Home loan guides written by a former credit officer
Eighty-six guides with worked examples in Melbourne dollars. Start with the first home buyer guide, or jump to refinancing and investing.
First home buyers
Buying a home with a guarantor: how family guarantee loans work
A guarantor lets you buy with little or no deposit and no LMI using a parent's home as security. How it works in Victoria, the risks, and ho…
Read guideFamily Home Guarantee: buying with a 2% deposit as a single parent
The Family Home Guarantee lets eligible single parents buy with a 2% deposit and no LMI. Eligibility, price caps and a worked $650,000 Melbo…
Read guideThe complete first home buyer guide for Victoria (2026)
Victorian first home buyer guide 2026: deposit, stamp duty exemption, $10,000 grant, 5% deposit guarantee, pre-approval and a step-by-step t…
Read guideFirst Home Guarantee: how to buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI
The First Home Guarantee lets eligible Victorians buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI, no income caps, up to $950,000 in Melbourne. Eligibility…
Read guideFirst Home Owner Grant in Victoria: the $10,000 grant explained
Victoria's $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes up to $750,000: who qualifies, how to apply via your lender, when it is paid and how…
Read guideFirst Home Super Saver Scheme: how to save a deposit inside super
How the First Home Super Saver scheme works: $15,000 a year, $50,000 maximum release, the 30% tax offset, and how much faster a Melbourne de…
Read guideGenuine savings explained: what counts and what doesn't
Genuine savings means 5% of the price held 3 months in your name. What counts, what doesn't, how gifts and rent history work for Melbourne f…
Read guideHelp to Buy shared equity scheme: how it works in Victoria
Help to Buy lets you buy with a 2% deposit while the government takes up to a 40% equity share. Eligibility, income caps, VIC price cap and …
Read guideHow much deposit do you need to buy a house in Victoria?
Work out the deposit you need for a home in Melbourne: 5%, 10% and 20% on $500k–$800k, LMI costs, upfront fees and how to buy sooner with a …
Read guideStamp duty for first home buyers in Victoria: exemptions and concessions
First home buyers in Victoria pay no stamp duty up to $600,000 and a sliding concession to $750,000. Duty at every price point, eligibility …
Read guideGetting approved & choosing a loan
Buying at auction in Victoria
How to buy at auction in Melbourne: unconditional contracts, no cooling-off, the 10% deposit, finance and valuation risks, plus a pre-auctio…
Read guideBuying off the plan in Victoria: what to know before you sign
Buying off the plan in Melbourne can cut stamp duty and unlock the $10,000 grant, but valuation and sunset risks are real. Finance, duty and…
Read guideComparison rate explained: what it is and how to use it
The comparison rate rolls a loan's rate and most fees into one figure on a $150,000 loan. What it includes, what it misses and how to compar…
Read guideCredit score and home loans: what lenders actually look for
What credit score you need for a home loan in Australia, how lenders read your report, and how to lift your score before you apply. Melbourn…
Read guideFixed vs variable rate home loans in Australia
Fixed or variable home loan? Compare repayments, break costs, flexibility and split loans with worked Melbourne examples and learn which sui…
Read guideThe home buying process in Victoria, step by step
The full home buying process in Melbourne from deposit and pre-approval to Section 32 review, finance approval and settlement, with timeline…
Read guideHome loan documents checklist: everything your lender will ask for
Complete 2026 home loan document list: ID, payslips, bank statements, self-employed financials, gift letters and grant forms. Get approved f…
Read guideHome loan pre-approval: what it is, how long it lasts and how to get it
Home loan pre-approval sets your budget before you make an offer. How it works, how long it lasts, the documents you need and the Melbourne …
Read guideHouse and land packages versus established homes: which is right for you
Compare a house-and-land package with an established home in Melbourne's north: duty on land only, the $10,000 grant, construction loans and…
Read guideHow to improve your borrowing power
