Dye your own eggs

Dyeing and decorating eggs is a great way to get into the spirit of Easter, particularly if you have children. It’s super easy and fun! Simply boil up some eggs then make the colouring. Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 20 drops of food colouring in 1 cup of hot water. For different colouring effects, leave the eggs submerged for different amounts of time. Get creative with glitter, stickers and multiple colours, and let the good times roll!

Easter egg hunt

Easter egg hunts conjure up fond childhood memories for many of us, so why not celebrate this year with an egg hunt in your backyard? You could even go all out and make it a clue-based Easter egg hunt if your players are a little older. If you’re looking for an egg hunt on a bigger scale, check out your local entertainment guides or newspapers. There may be community events such as this Easter egg hunt and family picnic in Melbourne.

Easter brunch for the adults

Another idea is to host a lavish Easter brunch and invite your nearest and dearest. There are plenty of great Easter recipes online, for example, this lamb recipe with caramelised onion and carrots sounds divine. If you’re looking for a dessert to ‘wow’ your guests, try making this hot cross bun and rhubarb cheesecake. It’s positively decadent!

Volunteer

Taking part in a feel-good activity like volunteering is be a wonderful way to celebrate Easter. You could help in a soup kitchen or lend a hand at your local opportunity shop. Retirement villages often need volunteers to chat to the elderly and keep them company. For inspiration, check out the volunteer opportunities on GoVolunteer. There are heaps of options, from becoming a volunteer tutor to refugee high school students to doing some light gardening in an aged care facility. You may even be able to find a volunteer activity for the whole family!

Real story of Easter

If Easter has religious significance for you, you may like to share the story of Easter with the kids. You could curl up on the couch as a family and watch biblical moves, or check whether your local church has any special Easter services or displays.

Host an Easter hat parade

New clothes, or a new hat at Easter is an ancient tradition, but these days it’s the realm of little kids who love getting crafty and dressing up. Celebrate both tradition old and new, by hosting an Easter hat parade! Invite all your kids’ friends to put their creative thinking caps on and bring their Easter hats to the party. Prizes for originality are a must.

Bake an Easter bunny cake

If you love seeing the ubiquitous Easter bunny at this time of year, why not bring him into your home as well? You could bake an Easter bunny cake and enlist the help of your kids. If cooking isn’t your strong point, here’s a great recipe for an Easter bunny cake, complete with a how-to video.

Make Easter basket gifts

Making an Easter basket is another fun activity to do with the kids. Why not move away from traditional baskets and go for a non-conventional design? You could use a glass jar and turn it into a terrarium filled with Easter eggs and decorations. Alternatively, transform an old watering can into an eye-catching Easter “basket” by getting creative with some ribbon. Check out this slide show for inspiration.

Make Easter cards

Put the kids to work making Easter cards for family and friends. It’ll keep them busy and the recipients will love receiving a handmade gift from a child in the mail. Cut up last year’s cards or collect Easter-themed cut-outs from junk mail advertisements. Discount stores usually stock a treasure trove of creative bits and pieces for this kind of activity.

Have a toy exchange

Recycle and spoil the kids at the same time by hosting a toy exchange or swap party! Go through your little one’s belongings and purge any unwanted items (you may have to do this when they’re not around). Invite other mums to do the same. You could make it fun by giving the kids “tokens” to redeem for new toys. Anything that’s left over at the end could go to your local charity shop.

We hope you find these Easter celebration ideas handy! We’d like to wish you and your family all the best for the Easter Holidays. Remember to give your Element Finance mortgage broker in Joondalup and Fremantle a call if you need support for your Autumn property purchasing plans, once the break is over. We’d love to hear from you.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 29% of Australian households are classified as ‘over-indebted’. The most common form of debt is credit card debt, which is currently a real bother to about 55% of us!

If you want to clear your debts faster, particularly credit card debts, the trick is finding ways to save on interest, so your money goes towards paying down your debt rather than maintaining it. This could mean rolling all your debts into one loan with a lower interest rate. We could help you do this with a personal loan, or perhaps by refinancing your home loan to pay off your debts. Call us if you want to talk turkey on debt consolidation!

