The Finder Home Loans Awards 2023 celebrate the best home loan products across 12 different categories. Our experts analysed 12 months' worth of interest rate and fee data to find the best solutions for any borrower type. They looked at more than 9,000 home loans from more than 200 lenders - see who came out on top below.
Best Owner Occupier Variable Home Loan
Police Credit Union's home loan won this year's Best Owner Occupier Variable Home Loan award. It scored particularly highly for its interest rates over the last 12 months and is also one of the products boasting an offset account.
Highly commended
Tiimely ranked in second place for its variable rate home loan. The lender has a fully online application process and no upfront or ongoing fees. You can also make unlimited extra repayments and it has free online redraw.
Coming in third place was Newcastle Permanent for its Real Deal Home Loan. As well as its low interest rate, the loan has no ongoing fees, offers the ability to make extra repayments and redraw for free. Borrowers can also take out a maximum of 95% of the property's value.
Best Owner Occupier Fixed Home Loan - 1 year
The Mutual Bank's Premium Fixed 1 year owner occupier loan comes with a 100% offset account as well as a competitive interest rate. It also offers flexibility on when you make repayments, as well as the ability to make additional repayments and to redraw for free.
Highly commended
In second place for the best owner occupier 1 year fixed loan is Tiimely. Its fixed Live in Loan offers a 100% offset account, competitive interest rate and no upfront or ongoing fees. Borrowers can make up to $20,000 of additional repayments a year and redraw on additional repayments for free.
Dnister ranked in third place for its fixed rate Premier Home Loan. The loan comes with great features like an offset account and redraw facility (both up to $50,000). It also has no annual or monthly fees.
Best Owner Occupier Fixed Home Loan - 2 year
The Capricornian Premium Choice Home Loan won this award. It is a great option for owner occupiers thanks to its no ongoing fees, the choice of interest only or principal and interest payments, and the offer of an offset account to reduce interest.
Highly commended
P&N Bank's fixed home loan ranked in second place for this category. The loan not only has a competitive interest rate, but comes with no monthly fees. It also offers split rate options and the ability to make extra repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Taking out the third place spot for its fixed rate home loan, bcu's loan offers a low fixed interest rate with no annual fee or establishment fee. Borrowers can also make additional repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Best Owner Occupier Fixed Home Loan - 3 yearThe Capricornian Premium Choice Home Loan won the award for the best 3 year fixed home loan for owner occupiers. It has no ongoing fees, the choice of interest only or principal and interest payments, and the offer of an offset account to reduce interest.
Highly commendedIn second place for this category, bcu's fixed rate home loan offers a low fixed interest rate with no annual fee or establishment fee. Borrowers can also make additional repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Tiimely ranked in third place for its 3 year fixed home loan. The Live in Loan offers a 100% offset account, competitive interest rate and no upfront or ongoing fees. Borrowers can make up to $20,000 of additional repayments a year and redraw on additional repayments for free.
Best First Home Buyer Home Loan
Australian Mutual Bank won the award for its First Home Buyers Loan. Aimed exclusively at first time buyers, the loan offers no fees, the option of a deposit as low as 5% through its involvement with government schemes and both fixed and variable interest rate options.
Highly commended
Suncorp's Home Package Plus has ranked in second place for its first home buyer offering. This loan allows buyers to link all their accounts in one place. If you take out a loan of more than $150k, buyers can benefit from no annual fee for the life of the loan. There is also the option to add a 100% offset account.
In third place for this category is Beyond Bank's Total Home Loan Package. Not only does this loan come with an offset account, but borrowers can choose to have multiple offset accounts linked to the loan. The bank is associated with first home buyer schemes and while there is an annual fee, there are no establishment or settlement fees.
Best Low Deposit Variable
Online lender Tiimely won the award for the best low deposit variable home loan. This loan is available with as little as a 10% deposit and comes with no application or ongoing fees. It also has consistently below-average variable interest rates.
Highly commendedAustralian Mutual Bank's variable home loan came in second place for the best low deposit loan. Designed to 'keep things simple', it has no annual fee, a minimum loan amount of $20,000 and the ability to borrow up to 95% of the property value.
The HSBC Home Value Loan was also highly commended in this category. As well as being suitable for a low deposit, it comes with unlimited free extra repayments and no ongoing service fees.
