities for home buyers to enjoy.

It is clear that crime levels are rising in South Africa; therefore a lot of people are getting more security conscious. Nowadays, security is playing a big role in the decision making when choosing between different homes.

Due to the new interest rates, all of the major banks in South Africa are able to offer 100% mortgage bonds. This is thus a very exciting time for home buyers, especially for first time buyers

Pitfalls of buy-to-rent investing can be avoided by using a professional real estate agent. It is clear that it is becoming very popular to invest in a buy-to-rent scheme.

We have seen that due to the fact that it is difficult to obtain a mortgage by your self, a lot of people decide to go in to a shared mortgage on a property. They usually buy with their wife or husband, or with family and friends.

One can’t go wrong buy making use of a professional home inspector, especially if the property turns out to be problematic.

Since November 2010 the prime lending rate on home loans in South Africa has been 9.00%, and this is where it currently remains (June 2012).

In June, homeowners were struck with the relief of a cut from the prime interest rate by 50 base points. Homeowners can now enjoy an interest rate of 8.5%. This means that homeowners can enjoy cheaper monthly payments on their mortgages.

We all know that by buying a new home comes with a lot of paper work. One of the most important papers that you will need to obtain will be the Rate Clearance Certificate from your local municipality.

We can see that with a little bit of useful information one can manage to finish the payments on a bond quicker than planned.

In most of the cases where a homeowner is planning to sell his property, then he would still have a bond which needs to be cancelled with the bank or the bond originator.

People consider the capital gain TAX to be a scary thought, but it is actually not that intimidating if you educate yourself on the topic before purchasing your property.

A further loan on your home loan is also known as a further advance or home equity loan, or more commonly, a second bond.

It is important that you are as knowledgeable as possible when buying a property, and especially when buying a home, which for most people is their greatest investment.

Who would have thought that there was an upside to the worldwide economic recession, which has also had an effect on the South African home loan industry?

Just when you are over the initial thrill of having your bond approved, have concluded the paperwork for the purchase of your first home, and are basking in the glow of being a new property owner, a new realization will begin to dawn on you: you have access to the equity which your home loan represents!

Deciding to buy a home is a big step and you may feel very overwhelmed when taking the step. Remember that owning property is one of the best decisions to make and offers plenty security to the owner

When buying property, the applicant needs to complete and Offer to Purchase with the real estate agents to show their interest in the property.

A home loan calculator is an incredibly useful tool to have, as it works out how much it will cost you to keep a roof over your head in an instant.

Every year there are hundred of South Africans who consider buying a new home, but they are not sure if they have the credit to make such a major purchase.

Looking for the best deals on bonds? We offer some of SA's lowest bond rates to help you afford that dream home.

Pre-approved home loans give prospective home buyers the confidence to go house hunting – and making offers – within a known price bracket. Find out how you can get a pre-approve home loan today.

Many bond quote sites may plaster advertising for any and every bond originator that approaches them. My Bond Quotes, in contrast, is committed to promoting the bond originators and SA home loan companies that focus on prompt service and unrivalled affordability.

Prospective South African property buyers have several options when it comes to the various bond types available.

Second bonds, or further bond loans, refer to a form of bond lending where home owners pledge their home equity as collateral against a line of credit (also sometimes referred to as a home improvement bond).

Looking for a pre-qualified bond? My Bond Quotes offer prospective house buyers the ability to shop for a home with confidence with affordable pre-qualified bonds.

Pre-approved bonds give prospective homeowners the confidence to shop – and put down solid offers – within a known price bracket. Find out more about getting a pre-approved bond or apply online today.

ooba bond originators( spelt ooba bond, NOT uber bond) hit the South African bond origination, car and household content insurance marketplace on 1 March 2008.

The term ‘home improvement loan' generally refer to lines of credit where a homeowner's home equity (the portion of the home loan that's been settled) serves as collateral against a further loan amount being made accessible to them.

Looking for a low interest rate bond? My Bond Quotes offers you easy access to affordable bonds online. We’d also like to provide you with enough bond information to help you make the right decisions when it comes to buying a property.

Getting your bond application pre approved is a simple but worthwhile process. My Bond Quotes can help you pre-qualify for a home loan online. Simply complete our bond pre-approval form to apply online – it's fast and free.

Independent bond originators and bond companies are a dime a dozen – but are they all bond experts? Choose the SA bond companies that know bond origination like the back of their hands; SecuBond bond originators and Better Bond are market leaders in the field of bonds and home financing.

As the name suggests, bond originators originate bonds. Originators may work within law firms, bond companies or independently, and essentially liaise with the bank, bond lending company or other financial institution responsible for issuing the bond, or home loan.

Are you a South African who is looking for a home loan but doesn’t know how to shop around or compare different home loan offers?

Securing the biggest bond at the lowest interest rate is dependent on a range of factors relating to the bond applicant's age, income, credit record and overall financial profile.

When it comes to buying property and applying for bonds, knowledge is power. Buying a home is a serious financial commitment, and certainly not one you should rush into blindly.

Using our bond calculator and home loan affordability calculation tools will help you to determine roughly what you can afford to spend on monthly bon repayments, as well well as the size bond you could qualify for.