In short: GNT Finance is a Melbourne-based mortgage broker serving Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Moreton Bay by phone, video and e-signature. We compare lenders for first home buyers, interstate movers and investors, and apply Queensland's rules: a $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee cap, no duty for first home buyers of new homes, and an established-home exemption to $700,000. No cost to you in most cases.
Brisbane has absorbed a large share of Australia's interstate migration, and the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics has kept building and infrastructure spending high. Prices have risen accordingly, but the state's first home buyer settings and the high guarantee cap keep the door open.
Brisbane housing: what you are buying
Brisbane's housing is defined by its timber. The pre-war Queenslander on stumps, the post-war weatherboard and the 1960s brick low-set make up the middle ring from Ashgrove and Camp Hill to Wynnum and Mitchelton. Closer in, Newstead, South Brisbane, West End and Fortitude Valley have added apartment towers, while the outer corridors build new houses at scale:
- Logan: Yarrabilba, Flagstone, Logan Reserve and Park Ridge, with house-and-land packages and near-new homes.
- Ipswich: Ripley, Springfield and Redbank Plains, the largest growth front in the state.
- Moreton Bay: North Lakes, Mango Hill, Caboolture and Morayfield to the north.
- Redlands: bayside suburbs such as Cleveland and Victoria Point for established family homes.
Lenders treat Brisbane's house stock as standard security. Where policy tightens is the inner-city apartment market, where small units and high-density towers can attract lower maximum LVRs, and the 2011 and 2022 flood-affected streets, where valuers and insurers pay attention. We check both before you sign. See buying off the plan for the apartment issues.
Schemes that matter in Brisbane
| Scheme | Rule (at the time of writing) |
|---|---|
| First Home Guarantee cap | $1,000,000 for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast |
| Transfer duty, new home or vacant land | Nil for eligible first home buyers at any price |
| Transfer duty, established home | Exempt to $700,000, concession to $800,000 |
| First Home Owner Grant | New homes; check the current amount with the Queensland Revenue Office |
| Help to Buy | Federal shared equity; income caps $100,000 single, $160,000 couple |
The $1,000,000 cap is the practical one for Brisbane. It means a first home buyer can use a 5% deposit with no LMI on a middle-ring house, not just an outer-suburb package. Read our First Home Guarantee guide for the federal conditions and the Queensland page for the state rules.
Worked example: a first home buyer in Moreton Bay
Say you buy a $700,000 established four-bedroom house in Morayfield as your first home.
- Transfer duty: nil, because the established-home exemption runs to $700,000.
- Deposit under the First Home Guarantee: 5%, or $35,000. No LMI.
- Loan: $665,000. For illustration, at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years the repayment is about $3,987 a month.
If the same $700,000 bought a new townhouse in Ripley, duty would also be nil under the new-home rule and the First Home Owner Grant would apply on top. Run both options in the stamp duty calculator and the upfront costs calculator.
Who we help in Brisbane
- Melbourne and Sydney relocators, often buying before the new job starts. We arrange loans on signed employment contracts and time pre-approval around the move. See home loan pre-approval.
- Rentvestors who rent in Brisbane's inner suburbs and buy in Logan or Ipswich for yield. Our rentvesting guide covers the tax and lending side.
- Melbourne investors using equity to buy Brisbane property. We structure the equity release as a separate split and model the cashflow in the investment property cashflow calculator.
- The Nepali community, which has grown across Brisbane's south and west. Gorakh Timilsina speaks Nepali and can run the whole process in Nepali if you prefer.
- Refinancers whose fixed rate has ended. See refinancing.
How we work with Brisbane clients
Everything runs remotely: a discovery call, secure document upload, lender comparison, electronic identity verification and e-signed loan documents. Your Brisbane conveyancer handles the contract and settlement, and we coordinate the finance and building-inspection clause dates with them.
Nearby areas
We also serve the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, and the whole of Queensland.
Frequently asked questions
What is the First Home Guarantee price cap in Brisbane?
At the time of writing, $1,000,000, and the same cap applies to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. That is high enough to cover most established houses in Brisbane's middle ring, not just outer-suburb packages. Since October 2025 there is no income test and no limit on places. You must be a citizen or permanent resident, 18 or over, buy to live in, and not have owned property in Australia in the last 10 years.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Brisbane?
Not on a new home or vacant land, at any price, since 1 May 2025. On an established home, no duty applies up to $700,000 and a concession applies to $800,000. Above that the standard Queensland scale applies. These are state rules that apply across Queensland, so confirm the current position with the Queensland Revenue Office before you budget.
Can I buy in Brisbane while still renting in Melbourne?
Yes. Lenders assess the Brisbane property as an investment if you will not live in it, or as an owner-occupier purchase if you plan to move. If you use the First Home Guarantee you must live in the property, so timing matters. We regularly arrange loans for Melbourne clients buying in Logan and Ipswich as rentvestors, and structure them so the interest is clearly identifiable for tax.
Will a lender finance an inner-city Brisbane apartment?
Usually, but check the building first. Some lenders apply minimum floor areas, lower maximum LVRs or exposure limits to high-density towers in Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane and Newstead. Larger apartments in smaller buildings are treated as standard. We identify which lenders are comfortable with your specific building before you make an offer, which avoids a late decline.
Talk to GNT Finance
Buying your first home in Moreton Bay, investing in Logan, relocating to Brisbane or refinancing an existing loan? We compare the lenders, apply Queensland's rules and manage the application by phone and video. Book a free consultation or call 0426 403 703.
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.