Home equity tracker for Australian homeowners
Ratey brings a property-value estimate and its associated mortgage balances together so you can follow estimated equity over time. Property estimates are scheduled for monthly refreshes, and loan balances can move through monthly repayment modelling. Those figures help you notice changes and prepare questions. They are estimates based on available data and saved details; a bank statement and the lender’s accepted valuation remain important when making a borrowing decision.
By Ratey · General information for Australian borrowers.
Illustrative equity snapshot: identify what moved
Start with a $900,000 estimated property value and $520,000 mortgage balance. Total equity is $380,000 and LVR is about 57.8%. These are illustrative figures rather than a customer result.
Later, suppose the available property estimate is $910,000 and the mortgage balance used is $516,000. Estimated equity is now $394,000, an increase of $14,000: $10,000 from the changed property estimate and $4,000 from the lower balance.
Before acting on that movement, check whether $516,000 is a modelled or confirmed loan balance and when the property estimate was updated. A lender may value the home differently. The snapshot is useful for following the components, not for promising access to another $14,000.
See the two inputs behind your equity
Your property view shows the available value estimate and mortgage information. Where supplied, valuation information includes an estimate range and the update date. Equity changes when the property estimate changes, the debt changes, or both.
Use those components to interpret movement. A higher equity figure after a property update has a different cause from equity gained by repaying principal. Looking at the inputs helps avoid treating every increase as confirmed house-price growth.
If the provider cannot return a useful estimate for an address, that is a data gap. It is not evidence that the property has no value. Ratey can use a saved property estimate where available; check the basis of any figure before relying on it.
Understand what monthly tracking updates
Property valuations are scheduled for a monthly refresh. Mortgage balances are also updated through a monthly estimate of principal repayments using the saved loan information. This is modelling, so the displayed balance may differ from the lender’s actual account.
Extra repayments, missed payments, redraws, fees and changes in rate can alter the real balance. Check your saved details against a recent statement, particularly before using equity for a renovation or next-home plan. Where the app marks a missing rate as an assumption, supply the actual rate when updating the mortgage.
Open the property card’s edit controls in Portfolio to update supported property and mortgage fields. Recheck the displayed figures after saving, and compare them with your records before relying on a new equity estimate.
Use an equity movement to choose the next question
If you are thinking about refinancing, compare the current LVR and ask which valuation the lender will use. If you want to borrow for renovations, estimate the required project amount and the resulting repayments. If you are simply tracking progress, keep the estimate date visible in your own comparison.
Ratey’s public equity calculator uses an 80% property-value assumption for indicative usable equity. That planning figure is different from total equity, sale proceeds or an approved borrowing limit. The explanation page separates the security calculation from repayment assessment.
Your next-step checklist
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Common questions
Is the property estimate a bank valuation?
No. An available property estimate is not a promise that a lender will accept the same value for an application.
Are loan balances automatically reconciled with my bank?
Monthly balance tracking can use repayment estimates from saved loan information. Check the displayed balance against your statement; do not assume it reflects every transaction.
Can I try an equity estimate before signing up?
Yes. The public home equity calculator uses a property value and loan balance for a one-off estimate. The tracker is for keeping your property and mortgage information together over time.
Sources and assumptions
These primary sources support the explanations above. Examples use invented figures to show the calculation or decision; they are not available loan offers. Check your lender’s terms for your circumstances.
Calculations are estimates and do not establish borrowing eligibility. Read the calculation methodology.
Keep the property and loan picture together
Add your property and mortgage details to follow estimated equity and review the inputs over time.