THE PROPERTY NERDS: Stop making a mountain out of the mortgage cliff

To get the ball rolling in 2023, data nerds Arjun Paliwal and Leigh Paliwal dissect the biggest trends in finance, policy and real estate to help investors charge ahead into the new year. Arjun, founder of InvestorKit, and Leigh, director at Hills Finance, debunk the gloomy narrative around the “mortgage cliff” and “mortgage prison” borrowers are said to face this year before enumerating the strategic ways borrowers can avoid finding themselves on the edge of this financial conundrum. They discuss the latest lending data, analyse why refinancing is becoming the new norm among mortgage holders and explain why it might be time to reevaluate your loan. The pair also touches on the latest inflation data and unpack what it means for the trajectory of the Reserve Bank’s rate hike this year. Finally, they talk about the newly rolled out NSW First Home Buyer Choice scheme and pore over the pros and cons of the policy.