What is the future for Low Doc Home Loans?

Low Doc Loans have been around for many years. Previously low doc loans were done through solicitors funds at around 66%.

Over time, the banks then started to slowly start to enter this space. In 2005, the RBA commented about Low Doc Loans.

For the full article.

With the beginning of the credit crisis in 2008, there was a general tightening of lending across the board. Much of this was to do with bad credit. There has been confusion between bad credit and Low Doc Loans. In Australia they are different. Most Low Doc loans in Australia are for self employed with minimal paperwork and are normally clean credit.

Standard & Poor’s in October 2009, has indicated Low Doc Loans in Australia are not a problem.

Standard & Poor’s has backed the government’s decision to direct the Australia Office of Financial Management to invest in residential mortgage backed securities with a higher proportion of small business loans when it invests the additional $8 billion the government has allocated to support new RMBS issues.

For the full article.

Low Doc Loans are still being written, but they change as the credit markets change. With the norm for the banks now being 60%, Low Doc Loans have effectively gone full circle. Low Doc Loans without BAS at 80% are still possible, however they will be priced according to risk.

With this in mind, even though lending for Low Doc Loans has tightened, with the credit markets starting to free up again, over time, Low Doc lending will also start to free up again as well.

If you want to know the future for Low Doc Loans, one guide is to look at the general credit markets. When things are perceived as bad, low doc lending will be tight. When things are perceived as optimistic, low doc lending will be more liberal.

Since writing this post in late 2009, in March 2010 Macquarie has already returned to the low doc market. This is an indication of where we are heading and it has happened quite quickly.

Macquarie Low Doc Loans

Given the current credit climate it may also be timely to remind customers of the risks associated with Low Doc Loans. The following from ASIC may help.

The above is information only and not advice.

4 thoughts on “What is the future for Low Doc Home Loans?

  1. In the interim, even though most Low Doc Loans are now done at 60%, there are still lenders out there who will do an 80% purchase Low Doc Home Loan without BAS statements.

  2. St George have announced that effective 19 September 2009 a Low Doc Home Loans application must be supported by Business Activity Statements (BAS) for the last 12 months

  3. With Westpac now announcing they will also require BAS statements, RAMS will also move, either Wednesday or Thursday this week

  4. There has been a continuation by the lenders to decrease the lending ratios in regards to Low Doc Loans. Previously, the norm had been 80%, however we are now seeing this ratio being wound back by the banks and the norm becoming 60% for well priced Low Doc Loans. We are now witnessing a further distinction being made between purchases and refinances.

    How long this will stay for for no one knows, however as previously stated at some stage this will this free up, as market competition come into play.

    Are Low Doc Home Loans dead, as some in the media have said? No, they are simply going through a period of re rating.

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