In short: GNT Finance is a Melbourne-based mortgage broker serving the Sunshine Coast from Caloundra to Noosa by phone, video and e-signature. We compare lenders for first home buyers, sea-changers 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.
The Sunshine Coast used to be a holiday and retirement market. The Sunshine Coast University Hospital, the new Maroochydore city centre and the shift to remote work have turned it into a place where working families buy, and the master-planned estates south of Caloundra now build homes at a pace once reserved for Brisbane's outer suburbs. Prices have followed, and the finance rules matter more than ever.
Sunshine Coast housing: what you are buying
- Aura (Caloundra South), Harmony (Palmview) and Nirimba: the growth front, with house-and-land packages, small-lot homes and townhouses.
- Caloundra, Kawana and Mooloolaba: established beachside houses, canal homes on the Kawana waterways, and unit blocks.
- Maroochydore and Buderim: the commercial centre and the leafy plateau above it, with 1970s to 1990s family homes and newer apartments.
- Noosa Heads, Sunshine Beach and Noosaville: the premium end, with strong demand and a large holiday-let component.
- Nambour, Woombye and the hinterland: older timber homes, acreage and village living in Maleny and Montville at more accessible prices.
Lenders treat Sunshine Coast houses as standard security. The policy questions arise with holiday-let units in managed complexes, small apartments, and hinterland acreage over a few hectares. We check the specific property before you commit.
Schemes that matter on the Sunshine Coast
| Scheme | Rule (at the time of writing) |
|---|---|
| First Home Guarantee cap | $1,000,000 (shared with Brisbane and the Gold 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 |
Aura and Harmony are where the new-home rules do the most work: a first home buyer there pays no duty regardless of price and can use the guarantee's 5% deposit with no LMI. Read the Queensland page for the state rules and our First Home Guarantee guide for the federal conditions.
Worked example: a first home buyer in Nambour
Say you buy a $690,000 established three-bedroom home in Nambour as your first home.
- Transfer duty: nil, because the established-home exemption runs to $700,000.
- Deposit under the First Home Guarantee: 5%, or $34,500. No LMI.
- Loan: $655,500. For illustration, at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years the repayment is about $3,930 a month.
If instead you bought a $690,000 new home in Aura, duty would also be nil under the new-home rule and the First Home Owner Grant would apply. The house-and-land packages page explains the construction loan that goes with a build. Run either option through the stamp duty calculator.
Who we help on the Sunshine Coast
- Sea-changers from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, often selling a city home and buying before the sale settles. A bridging loan bridges the gap.
- Remote and hybrid workers whose employer is in another city. Lenders accept this readily where the employment is permanent; we handle the paperwork for contractors and consultants through self-employed loans.
- Health and education staff at the university hospital and the University of the Sunshine Coast, including new arrivals on permanent residency. See home loans for new migrants.
- Investors targeting the estates south of Caloundra for rental demand. We model the outcome in the investment property cashflow calculator.
How we work with Sunshine Coast clients
A phone or video discovery call, secure document upload, lender comparison, electronic identity verification and e-signed loan documents, with your Sunshine Coast conveyancer handling the contract and settlement while we manage the finance clause.
Nearby areas
Brisbane and Moreton Bay to the south, the Gold Coast, Gympie and the Fraser Coast to the north, and the whole of Queensland.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sunshine Coast inside the $1,000,000 First Home Guarantee cap?
Yes. Housing Australia groups the Sunshine Coast with Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the capital city area with the $1,000,000 cap, at the time of writing. Gympie and the Fraser Coast fall outside it and use the $700,000 regional cap. The boundary runs by postcode, so for a property in the hinterland's northern edge we confirm the address at application.
Do first home buyers pay duty on a house-and-land package in Aura?
No. Under Queensland's rules since 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay no transfer duty on vacant land they build on or on a new home, at any price. The First Home Owner Grant also applies to the new home. You must meet the occupation requirements after completion. Confirm the current conditions with the Queensland Revenue Office.
Can I finance a holiday-let apartment in Noosa?
Often, but not with every lender. Units in complexes with on-site management and short-stay letting are treated by some lenders as serviced apartments, which means lower maximum LVRs or a decline. Short-stay income is also assessed conservatively. Larger units and those in owner-occupier buildings are standard. We identify which lenders accept the specific building before you offer.
Can I get a loan on a hinterland acreage property?
Yes, subject to size and use. Most lenders accept blocks up to a few hectares as residential; larger blocks, properties with significant agricultural use or unusual dwellings may need a lender with rural appetite and a larger deposit. Maleny, Montville and Woombye lifestyle blocks are usually straightforward. Tell us the address early so we can confirm the lender treatment.
Talk to GNT Finance
Building in Aura, buying in Buderim, downsizing to Caloundra or investing on the Sunshine Coast from Melbourne? We compare lenders, apply Queensland's rules and manage your loan 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.