Money
How a deal is settled and paid, from contract to keys.
Who passed on the rate rise, and when: BOQ first, big four on 9 October
A week after the cash rate rose to 4.60 per cent, lenders have passed the increase on in full. Effective dates for Queensland borrowers run from 3 October to the middle of the month.
When the settlement system stops: outages and what happens next
Electronic settlement depends on several linked systems. This guide explains what each one does, what happened when two of them failed, and how Queensland law treats the delay.
One borrower in 50 is short each month, the RBA's stability review finds
The Reserve Bank's October review puts about 2 per cent of variable-rate owner-occupiers in a cash flow shortfall, with arrears near pre-pandemic levels and a year of repayments in reserve.
Court fines foreign owner $508,000 for leaving a block unbuilt
A Federal Court penalty of $508,000 against a foreign owner who never built on a $296,000 block shows how the four-year rule and the vacancy fee apply, in Queensland too.
One network or two: where e-conveyancing competition stands
Queensland approves two settlement networks, yet almost every sale runs on one. This guide explains what interoperability was meant to do, why it was shelved and what governs the system now.
Selling and buying on one day: simultaneous settlement in Queensland
How a Queensland household settles a sale and a purchase on the same day: tying two contracts together, the order the money moves in, and what a delay in one does to the other.
GST and Queensland property: new homes, vacant land, margin scheme
When a Queensland property sale carries GST and when it does not: new and existing homes, vacant land, the margin scheme and the amount a buyer must withhold at settlement.
Brisbane court awards agency $30,030 commission without a trial
A Brisbane magistrate gave summary judgment for an agency's commission under an exclusive Form 6 appointment, plus interest and indemnity costs. What the September decision turned on.
One broker for every 904 adults: where the home loans they write go
The MFAA's annual report counts 24,116 brokers and $495.55 billion in home loans settled in 2025, with regional banks losing ground on broker panels and clawbacks rising with refinancing.
Pre-approval explained: what a conditional approval is and is not
A pre-approval tells a buyer roughly what a lender may lend. It is not a loan. What sits behind the letter, how long it lasts, and how it fits a Queensland contract or auction.
Great Southern Bank grows home loans 7.6% with first buyers in front
The Brisbane-based customer-owned bank lifted its home loan book to $18.78 billion in 2025-26 and says it wins about 3 per cent of first home buyers, three times its share of all mortgages.
Priority notices: how a Queensland buyer's place on the title is held
Between the last title search and registration, a Queensland buyer relies on a priority notice. This guide explains what it reserves, what it lets through and how long it lasts.
GST on an agent's commission: how it is charged and shown at settlement
An agent's commission carries GST even when the home being sold does not. How the tax is built into the Queensland appointment, who can claim it back, and where it shows up in the paperwork.
Tax Institute: trust tax relief leaves State duty and GST unsolved
The Tax Institute's 18 September submission says families moving property out of a discretionary trust could get federal relief and still face full State duty and GST.
Offset balances drop by a record $8.6 billion as loan arrears climb
APRA's June quarter figures show 1.01 per cent of bank home loans are non-performing, households drawing on offset accounts, and more loans approved outside standard repayment tests.
NAB and ANZ lift fixed home loan rates, making nine lenders this month
Two of the big four raised fixed rates on 17 September, twelve days before the Reserve Bank meets. Fixed loans now cost more than variable ones, and few borrowers are choosing them.
Revenue Office drops its card surcharge as land tax falls due
From 1 October the Queensland Revenue Office will stop adding a surcharge to card payments of land tax, duty and fines. The timing matters for this year's assessments.
Money held by a Queensland agent: trust accounts and the claim fund
Deposits and rent held by a Queensland agent sit in an audited trust account. How the safeguards work, what the rare failures look like and how the claim fund repays.
After settlement: registration, keys, notices and what arrives later
Settlement takes minutes, but a Queensland sale is not finished that day. This guide covers registration, the missing title deed, who is notified and what each side still receives.
Council rates in Queensland: how the bill is built and how to object
How a Queensland council turns a land valuation into a rates bill, why a higher valuation does not mean an equal rise, and the two objections open to an owner.