Compare 90% LVR home loans Background

Compare 90% LVR home loans

Compare the top rated home loans from the Online Partners on Canstar’s database that accept an LVR of 90% and are designed for owner-occupiers making principal and interest repayments.

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The initial results in the table above are sorted by Star Rating (High-Low) , then Comparison rate^ (Low-High) , then Provider Name (Alphabetical) . Additional filters may have been applied, see top of table for details.

About 90% LVR home loans

What is a 90% LVR home loan?

A 90% LVR home loan is one where the loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is 90% – that is, the buyer has a 10% deposit and will borrow 90% of the price of the home. For example, if you wanted to buy a home worth $700,000, you would have to save a deposit of $70,000 (10%) and borrow the rest – $630,000 (or 90%) – in the form of a home loan.

Many lenders offer mortgages at 90% LVR. You can use the table at the top of this page to compare home loans that offer up to 90% LVR (from our online partners, which include a link to the provider’s website). You can change the filters to suit your needs.

What type of property can I buy with a 90% LVR home loan?

Technically, you could buy any property with a 10% deposit. When you apply for a loan, the lender is required by law to assess your application against what you’re assumed to be able to afford to repay.

Whether or not you can get a mortgage to buy a certain property with a 10% deposit will depend on this, as well as on a range of other factors, the main one being your chosen lender’s policy around loan-to-value ratios. (See the pros and cons section below for more detail.)

This could be a different story if you’re buying the property as an investment, where you could use equity from another property as collateral on a 90% LVR investment loan.

It’s good to keep in mind that if you’re a first home buyer, there could be government assistance to help you enter the market, such as First Home Owner Grants and the First Home Guarantee.

Pros and cons of a 90% LVR home loan

As with any big financial decision, it’s a good idea to weigh up the pros and cons. Some of them are listed below. You might also consider obtaining suitably qualified advice.

What are the potential benefits of a 90% LVR home loan?

  • Buying a property sooner

If you have your eye on a property, and can raise a 10% deposit, taking on a 90% LVR loan may mean you can get onto the property ladder sooner. (But keep in mind that you may have to pay extra fees and a lower deposit means more to pay back in the long run).

  • Loan repayments may be lower than rent

In some cases, it might be that loan repayments could be lower than rent. (Keep in mind that rent is typically fixed, while a home loan rate could change. There are also other costs involved in owning a home.) Plus, you wouldn’t be paying off someone else’s investment.

  • Building up equity

When you take on a home loan, and pay the balance, you build up equity in your home. This means that you may potentially be able to borrow against that equity.

What are the potential disadvantages of a 90% LVR home loan?

  • Considered a higher risk

Low-deposit mortgages, such as a 90% home loan, are typically considered by lenders as higher risk than loans with a higher deposit. This is because the bank is putting more of its money into the purchase and, if you default on the loan, the lender would have to take action to recover its loss in income (your repayments). This could mean repossessing the property and selling it.

So, applicants with a lower deposit may have to pass stricter loan conditions than borrowers with more money to contribute as a deposit. You may have to have a very good credit score, plus be able to show stable future income and to demonstrate that you can stick to a budget. You may also have to prove that the deposit is from ‘genuine savings’.

  • Loan could cost you extra – fees, interest and repayments

As you’re only contributing 10% of the property’s price, this will mean your repayments are likely to be higher than the average borrower, and you’re likely to pay more interest over the life of the loan.

The lender may also impose extra conditions and fees, or even apply a higher interest rate to these kinds of low-deposit loans. For example, you may be required to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), which protects the lender (not you) if you can’t pay your loan back.

  • Higher risk of negative equity

As you are only paying a 10% deposit, there is a higher risk that you could go into negative equity, which means that you owe more money on the home than what you would recoup if you sold it.

The market would only have to drop by 10% for you to hit negative equity at the beginning of your loan term, before you had a chance to pay off any of the principal. If you did have to sell, and the property market had slipped back by more than you owed, you could end up having no home but still having some debt to pay back to the lender.

Frequently Asked Questions about 90% LVR home loans

LVR stands for Loan to Value Ratio. It’s an indication of how much you are borrowing and how much you have as a deposit. A 90% LVR means that you are borrowing 90% of the property price and contributing a 10% deposit.

Explore further: How is LVR calculated?

How much deposit you need for a home loan depends on a few things, such as the value of the home you want to buy. A major determining factor is what deposit you need to qualify for a home loan.

While there are some loans available that require no deposit, most lenders will expect you to contribute some deposit when buying a home, and this is usually expressed as a percentage of the sale price.

There are loans available with 95% LVR, which means you’d only need a 5% deposit, but, as with 90% LVR loans, being approved for one may be harder, and the loan may cost more, than loans with a lower LVR. You may also require a guarantor.

As a guide, many lenders require anyone borrowing more than 80% of the price of the home to pay LMI, which can add a substantial amount to the cost of a loan. So, to avoid paying that extra fee, it’s a good idea to aim to save up a 20% deposit.

Explore further: How much deposit do I need for a home loan?

