Residential Home Loans
Know your home loan before you make an offer. Buying, upgrading, refinancing or building, your BRIX Blueprint maps the next move and your broker sets out the right loan in a written Proposal.
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Residential
Which home loan path is yours?
Six situations, six different lending questions. Pick yours to see what your broker works out with you before you apply.
First home buyers
Your deposit, stamp duty and the schemes that may apply, worked out together so the number you save towards is the real one.
Refinancers
What switching would really cost after fees and break costs, and the times when staying with your lender is the better move.
Upsizers and downsizers
Your equity, the bridging question and both settlement dates planned together, so the whole move lines up with your timing.
Self-employed
BAS, tax returns or bank statements: the right documents for your business assessed up front before any lender sees your application.
Property investors
Interest-only or principal and interest, split loans and equity release, structured around your cash flow as the portfolio grows.
Professionals
Whether your profession may qualify for an LMI waiver, and what it means for your deposit, worked out before you start looking.
What’s changed in 2026
Rate moves and lending limits that change what you can borrow, each checked against its official source.
Decided 3 Nov 2026
Cash rate rises to 4.85%
The Reserve Bank lifted rates on 3 November, the fifth rise this year. Lenders test your repayments at your rate plus a 3% buffer, so each rise trims what you can borrow. Recheck your pre-approval before you bid.
As at 31 Oct 2026
Sydney values 10.1% below their peak
Cotality’s index shows Sydney dwelling values fell 1.6% in October and are now 10.1% below their February peak. Lenders lend on today’s valuation, so check your numbers again before you bid.
In force from 1 Feb 2026
A new limit on high debt-to-income loans
Since 1 February 2026, each bank can write no more than 20% of its new home loans at six or more times the borrower’s income. Loans to buy or build a new home, and owner-occupier bridging loans, are exempt.
Better to know
Just because you can borrow more doesn’t mean you should. We look beyond lender limits to balance your repayments, lifestyle and future plans, so the loan fits the life you’re buying into.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I borrow for a home loan in Sydney?
It depends on your income, expenses, debts and deposit, and each lender tests your repayments at your rate plus a 3% buffer. With rates up five times in 2026, many buyers can borrow less than a year ago. Your broker and Credit Analyst work out your real figure before you house hunt.
How much deposit do I need to buy a house in NSW?
Usually 20% to avoid lenders mortgage insurance, plus stamp duty and buying costs. Eligible first home buyers may buy with 5% and no LMI under the 5% Deposit Scheme, up to $1.5 million in Sydney, and pay no NSW stamp duty up to $800,000. We work out your real number.
What is home loan pre-approval, and how long does it last?
Pre-approval is a lender’s conditional yes to a loan amount, based on what you’ve shown them so far. It usually lasts 90 days. It is not a final approval: the property, the valuation and your circumstances still need to check out before the loan is approved.
Is it worth refinancing my home loan in 2026?
It can be, but only once switching fees, break costs and any cashback are counted, and you’ll be assessed at your rate plus a 3% buffer. Your broker shows the difference in dollars and tells you when staying put, or asking your lender for a sharper rate, is the smarter move.
Do I need a mortgage broker to buy a house?
No, but your bank can only offer its own loans, while a broker can arrange loans from many lenders and must act in your best interests by law. Lenders pay us a commission when your loan settles, and we tell you what we’ll be paid before we recommend anything.