2. What’s the best way to save for my child’s education?

Dreaming of your child becoming a Nobel Prize winner one day? Then a great education is key. Paying for something like a four year university degree twenty years from now is not so much a question of saving your extra pennies, but putting your money to work for you so it generates money for the future. Ideas? Use your home as a money tree – put any extra money you’ve got into your home loan now, then access the equity to invest as soon as you can. Or if you already have plenty of equity, talk to us about refinancing now to get a deposit for an investment property or some other form of investment.

3. How can I take a year off work to travel when I’ve got a mortgage?

Ah-ha! A tricky one, but talk with us because there are a number of things we could do to help, depending on your personal financial situation and how much equity you have in your home. For example, we could crunch the numbers for you to see if renting out your property would cover your repayments while you’re away. Or to make that strategy work for you, potentially negotiate with your lender so you could switch to interest-only for a while to reduce the size of your loan repayments. We may even be able to refinance your loan to help you cover some of your travel costs, and at the same time, extend your loan period to reduce your repayments so a renter could cover them.

4. My car loan repayments are a killer! What can I do about it?

Refinancing your car loan is not out of the question. If you got your car loan from a car dealership, chances are you’re paying a whopping interest rate – we recently heard of a client who was paying as much as 14.5% pa. If this is the case for you, we could potentially find you a loan with a lower interest rate, or extend your loan terms to reduce your repayments. It may even be possible to roll your car loan into your home loan. Talk to us and we’ll see what options are available for you, or if you want to purchase a car this year – we are here to help set you up for success.

5. I’ve always wanted a jet-ski. Is it possible to get a loan for that?

Yes! Even though we usually specialise in home loans, we can also access great loan options for other large purchases. We call these ‘lifestyle assets’ – which covers everything from jet-skis and boats, to other items you may need like cars, caravans, campervans and even horse trailers! Give us a call – you’ll be surprised how quickly we can get it organised.

6. I work for myself. Would I still be able to get a loan?

If you are self-employed, there is no reason why you can’t get a home loan if you have a steady income. We can also help you with finance for commercial vehicles, equipment you may need for your business, or insurance to cover your business and personal needs. Why not talk to us now? The right way forward for you depends on your current personal financial situation and future goals.

Got a twisty one? Go ahead and ask us!

We’re always available to help you with managing your finances and credit facilities. We at Element Finance Joondalup and Fremantle are very much looking forward to helping you get ahead in 2018, so if you have a question, please give us a call. We’re happy to help.

One of the biggest mistakes first-timers make is not booking a site in advance in the camping hot spots. The most popular locations can be booked out months ahead, so secure your site in each place you want to visit before you set off. If you’re on a budget, there are a number of free camping sites around Australia – check them out at www.freecampingaustralia.com.au

2. Allow enough time to get there in daylight.

Towing a caravan takes practice. You have to reduce your speed, allow for the wind factor and avoid creating a traffic jam that goes on for miles. It pays to start early to avoid heavy traffic and so you can arrive at your destination and set up whilst it is still light.

3. Practice reversing.

Reversing the caravan is a difficult skill to master so we recommend you practice at home. It helps if you have a partner to give you directions – walkie talkies can be a big help and will save you yelling and attracting an audience.

4. Get caravan insurance.

When you’re towing your own accommodation, it pays to get an insurance policy. Check out insurance that covers you for loss or damage anywhere in Australia due to accidents, storms, impact, vandalism, fire and theft. It’s also a good idea to ensure it covers your caravan contents.

5. Don’t leave the Esky outside.

Don’t make this newbie mistake! The interior space in a caravan is limited, so when bedtime rolls around, you might be tempted to put the Esky outside the door. This attracts the local wildlife and in the morning, there is no food left or your campsite is destroyed. If there is no room for you and all of your foodstuffs inside the van, put them in the car at night.

6. Laundry facilities may be limited.

There will come a time when you have to do some washing. Most good caravan parks provide laundry facilities, but it’s Murphy’s Law that everyone will want to use them at the same time. Consider doing your laundry at night. Remember to bring your own pegs.

7. Don’t rely on the kids for company.

Caravan parks offer great amenities for the kids. You can usually let them do their own thing without worry, but you’ll probably only see them when they’re hungry. Bring a good book.

8. Plan your meals.

If you’re going somewhere off the beaten track, there may be no local shop if you run out of essentials. Always bring plenty of fresh drinking water – the local water may not be drinkable.

9. Don’t depend on a campfire.

Don’t count on using a campfire to cook with. In many locations, campfires are prohibited or there may be fire bans. If it rains, you may not be able to light a fire. If your van doesn’t have cooking facilities, bring a BBQ.

10. Bring a first-aid kit.

It should include band-aids, bandages, antiseptic, sterile wipes, sunburn ointment, insect repellent, insect sting lotion, and burn cream. You should also include tweezers, scissors, safety pins and a knife.

In the market for a new caravan?

This is a great time of year to buy a new caravan. And if you need finance, talk to us! We can help you with a suitable loan for all kinds of large purchases – not just home loans. There’s still plenty of time to take advantage of the great summer weather and you’ll be surprised how quickly we can get a loan organised for you. Give us a call at Element Finance Joondalup and Fremantle!

Income Protection

This type of insurance provides an income safety net should you become sick or injured and are unable to work and make your home loan repayments. You may also like to consider trauma/critical illness cover, total and permanent disability insurance and life insurance – that way if you are unable to go back to work, you won’t lose your home.

Mortgage Protection 

Mortgage Protection insurance covers the cost of your mortgage repayments if you die, or become seriously ill. It should be noted that it is only meant to cover your mortgage repayments and not any other expenses for you or your family. It may be a wise choice if you already have some other kind of life insurance – say with your super plan.

Building & Contents

Building or home insurance protects against the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home from things that are outside your control, like fire or natural disasters. You can opt for total replacement cover (to rebuild your home as it was prior to the event), or sum-insured cover (coverage up to a certain amount). When you buy a home, your mortgage broker will most likely recommend that you insure the property before settlement day.

When choosing your policy, make sure you have the right amount of coverage, as well as the right type of insurance for your actual needs. Talk to us, as we are an invaluable source of information to help you determine this.

Contents insurance protects your belongings, including carpets, rugs and curtains, in events such as fires, storms or theft. Often it will be bundled together with home insurance. Many people consider it a must-have to protect from those smaller disasters – even a contained kitchen fire could render your home unliveable until you can repair the damage!

How can your mortgage broker help?

We can access some of Australia’s most respected insurance providers, and offer you a competitive price on your insurance needs. What’s great is that we can do it all – from setting you up with a home loan that meets your financial circumstances, and also help you to arrange the right insurance to protect you and your family. You’ll find we can offer a range of options and make it easy. You may also be able to save by bundling insurances together, so please get in touch today! 

Capital growth potential 

Capital growth is the increase in value of a property over a period of time. Investors use a range of strategies to build wealth, and looking for the properties that are most likely to experience significant capital growth, is often high on their radar.

So, how do you find an investment property with solid capital growth potential? Look for locations and suburbs experiencing economic growth. Economic growth creates jobs, which brings more people to an area, which may flow through to the property market via increased demand for housing. Greater demand means more chance of capital growth.

Next, be sure to choose an investment property that is close to amenities such as schools, shopping centres and public transport – when an area is experiencing economic growth, these properties will be in the most demand.

Rental returns

Some investors choose to focus on properties with a high rental yield, rather than just looking at capital growth potential. The rental yield is the rate of income return compared to the costs associated with the investment property. It’s typically expressed as a percentage, and may be calculated as a gross or net figure.

Investors who are following a rental yield strategy will typically look for areas where rents are high compared to the property value. Talk to us as we have access to have access to exclusive property tools to help you locate a suitable area.

Low maintenance costs

As an investor, it’s wise to opt for a low-maintenance property. They not only cost less to keep, but they’re less hassle too. Units can be easier and cheaper to maintain than old houses for example, but keep in mind you’ll most likely have to pay body corporate fees.

Ways to add value 

When choosing an investment property, ask yourself whether there is room for improvement, or ways to add value. You might not renovate it right away, but when you do, be sure to do plenty of research to find out what’s in high demand. Ask your local real estate agents what kinds of property features resonate well with tenants and future buyers in the area.

Choosing the right investment property requires careful research and planning. Luckily, one area you don’t have to worry about is finding the right investment loan for your specific needs. We can take care of finding you a loan product that matches your financial circumstances, while working with your investment goals. Please call us today!