The banks are increasingly taking their foot off the brake on home lending, particularly for ‘riskier’ loans, according to APRA’s recently released quarterly banking figures.
The banking regulator’s data shows new residential home loans to borrowers with a high debt-to-income ratio increased by 22.3 per cent between the September and December 2019 quarters.
Low deposit loans – those with an LVR of 95 per cent or higher – jumped 17.5 per cent from the previous quarter while interest-only loans increased by 7.9 per cent over the same time period, after coming off a low base.
New residential home loans, all ADIs – APRA
| September 2019 | December 2019 | Change | ||
| Owner-occupied | $64.0 billion | $71.9 billion | 12.40% | |
| Investment | $28.6 billion | $32.0 billion | 12.00% | |
| Interest-only | $17.4 billion | $18.7 billion | 7.90% | |
| Low-deposit (95%+ LVRs) | $1.4 billion | $1.6 billion | 17.50% | |
| Debt-to-income of 6x or higher | $14.0 billion | $17.1 billion | 22.30% | |
Source: APRA quarterly authorised deposit-taking institution statistics for December 2019, released 10 March, 2020.
Sally Tindall, research director at RateCity.com.au, said the banks were continuing to open their doors to borrowers after years of belt tightening. 
“APRA’s caps on investor and interest-only loans, and the fallout from the Royal Commission, led to a significant crackdown in home lending,” she said.
“Since APRA lifted its caps and revised some of its serviceability guidelines, banks have been able to attract more business through their door.
“We’ve also seen this in the last few rounds of rate cuts, where many banks reserved the biggest cuts for investors on interest-only loans.
- Also read:6 priceless investing lessons from influential billionaires
- Also read:Redefining Richness: Why Time Matters More Than Money
- Also read:Conquer Your Monsters: Busting the Top 10 Fears Holding You Back
- Also read:Booms, busts and investor psychology – why investors need to be aware of the psychology of investing
- Also read:10 BIG Benefits of setting up an SMSF or a Family SMSF
“Over the last few years, some banks overshot APRA’s benchmarks. But they’ve now made it clear they are re-open for business, not just for owner occupiers, but for a wider segment of the market.”
Just as a reminder...
Here is a timeline of some of APRA's actions:
- 9 Dec 2014 – APRA asks ADI’s to limit growth in investor lending to under 10 per cent.
- 31 March 2017 – APRA asks ADI’s to limit interest only lending to 30 per cent of new loans written.
- 26 April 2018 – APRA announces the investor cap will not apply from 1 July 2018 for banks keeping within the limits.
- 19 December 2018 – APRA announces that the interest-only cap will cease from 1 January 2019.
- 5 July 2019 – APRA allows banks to set their own serviceability floor rate, provided a buffer of 2.5 per cent is applied to current interest rates for the purposes of serviceability.
Here's what you can do about this...
If you're looking at buying your next home or investment property here's 4 ways we can help you:
Yes the lending environment is getting easier and sure many of the property markets around Australia are performing well, but correct property selection is even more important than ever, as only selected sectors of the market are likely to outperform.
Why not get the independent team of property strategists and buyers' agents at Metropole to help level the playing field for you?
We help our clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through a range of services including:
- Strategic property advice. - Allow us to build a Strategic Property Plan for you and your family. Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now! Click here to learn more
- Buyer's agency - As Australia's most trusted buyers’ agents we've been involved in over $3Billion worth of transactions creating wealth for our clients and we can do the same for you. Our on the ground teams in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane bring you years of experience and perspective - that's something money just can't buy. We'll help you find your next home or an investment grade property. Click here to learn how we can help you.
- Wealth Advisory - We can provide you with strategic tailored financial planning and wealth advice. Click here to learn more about we can help you.
- Property Management - Our stress free property management services help you maximise your property returns. Click here to find out why our clients enjoy a vacancy rate considerably below the market average, our tenants stay an average of 3 years and our properties lease 10 days faster than the market average.
