Latest from Marva Collins
New guidance every week, alternating between property and finance so neither side gets left behind.
-
What Happens During the Cooling-Off Period (and What to Check)
Cooling-off periods give buyers a short window to walk away — but the rules differ by state and situation. Here’s the general shape of it.
-
How Borrowing Capacity Is Actually Calculated
Borrowing capacity is about more than your income. Here’s what lenders actually look at.
-
Fixed vs Variable: A Practical Comparison for First-Time Buyers
Neither option is universally ‘better’ — it depends on your tolerance for rate movement and how flexible you need your loan to be.
-
Understanding LMI: When It Applies and How to Avoid It
Lenders Mortgage Insurance protects the lender, not you — and it’s avoidable in more situations than buyers often realise.
-
What Does a Buyer’s Agent Actually Do? (and What They Don’t)
A buyer’s agent works for you, not the seller — but the exact scope of what they do varies a lot between firms.
-
How to Interview a Buyer’s Agent: 12 Questions Worth Asking
Not all buyer’s agents operate the same way. These questions surface the differences that actually matter.
START HERE
New to property buying? Start with the fundamentals.
Our First-Home Buyer’s Guide walks through the whole process in order — budgeting, sale methods, negotiation, and whether a buyer’s agent is worth it for you — so you’re not piecing it together from ten different browser tabs.
Independent editorial voice
We’re not a buyer’s agency. We write to help you understand the process, not to sell you a service.
Disclosed partnerships
Where we mention a specific buyer’s agent, broker, or lender, we tell you plainly whether it’s a commercial relationship.
A real team behind the byline
Marva Collins is written by a small team with backgrounds in property and finance — not a single anonymous voice.
One email a month. No sales pitch.
A short digest of what we’ve published, sent monthly — useful if you’re buying in the next year and don’t want to check back every week.