Keeping Track Of Home Loans Before And After

HOME Loan Assistant, from Intuit, handles loan information before and after committing to a property.

Before buying a house, the package reminds users of items to be checked at a property inspection. Records can be kept of properties you're interested in, including purchase price, purchase costs and a stamp duty calculator.

Before entering into a home loan, the cashflow option creates a personal budget which helps determine how much can be comfortably borrowed.

Once a loan is secured, the package offers ongoing monitoring of repayments, taking into account lump-sum payments and other fees. A debt/equity graph displays the outstanding balance while the interest/principal graph monitors interest repayments and outstanding principal.

Some banks carry their own versions of mortgage simulator software. St George Bank's free home loan manager offers basic calculation tools and background on the bank's loan products.

But Home Loan Assistant's $45 price tag is not too much to pay for an independent package.