What is a mortgage and how it works
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most.
A Mortgage Broker is a licensed professional who acts as an intermediary between you (the borrower) and potential lenders. Their primary role is to shop around on your behalf to find a mortgage loan that best suits your financial situation and goals. They assess your needs, compare options from their panel of lenders, assist with the application process, and guide you to settlement.
A mortgage rate is the interest you pay on the money you borrow to purchase a home. It’s expressed as a percentage and determines a significant portion of your monthly mortgage payment. Essentially, it’s the cost of borrowing money from a lender.
A Mortgage Aggregator is a company that provides back-office support, licensing, and accreditation services to a network of individual Mortgage Brokers or smaller broking firms. Think of them as the “umbrella” organisation that brokers operate under. They do not deal directly with the public but are crucial to the broker ecosystem.
A Home Equity Loan provides a single, lump-sum payment upfront, which you repay with a fixed interest rate and consistent monthly payments. A HELOC works more like a credit card, giving you a revolving line of credit to draw from as needed during a “draw period,“ typically with a variable interest rate. You only pay interest on the amount you’ve actually borrowed.
There is no single universal minimum, as it depends on the loan type. Generally, a FICO score of 620 is a common benchmark for conventional loans. Some government-backed loans (like FHA) may accept scores as low as 500 with a larger down payment, but a higher score will always secure you a better interest rate.
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