Bankwest (full name: Bank of Western Australia) is a full service bank and a subsidiary of Commonwealth Bank. Headquartered in Perth, Bankwest was initially a Western Australian only bank but in 2007 began an initiative to expand service into all states and challenge the so called “big four banks” – NAB, Westpac, ANZ and CBA, an initiative which ended with the sale of Bankwest to CBA (one of the big four) in 2008. But by the initiative’s conclusion Bankwest had already become a full service national bank with branches in all major states, as well as a reputation for offering more value for money and more intimate service than the big four traditional banks.

In terms of home loan and mortgage products, Bankwest offers a wide range of loans and mortgages to suit all needs, whether you’re a first time buyer or looking to refinance. Their current (as of time of writing) most publicised offering is the Premium Select Home Loan, for new borrowers borrowing over $200,000 at least, the loan offers a 0.85% pa lifetime discount for loans up to 75% of the property value. Other mortgage products include low deposit loans like the Mortgage Shredder account which allows you to borrow up to 95% of your property value, as well as lighter mortgages like the Low Doc Home Loan which requires very minimal paperwork (suitable for self-employed or independently wealthy people) and offers a low interest rate (as of time of writing) of 7.2% pa., for people borrowing less than 60% of the property value. The Super Start home loan is also touted as being a great flexible loan for both first time buyers and refinancers, with a 0.80% pa discount on interest for the first three years and no ongoing maintenance fees.In addition, many of Bankwest’s home loans also currently carry a $0 application fee for a limited time, to entice more home buyers to go with Bankwest.