Home loans, explained in plain English.
Seek Mortgages is an independent Australian publication that turns mortgage jargon into clear, useful guides. We do not sell loans and we do not take enquiries. We just explain how it all works so you can walk into any lender or broker knowing what to ask.
Last updated 1 July 2026 · reviewed by the Seek Mortgages editorial team
The typical new owner-occupier home loan across Australia in early 2025, a reminder that small differences in rate add up to real money over 30 years.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Lending Indicators (2025)Lenders are expected to check you could still repay if your rate rose by three percentage points. Knowing this explains a lot about how much you can borrow.
Source: APRA prudential guidance (buffer set October 2021)Put in less than a fifth of the price and most lenders add lenders mortgage insurance, which protects them, not you. We explain the ways around it.
Source: ASIC Moneysmart, home loan guidanceThree ways in, depending on what you need today
Whether you are comparing loan types, trying to work out if a lender will say yes, or just stuck on a word, there is a clear starting point.
Understand every kind of home loan
Prime, low doc, private and SMSF lending, each explained without the jargon so you can tell what actually fits your situation.
Browse loan-type guides →Getting approvedSee how lenders really decide
Serviceability buffers, deposits, LVR and credit history, laid out plainly so an approval feels less like a black box.
How approval works →ReferenceLook up any term in seconds
From offset accounts to LMI and comparison rates, our glossary defines the words lenders use, in one sentence each.
Open the glossary →Start with the popular explainers
Long-form, worked-through guides to the loan types Australians ask about most. Each one is general information, updated with current figures and cited sources.
Where mortgage broker leads come from, and what it means for you
Why a broker rings within minutes of an online enquiry, what a bought lead costs them, why none of it lands on your loan, and the rules that protect you.
Loan typesPrime home loans explained
What lenders mean by a prime borrower, how serviceability buffers work, and why a strong file can unlock sharper rates and cashback offers.
Loan typesLow doc loans, explained for the self-employed
How alternative income verification works when you run your own business, what documents lenders accept, and the trade-offs to weigh up.
Loan typesPrivate mortgages and non-bank lending
When short-term private funding is used, how bridging and caveat loans differ from a bank mortgage, and the costs that come with speed.
InvestingSMSF home loans and the LRBA structure
Buying property inside a self-managed super fund, what a limited recourse borrowing arrangement is, and the rules the ATO enforces.
Getting approvedHome loans after credit problems
How defaults and repayment history are recorded, how long they stay on file, and the realistic path back to a mainstream loan.
Loan typesCommercial property loans explained
How finance for shops, offices and warehouses is assessed: lower LVRs, interest cover ratios, lease doc and full doc options, GST, and the costs to weigh up.
Independent by design, and clear about it
Most mortgage websites are built to capture your details and pass them to a broker. That is a real business and a legitimate one. Services such as PrimeLeads verify enquiries and sell them to brokers at an agreed price, which is how a good number of brokers find clients. Seek Mortgages is not that. We are a publication, so our only job is to explain things well. There is no enquiry form, no rate table pushing one lender, and no commission riding on what you read.
- Every figure is dated and linked to its original source, from the ABS to APRA and ASIC Moneysmart.
- Guides carry a plain last-updated stamp so you can see how current they are.
- We say general information, not advice, because that is exactly what this is.
- No stock photos and no third-party trackers dressing up the content.
General information only. Seek Mortgages is not a broker or lender.
Explore every Seek Mortgages guide
A directory of everything we publish. Pick a loan type, see how approval really works, or look up a word. General information only, never a sales pitch.
Where broker leads come from
Why a broker rings within minutes of an online enquiry, what a bought lead costs them, why none of it lands on your loan, and the rules that protect you.
Loan typesPrime home loans
What lenders mean by a prime borrower, how serviceability buffers work, and why a strong file can unlock sharper rates and cashback offers.
Loan typesLow doc loans
How alternative income verification works when you run your own business, what documents lenders accept, and the trade-offs to weigh up.
Loan typesPrivate mortgages
When short-term private funding is used, how bridging and caveat loans differ from a bank mortgage, and the costs that come with speed.
InvestingSMSF home loans
Buying property inside a self-managed super fund, what a limited recourse borrowing arrangement is, and the rules the ATO enforces.
Getting approvedBad credit home loans
How defaults and repayment history are recorded, how long they stay on file, and the realistic path back to a mainstream loan.
Loan typesCommercial property loans
How finance for shops, offices and warehouses is assessed: lower LVRs, interest cover ratios, lease doc and full doc options, GST, and the costs to weigh up.
LibraryAll home loan guides
The full library of plain-English explainers, grouped by loan type, getting approved and investing.
ReferenceMortgage glossary
Every home loan term you will meet, from LVR and LMI to offset accounts and comparison rates, defined in one sentence.
New guides, straight to your inbox
No spam, no sales calls. Just a note when we publish or refresh a guide.
Questions or feedback?
Send a correction, suggest a guide topic or leave general feedback through the secure contact form.
Contact Seek Mortgages