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.

        The days of borrowing the total value of a new home are all but  gone, with most lenders now insisting borrowers share the loan risk by contributing more equity upfront, according to a new report.

Financial services research company Canstar Cannex says that lenders have pulled their horns in, post GFC, and either withdrawn their 100 per cent loan-to-value ratio home loans or reduced the amount that can be borrowed.

Three years ago, 270 home loans offered full 100 per cent borrowing.

         Home Loans for new homes and investment housing rose in April, according to dwelling commitments figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The number of loans for the purchase of new dwellings grew by 6.3 per cent in April and by 1.3 per cent for investment housing.