In short: GNT Finance helps Vietnamese families across Australia buy their first home, with real expertise in self-employed and small-business lending, from hospitality and nail and beauty salons to grocery stores and the trades. The challenge is turning genuine cash-flow income into a strong application, and that is exactly what we do. Consultations in English, Nepali or Hindi, with an interpreter in your language on request.
The Vietnamese community is one of Australia's most entrepreneurial, and many families own the business they run: a pho restaurant, a nail salon, a grocery, a bakery, an auto or building trade. That independence is a strength, but banks often struggle to read self-employed income, especially when a business reinvests profit or runs partly on cash flow. GNT Finance specialises here. Our founder, Gorakh Timilsina, assessed hundreds of loan applications as a Senior Credit Officer before founding the firm, so we know how lenders read business financials and how to present yours so they say yes.
Who we help
Vietnamese business owners come to us running hospitality venues, nail and beauty salons, grocery and retail stores, bakeries, and building and auto trades. Some are sole traders, some run companies or trusts, and many have a spouse working in the business too. Each structure documents income differently. We work out which lender suits your setup and how much you can genuinely borrow. If you are a wage earner in the community, we help just the same, but our real edge is self-employed lending. See our self-employed loans service.
The money and document realities
The heart of it is documenting income that a lender will accept.
Full-doc lending. Most self-employed clients qualify on standard terms with two years of tax returns and financial statements, plus recent Business Activity Statements. If your business shows steady, verifiable profit, this is the cheapest path, and we present your numbers, including genuine add-backs like depreciation, so your borrowing power reflects reality. Read our self-employed home loan guide.
When the paperwork is thinner. If your latest returns are not lodged yet, or a strong recent trading period is not fully in the tax returns, some lenders accept alternative evidence such as BAS, accountant declarations or business bank statements. See low-doc loans explained. These can carry a higher rate, so we only use them when they genuinely fit.
Deposit and source of funds. However your deposit is built, from business profit, savings or a family gift, lenders need a clear, legal source-of-funds trail, and so does AUSTRAC. Cash-heavy businesses should bank income properly and consistently, because undeposited cash cannot support a loan. If any funds come from overseas, they must be lawful in the country they leave; we never advise breaching another country's rules and recommend legal advice first. See genuine savings and the documents checklist.
Visa and PR notes
Most established Vietnamese buyers are citizens or permanent residents and can buy freely, including the 5% deposit First Home Guarantee, which from October 2025 has no income caps. If you are still on a temporary visa, temporary residents generally cannot buy an established dwelling under current federal rules through 2027, though building new or buying off the plan can be possible with FIRB approval and foreign purchaser duty. See home loans for visa holders and FIRB approval for property. If you arrived recently, our guide to home loans for new migrants is a good starting point.
Where the Vietnamese community settles
In Melbourne, Sunshine and St Albans in the west are long-standing Vietnamese heartlands, along with Footscray and Springvale and Richmond. In Sydney, Cabramatta is the best-known Vietnamese centre, with Bankstown close by. Many of these are established suburbs with older housing and busy shopping strips, which is exactly where a lot of community businesses operate, so buyers here often value a broker who understands both the property and the business income behind the loan.
A worked example
Hoa and Tuan own a nail salon and are buying their first home, an established house in Sunshine at $780,000. They document income with two years of tax returns and financials plus recent BAS. With a 10% deposit of $78,000 they borrow $702,000. Because the loan is 90% of the value, lenders mortgage insurance usually applies above 80%.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $780,000 |
| Deposit (10%) | $78,000 |
| Loan amount | $702,000 |
| Monthly repayment (for illustration, at 6.00% p.a., 30-year P&I) | about $4,209 |
If they qualified for the First Home Guarantee, a 5% deposit could avoid LMI entirely. Figures are for illustration only; your rate, fees and eligibility depend on the lender and your circumstances.
Language and interpreters
Gorakh speaks English, Nepali and Hindi. For Vietnamese or any other language, we arrange a professional interpreter so you understand every document and condition. We are experienced with the paperwork self-employed Vietnamese families face, from BAS and financial statements to accountant declarations, and we make sure nothing is lost in translation. Consultations in English, Nepali or Hindi, with an interpreter in your language on request.
Frequently asked questions
I own a nail salon. How do lenders work out my income?
Most lenders use your last two years of personal tax returns and business financial statements, then add back non-cash items like depreciation to reach your assessable income. We review your figures with you, make sure genuine add-backs are counted, and pick the lender whose method gives you the fairest borrowing power. If your latest strong trading is not yet in your returns, we look at lenders that accept BAS or accountant evidence.
My business is mostly cash. Can I still get a home loan?
Yes, but the income has to be banked and shown in your accounts and tax returns. Undeposited cash cannot support a loan, because lenders can only lend against income they can verify. The best move is to bank takings consistently and lodge accurate returns for a year or two. We will tell you honestly where your figures stand and what to tidy up before applying.
I have not lodged last year's tax return yet. Do I have to wait?
Not always. Some lenders accept alternative evidence such as recent Business Activity Statements, business bank statements or an accountant's declaration under a low-doc arrangement. These can carry a higher rate, so we only use them when they genuinely suit you, and often it is worth lodging first. We will compare both paths and their costs before you decide.
Can my spouse who works in the business be on the loan?
Usually yes. If your spouse draws a wage or shares in the business income, we can include them on the application, which can lift your borrowing power. We document their role and income properly so the lender is comfortable. Family-run businesses are very common in the Vietnamese community, and lenders are used to seeing a couple behind one enterprise.
Talk to GNT Finance
If you run a business and a bank has made your income sound like a problem, we would like to show you the lenders who see it as a strength. We will structure your application around how your business really earns and take it to the right lender. There is no cost to you for our home-loan service in most cases. Book a free consultation or call 0426 403 703. Our English-language service and Nepali mortgage broker service cover all of Australia by phone and video, with interpreters on request.
This page is general information only and not legal, tax, migration or financial advice. Laws and lender policies change, and rules on moving money differ by country. Confirm your position with a licensed professional, and get legal advice before transferring funds from overseas.
Written by Gorakh Timilsina
Founder, CEO & Senior Mortgage Consultant at GNT Finance. Gorakh started as a broker assistant, spent years as a senior credit officer assessing loan applications, and now helps Melbourne families get the right loan approved. English, Nepali and Hindi spoken.