LMI is Lenders Mortgage Insurance. It’s a type of insurance paid by the borrower to insure the lender against any loss of income. So, if you default on your loan, the lender can claim against this insurance to cover their financial loss. It does not insure you, the borrower.

Explore further: How much is lenders mortgage insurance?

About the authors

Nina Rinella, Editor-in-Chief

Nina Rinella
As Canstar’s Editor-in-Chief, Nina heads up a team of talented journalists committed to helping empower consumers to take greater control of their finances. Nina has written countless articles about finance and has been interviewed on finance topics by media organisations including The Australian, Realestate.com.au, Domain, the Herald Sun and the Sydney Morning Herald. Previously Nina founded her own agency where she provided content and communications support to clients around Australia for 8 years. She also spent four years as the PR Manager for American Express Australia, and has worked at a Brisbane communications agency where she supported dozens of clients, including Sunsuper and Suncorp. When she’s not dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on finance, she’s taking her own advice by trying to pay her house off as quickly as possible and raising two money-savvy kids. Nina has a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English Literature from the University of Queensland. She’s also an experienced presenter, and has hosted numerous events and YouTube series. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter and Canstar on Facebook. Meet the Canstar Editorial Team. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Nina as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

Joshua Sale, Group Manager, Research & Ratings

Joshua Sale
Joshua Sale is responsible for developing the methodology and delivering Canstar’s flagship Star Ratings, as part of Canstar’s Research Team. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, he enjoys helping Australians find more suitable financial products by transforming complex calculations into a consumer-friendly Star Rating that explains the values and benefits of different financial products. As one of Canstar’s company spokespeople, Joshua is confident participating in print, radio and broadcast journalism interviews. He has participated in interviews with the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine, along with other leading media outlets, discussing topics such as home loan equity, banking incentive schemes, digital wallets and wider finance trends. You can follow Joshua on LinkedIn. Have a media enquiry, and interested in featuring Joshua as a financial expert and commentator? Contact Canstar’s Media Team today.

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For those that love the detail

This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

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Home loan Star Ratings are updated monthly. The results don’t include every provider in the market and we may not compare all features relevant to you. Current rates and fees are displayed and may be different to what was rated. You can find a description of the initial sort order below the table. You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Home Loans Star Rating Methodology. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products. The table defaults to display only home loans available to somebody borrowing 80% of the total loan amount but you can use the filters to change this. Similar products might have different features and fees depending on the amount you borrow. Contact the lender for details.

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied.  The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

What is a Target Market Determination?

A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

Why do product issuers provide Target Market Determinations?

From 5 October 2021, TMDs are compulsory for most financial products.

Issuers and distributors of financial products must take reasonable steps that are likely to result in financial products reaching consumers in the target market defined by the product issuer.

We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

Any advice on this page is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this general financial advice is right for your personal circumstances. Canstar provides information about credit products. We’re not suggesting or recommending a particular credit product for you. If you decide to apply for a loan, you will deal directly with the provider, not with Canstar. Consider the Target Market Determination (TMD) before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD. It’s important you check rates and product information directly with the provider. For more information, read our Detailed Disclosure. ^Read the Comparison Rate Warning.

Before you elect to terminate or modify existing lending arrangements, we recommend you consider (i) your personal circumstances, and (ii) any associated fees, exit costs and application costs that may be applicable as well as the impact these changes could have on you. We suggest you consider seeking independent advice from a qualified adviser.

“Interest-only loan” generally means a loan where you will only pay interest during the interest-only term. That means you won’t be making payments which reduce debt during the interest-only term.

On some Home Loan products, you can choose to be referred to a mortgage broker who has been certified by Canstar according to our certification process. Mortgage brokers may not be able to offer loans from every provider. The loans included in the table are loans that Canstar Certified Mortgage Brokers can discuss with you, if you choose to do so. There may be more suitable loans for your personal circumstances.

If a broker successfully completes the Canstar certification process, they may pay Canstar a fee to use the official Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker badge. Canstar may earn a fee from the Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker, or the broker group they are affiliated with, if you settle a Home Loan via a Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker after being referred to the broker by Canstar.  Fees payable may vary depending on the home loan product and product provider.

Not all mortgage brokers available in the market have undertaken the certification process.  Canstar has invited a limited number of brokers to undertake the process, and only those brokers who have successfully completed the certification process are entitled to use the logo and wording “Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker”. Being certified as a Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker is not a representation that the holder’s mortgage broking services are superior to all other brokers who do not hold the certification.

Canstar Certified Mortgage Brokers are independent contractors, operate under their own Australian Credit Licence, or as Credit Representatives under an Australian Credit Licence, and are not Canstar’s agent or representative. They are not Home Loan product providers, but they can make recommendations to you about Home Loan products that may suit your needs. The broker may require you to enter into an agreement with them in relation to the services they can provide.  Canstar will have no knowledge of or input into the advice and product recommendations you receive from a Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker.

If you choose to be referred to a Canstar Certified Mortgage Broker, you will be taken to have accepted Canstar’s Terms of Use.

Your use of the Canstar Group’s Mortgage Broker Referral tool does not mean that you will be eligible to be approved for any particular home loan.