Best Owner Occupier Refinance Variable
Tiimely won the award for having the best owner occupier variable home loan for refinancers. The lender has a fully online application process and no upfront or ongoing fees. This loan also boasts a below average variable interest rate, unlimited extra repayments and free online redraw.
Highly commended
Aussie Elevate's variable home loan was highly commended in this category. It has the option of a 100% offset account with a fee of $10 a month and borrowers can split the loan to structure it in a way that suits them. Additional repayments and unlimited redraw are also included.
Pacific Mortgage Group ranked in third place in this category. The loan comes with a low interest rate, as well as no application fee. Borrowers can also benefit from unlimited extra repayments and unlimited redraw.
Best Owner Occupier Refinance Fixed
Tiimely won the award for the best owner occupier refinance fixed loan. Its Live in Loan with a fixed rate for 1 year offers a 100% offset account, competitive interest rate and no upfront or ongoing fees. Borrowers can make up to $20,000 of additional repayments a year and redraw on additional repayments for free.
Highly commendedDnister placed in second with its fixed rate Premier Home Loan. The loan comes with great features like an offset account and redraw facility (both up to $50,000). It also has no annual or monthly fees.
Also highly commended for this category is bcu's fixed rate home loan. It offers a low fixed interest rate with no annual fee or establishment fee. Borrowers can also make additional repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Best Investor Variable Home Loan
Tiimely won the award for Best Investor Variable Home Loan. It's principal and interest option saves on the interest rate. Borrowers can also benefit from unlimited additional repayments, an optional 100% offset account and a minimum 10% deposit.
Highly commendedP&N Bank's & Investor Basic Loan ranked second place in this category. A flexible loan, it offers a great interest rate, redraw facility and no establishment or ongoing fees.
Bendigo Bank has ranked in third place in the variable investor category. This loan is for new buyers and comes with a full offset account for variable loans. Investors can borrow anywhere from $5,000 to $3,000,000.
Best Investor Fixed Home Loan - 1 year
The Easy Street Fixed Home Loan - 1 Year Fixed (Investor, P&I) won the award for the best 1 year fixed investor home loan. It comes with competitive interest rates, no ongoing fees and a 100% offset account at no extra cost. Investors can also make unlimited additional repayments and access redraw.
Highly commendedPolice Credit Union's fixed rate home and investment loan ranked in second place. This loan comes with no annual or monthly fees and also gives the borrower the flexibility to make extra repayments.
Also highly commended for this category is bcu's fixed rate investor loan. It offers a low fixed interest rate for LVRs up to 90% and with no ongoing fees. Borrowers can also make additional repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Best Investor Fixed Home Loan - 2 yearThe Capricornian has taken out the award for the best 2 year fixed investor home loan. The loan allows investors to take out a loan with a minimum 10% deposit. It also offers a 100% offset facility, no ongoing fees and flexible repayment options.
Highly commendedRanking in second place, Police Credit Union's fixed rate home and investment loan comes with no annual or monthly fees and also gives the borrower the flexibility to make extra repayments.
Highly commended in third place is Easy Street's fixed home loan. Although it has a one-off application fee, the loan has no other ongoing fees and no charge for redrawing funds in advance. It also comes with a 100% offset account at no cost.
Best Investor Fixed Home Loan - 3 yearThe Capricornian has taken out the award for the best 3 year fixed investor home loan. The loan allows investors to take out a loan with a minimum 10% deposit. It also offers a 100% offset facility, no ongoing fees and flexible repayment options.
Highly commendedRanking in second place for this category is bcu's fixed rate investor loan. It offers a low fixed interest rate for LVRs up to 90% and with no ongoing fees. Borrowers can also make additional repayments of up to $25,000 during the fixed period.
Police Credit Union ranked in third place in this category. Its 3 year fixed rate home and investment loan comes with no annual or monthly fees and also gives the borrower the flexibility to make extra repayments.
Our team of experts reviewed over 9,000 home loan products from across 200+ lenders to select our Finder Home Loans Award winners for 2023.
For our First Home Buyer Home Loan category we examined variable rate owner-occupier home loans with principal-and-interest repayments. We scored all eligible loans using a methodology that evaluates how competitive each loan's interest rate is, how high its fees are, and whether the loan has an offset account or not.
Our home loan award winners are based on 200+ hours of research by our expert authors and insights team.
We researched hundreds of Australia's most popular home loans from the biggest banks to the smallest online lenders.
Some winners may be partners but this never influences our decisions. All loans are based on a clear methodology and must meet editorial standards.
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