Research conducted by HSBC in 2019, identified Australia as the seventh-highest property-obsessed nation in the world. Your house is one of the biggest purchases you will make throughout your life. Therefore, understanding home loans is an important aspect of property purchase. A home loan is the amount of money lent to the borrower by a financial institution, secured against the property for a specific term - typically, this will be a period of 25 to 30 years. The borrower and the lender also agree on the interest payable and the repayment schedule. The interest can be fixed or variable depending upon the agreement between the borrower and the lender. The repayment schedule can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly.