A couple of small lenders take the pledge
The real estate group LJ Hooker, which also has a mortgage management business, announced yesterday that it would not change the rate on its standard variable rate home loan. The company committed to holding the rate on its Classic Home Loan at 6.65 per cent until February next year. Yellow Brick Road announced that it would limit any increases to changes in the official cash rate. It said the commitment was in place until December. Hooker is a newcomer to mortgage management, although it has had a mortgage broking business for some time. After running a pilot earlier this year, it announced that it would offer its own mortgage products in July. The company is using a white label package, through Firstfolio's mortgage servicing business, Bloom. Bloom provides funding, telephone and web-based administration, and staff training. Firstfolio has funding arrangements with ING Direct, Adelaide Bank and, to a lesser degree, NAB's third party-funding arm, Advantedge.