Practical ways to lift how much a lender will approve: cut card limits, clear small debts, tidy expenses, pick the right lender. Melbourne w…
Read guideOffset account vs redraw facility explained
Offset or redraw? See how each cuts home loan interest, the tax and access differences, and a worked $600,000 Melbourne example showing how …
Read guideUnderstanding LVR and LMI
LVR decides whether you pay lenders mortgage insurance. How it is calculated, what LMI costs at 85, 90 and 95% LVR, and how Melbourne buyers…
Read guideRefinancing & investing
How to use equity to buy an investment property
How usable home equity at 80% LVR funds the deposit and stamp duty on a Melbourne investment property: tables, an Epping worked example and …
Read guideInvestment property guide for Melbourne buyers
How to buy an investment property in Melbourne: deposit, stamp duty, investment loan rules, yield, cashflow, land tax and CGT, with worked d…
Read guideNegative gearing explained
Negative gearing explained with a worked Melbourne example at 2026–27 tax rates: how a rental loss cuts your tax, what it really costs per w…
Read guidePositive versus negative gearing
Positive vs negative gearing compared with two Melbourne examples: cashflow, tax at 2026-27 rates, the effect on borrowing power, and which …
Read guideThe complete guide to refinancing your home loan
Refinancing guide for Melbourne home owners: why people refinance, the step-by-step process, real costs, break-even maths, LVR rules and the…
Read guideRentvesting in Melbourne: rent where you want to live, buy where the numbers work
Rentvesting in Melbourne: rent in Coburg or Preston, buy an investment in Mickleham or Wollert. Costs, tax, lender rules, pros and cons and …
Read guideSMSF property investment guide
How an SMSF buys property via a limited recourse borrowing arrangement: bare trust structure, deposit and lender rules, a $600,000 Melbourne…
Read guideWhen to refinance your home loan
When to refinance your home loan: the signals that mean it's time, when to hold off, and what a 0.25% to 1% rate gap is worth on a Melbourne…
Read guideHome loans by visa
Home loans on a bridging visa
Can you buy a house on a bridging visa? Why you are still a foreign person, what FIRB and duty cost you, and which lenders will look at a br…
Read guideBuying property in Australia as a temporary resident
Can I get a home loan on a 482 visa? Yes, with FIRB approval and 20% deposit. Lender rules by visa, the 8% VIC foreign buyer duty and a work…
Read guideHome loans by visa subclass
Which Australian visas can get a home loan? Compare 500, 485, 482, 189, 190, 491, 820, 309, 186 and bridging visas on FIRB, deposit, LVR and…
Read guideHome loans for new migrants and permanent residents
Home loan for new migrants: how permanent residents borrow up to 95%, use the First Home Guarantee and VIC duty exemption, and beat a thin c…
Read guideHome loans for New Zealand citizens on a 444 visa
New Zealanders on a subclass 444 visa are exempt from FIRB and, if resident, from Victoria's 8% foreign duty. What you can access and what t…
Read guideHome loans on a 186 or 187 employer sponsored visa
The 186 and 187 are permanent visas, so no FIRB and no foreign duty surcharge. What changes on grant day, and whether to buy before or after…
Read guideHome loans on a 189 or 190 skilled visa
A 189 or 190 skilled visa makes you a permanent resident: no FIRB, no foreign duty surcharge, established homes and a 5% deposit. What lende…
Read guideHome loans on an offshore partner visa (309 and 100)
Just arrived on a 309 partner visa? How FIRB, the foreign duty surcharge and lender rules work when you have an Australian partner but no Au…
Read guideHome loans on a 482 Skills in Demand visa
Buying a home on a 482 Skills in Demand visa: FIRB approval, the 8% foreign purchaser duty, realistic LVR limits and a full worked cost on a…
Read guideHome loans on a 485 temporary graduate visa
Can you buy a home on a 485 visa? What subclass 485 graduates can buy, the FIRB and duty surcharge cost, lender rules on short visas and a w…
Read guideHome loans on a 491 or 494 regional visa
Buying on a 491 or 494 regional provisional visa: FIRB approval, the foreign duty surcharge, where you must live and how regional postcodes …
Read guideHome loans on a student visa (subclass 500)
Can a student visa holder buy property in Australia? What subclass 500 holders can buy, why most lenders decline, and the joint purchase rou…
