Have you ever wondered what a mortgage broker is?  Read on to find out......

Mortgage brokers are consumer advocates in the home loan selection process, helping home buyers to pre-qualify, select a home loan, and complete the required documents.  They follow the purchase or refinance through to settlement providing a smooth and convenient transaction.

Renovation costs have increased only 1 per cent in the last quarter, according to the latest cost guide released recently by Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects.

Archicentre's Victorian State Manager David Hallett said that renovations are likely to increase iconsiderably in 2010, with more baby boomers than ever renovating their family home both for lifestyle reasons and to increase its value.

The construction industry contracted nationally in December 2009, although at a slower rate than the previous month following another lift in house building activity, according to the latest Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI®).

The seasonally adjusted Australian PCI® was up 1.7 points in December to 49.3, just below the critical 50.0 mark separating expansion from contraction, suggesting on-going weakness in overall construction activity.