When buying a home, most people focus on the purchase price — but the real cost lies in the interest rate attached to your home loan. Over time, even a small difference in your rate can significantly change how much you pay overall. In today’s market, understanding this could be the difference between a manageable bond and long-term financial pressure....
For years, South African homeowners watched one number to understand affordability: the interest rate. When the repo rate moved, buyers rushed to act, sellers adjusted prices, and homeowners recalculated their monthly repayments. Property decisions largely revolved around what the bank would charge you to borrow money. But increasingly, that isn’t the number catching new homeowners off guard....
South Africa’s property market has changed. For the past decade, sellers could afford optimism. Interest rates were lower, buyers stretched budgets more easily, and demand in many suburbs carried listings that were potentially priced slightly above market value. Today, buyers simply can’t....
South Africa’s 2026 National Budget Speech, delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, is about far more than tax tables and headline numbers. For property buyers and homeowners, the budget sets the financial backdrop against which decisions about buying, selling, refinancing, or simply holding onto a home are made....
Even small monthly top-ups can shave years off a home loan and save hundreds of thousands of rands in interest. The earlier extra repayments are made, the greater the benefit — especially while interest rates remain elevated.South Africa’s Reserve Bank (SARB) has opted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.75% following its first Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of 2026. While many homeowners and...
Homeowners and prospective home buyers often consider fixing the interest rate on their home loans, and with inflation concerns, rising living costs, and an upcoming repo rate announcement, this has once again become a key talking point....
South Africa’s housing market continued to build on its steady recovery in August 2025, with the latest FNB House Price Index (HPI) showing the fastest annual growth in more than three years. Despite muted mortgage lending, demand resilience, shifting buyer preferences, and regional momentum are underpinning the positive trend....
The latest FNB Property Barometer for July 2025 shows that South Africa’s housing market is holding steady, with the FNB House Price Index (HPI) averaging 3.7% year-on-year. June’s figure was also revised up from 3.2% to match July’s 3.7%, signalling a notable moment — house prices are now rising slightly faster than inflation....
The latest FNB Estate Agent Survey for the second quarter of 2025 reveals a slight cooling in South Africa’s residential property market. While activity and sentiment have dipped compared to the previous quarter, the affordable housing segment continues to shine, driven by interest rate cuts and increased demand from first-time buyers....
South Africa’s property market is showing early signs of recovery, with the latest FNB House Price Index (HPI) revealing an increase to 1.2% year-over-year (y/y) in January 2025—the highest growth rate since June 2023. While still subdued, this trend signals improving buyer confidence, fuelled by easing financial pressures and shifting lending conditions....