Read guideHome loans on a partner visa (820 and 801)
On an 820 partner visa you can skip FIRB and the 8% foreign duty by buying as joint tenants with your Australian partner. What still costs y…
Read guideIncome, employment & lender policy
Buy now pay later and your home loan
How BNPL accounts show up in your statements and credit file, how lenders treat the limits and repayments, and exactly how to close them bef…
Read guideCasual and contract income home loans
How a credit assessor reads casual, contract and labour-hire income: how long you need, what percentage of it counts, and which documents wi…
Read guideCentrelink and family payments as income
Which Centrelink payments lenders accept for a home loan, which they will not, what evidence proves them, and how family payments change you…
Read guideForeign currency income home loans
How lenders convert and shade overseas income for an Australian loan, which currencies are accepted, what documents prove it, and the maximu…
Read guideLiving expenses and HEM explained
What the Household Expenditure Measure is, how lenders compare it with your declared living expenses, and exactly what a 90-day statement re…
Read guideLow doc home loans explained
Low doc home loans explained for self-employed Melbourne buyers: documents that replace tax returns, LVR limits, the rate premium and a Sunb…
Read guideOvertime, bonus and commission income
How lenders shade overtime, bonuses and commission when they assess a home loan, how much history you need, what proves it, and the borrowin…
Read guideParental leave and home loans
How lenders assess income while you are on parental leave, what a return-to-work letter must say, how childcare hits expenses, and the borro…
Read guideProbation and new job home loans
Can you get a home loan on probation? How lenders assess a new job, what employment evidence works, when to wait, and what a job change cost…
Read guideRental income and how lenders shade it
Why lenders count only 80% of your rent, how short-stay, granny flats and vacancies are treated, gross versus net, and what the shading cost…
Read guideSecond job and multiple incomes
How lenders assess a second job, side income and multiple employers for a home loan, how long you need, what proves it, and what the policy …
Read guideSelf-employed home loan guide
How lenders assess self-employed income for a home loan: tax returns, add-backs, ABN and GST rules, company and trust structures, plus a Tar…
Read guideHome loans by occupation
Home loans for aged care and disability support workers
How lenders assess aged care and disability support income: casual shifts, penalty rates, sleepovers, two employers and NDIS sole-trader ABN…
Read guideHome loans for hospitality workers
How lenders assess hospitality income: casual loading, penalty and split shifts, tips and cash income, and venue ownership as self-employmen…
Read guideHome loans for IT contractors
How lenders assess IT contractor income: PAYG contracts versus a Pty Ltd or trust, day rates, gaps between contracts and the two-year ABN ru…
Read guideHome loans for rideshare and delivery drivers
How lenders assess Uber, rideshare and delivery income: ABN returns, platform statements, depreciation add-backs, vehicle finance and the tw…
Read guideHome loans for teachers
How lenders assess teacher income: permanent versus fixed-term contracts, CRT and casual relief work, school holiday pay cycles, and salary …
Read guideHome loans for truck drivers and transport operators
How lenders assess truck driver income: employee versus owner driver, per-kilometre and load rates, travel and meal allowances, and existing…
Read guideNurses and healthcare worker home loans
How lenders count shift penalties and allowances, the LMI waivers open to some nurses and midwives, agency versus permanent work, and overse…
Read guideProperty types and evidence
Apartment size and lender restrictions
Why lenders knock back small apartments: the 50 square metre rule, building exposure caps, studios, student and serviced apartments, and com…
Read guideFlood, bushfire and insurance risk in home lending
How flood and bushfire overlays, BAL ratings and unaffordable insurance premiums affect valuations, lender policy and borrowing power, with …
Read guideGranny flat and dual occupancy finance
