Does HECS Debt Affect Home Loan Borrowing Power?
HELP debt reduces how much you can borrow because the repayments count in serviceability. What lenders look at and how the repayment thresholds work.
home-loans
Offset Account vs Extra Repayments: Which Actually Saves You More
Both reduce the interest you pay. Only one keeps your money accessible. Here’s the actual difference, and how to work out which fits your situation.
Can You Use Gifted Money for a Home Loan Deposit?
Gifted deposits are common, but lenders ask for evidence. What a gift letter, genuine savings and lender policy mean for your application.
What Canberra’s Public Servants Need to Know About Home Loan Serviceability
Canberra’s economy runs on APS employment — and that changes how lenders actually assess a borrower here compared to almost anywhere else in the country. Here’s what that means in practice.
Changing Jobs While Buying a House: What Lenders Check
Changing jobs mid-application can delay approval. What lenders check on employment, probation and income, and what to tell them.
How Banks Count Rental Income on an Investment Loan
Banks rarely count all of the rent on an investment property. How rental income is assessed and why lenders apply a discount.
Does a Car Loan Affect Your Home Loan Borrowing Power?
Car loan repayments reduce borrowing power more than most people expect. How lenders count them, with an illustrative example.
Bank Valuation vs Market Price: Why They Never Match
You agreed a price, got excited, then the bank’s valuation came in lower — and suddenly your deposit or your loan approval is in question. Here’s why that gap exists and what it means for you.
Mortgage Broker or Bank Direct? What 30 Years on the Bank Side Taught Me
I’ve spent my career on the bank side of this decision, not the broker side — which gives me a genuinely different view of when each path actually serves the borrower better.
Buying a House With a Partner, Friend or Sibling
Buying with a partner, friend or sibling means joint liability. What a lender sees, and why ownership structure is a question for a solicitor.