How lenders value a granny flat, whether the rent counts for servicing, construction loan versus equity release, and a worked example on a $…
Read guideHard-to-finance property types
Serviced apartments, boarding houses, company title, display homes and warehouse conversions: why lenders restrict them, typical maximum LVR…
Read guideLetters and declarations lenders ask for
Gift letters, employment letters, accountant declarations and rent-free stat decs: what each must contain, who signs, and what a credit asse…
Read guideLow valuation: what it means and what to do about it
Why a bank valuation comes in under the contract price, what the shortfall really costs you in cash, and five practical options including ho…
Read guideOwner-builder and kit home finance
Why lenders cap owner-builder loans at a low LVR, how kit and modular home deposits fall outside construction finance, and a worked progress…
Read guidePostcode and location lender policy
How lenders restrict LVR by postcode: inner-city high density, mining towns, small rural centres and the 2 hectare land rule, plus how to ch…
Read guideMortgage repayments by loan amount
Monthly principal and interest repayments on $300,000 to $1,000,000 home loans at illustrative rates of 5.00% to 7.00%, over 30 and 25 years…
Read guideShort-stay and Airbnb income
How lenders assess short-stay rental income, owners corporation bans, insurance gaps, land tax and Victoria's short stay levy, with a full s…
Read guideSpecial situations
Breaking a fixed-rate loan: how break costs work
Break costs on a fixed rate loan explained: how lenders calculate them, a $500,000 worked example, when breaking pays, alternatives and how …
Read guideBuying property in a company or trust
Family trusts, unit trusts and companies for property: land tax surcharges, no CGT discount, no main residence exemption and director guaran…
Read guideConstruction loan progress payments explained
How construction loan progress payments work in Victoria: the six build stages, interest during the build, and a Donnybrook house-and-land w…
Read guideCross-collateralisation explained
What cross-collateralisation is, why lenders like it, what it costs you when you sell or refinance, and how to un-cross a property portfolio…
Read guideDebt consolidation through your home loan
Debt consolidation home loan guide: roll car loans, personal loans and cards into your mortgage, the true 30-year cost, better structures an…
Read guideDebt recycling explained
How debt recycling turns a non-deductible home loan into deductible investment debt, why the loan must be split, a worked example and the ri…
Read guideDepreciation and tax deductions for property investors
How capital works at 2.5% and plant and equipment depreciation work, the 2017 second-hand rule, quantity surveyor schedules and new versus e…
Read guideHow mortgage brokers get paid in Australia (and why it usually costs you nothing)
How mortgage brokers get paid in Australia: upfront and trail commission, clawback, disclosure, Best Interests Duty and why a broker usually…
Read guideInterest-only home loans explained
Interest only loans explained: how the IO period works, what happens when it ends, the real cost vs principal and interest, and who should u…
Read guideLoan portability and substitution of security
How to move your home loan to a new property without discharging it, when portability saves fixed-rate break costs, and when refinancing is …
Read guideMortgage broker vs bank: which is better for your home loan?
Mortgage broker vs bank in Melbourne: lender choice, Best Interests Duty, rates, speed, cost and when each wins, with Werribee and Epping wo…
Read guideMortgage stress: what to do before you miss a repayment
Mortgage stress what to do: nine steps for Melbourne borrowers, your hardship rights, a $650,000 repayment table and how a pause or refinanc…
Read guideThe RBA cash rate and your mortgage: what actually changes when the RBA moves
Does the RBA cash rate affect your mortgage? How variable and fixed rates respond, what a 0.25% move costs on a $500k to $800k loan, and wha…
Read guideSeparation, divorce and your mortgage
How to remove a name from a home loan after separation, the Victorian duty exemption for family law settlements, joint liability and one-inc…
Read guideReady to talk about your loan?
A 15-minute call is enough to tell you what you can borrow, which lenders fit and what to do next. No cost, no obligation.