Home loans, money & the Sydney market — in plain English.
The same tips I share on Facebook, written up properly here: first home buyer guides, refinance know-how, investor and SMSF notes, and honest takes on what's happening in the Sydney property market. No jargon, no sales pitch.
Nurse, doctor or accountant? You may be able to skip LMI entirely
If you're in an eligible profession, many lenders waive Lenders Mortgage Insurance — borrow up to 90% with a 10% deposit and no LMI premium. Who qualifies, and what it's worth in dollars.
& CGT changes
What the 2027 negative gearing & CGT changes mean for investors
The biggest property-tax shake-up in a generation is now law — negative gearing limited to new builds, quarantined losses, and a reworked CGT discount from 1 July 2027. What changes, and who it affects.
How much deposit do you really need to buy your first home in Sydney?
5%, 10% or 20% — the honest answer, plus how the Home Guarantee Scheme, LMI and stamp-duty exemptions change the number you actually need to have saved.
Is a mortgage broker really free? How brokers get paid, explained
The #1 question before every first call answered in full — who pays the broker, why your rate isn't marked up, what clawback means, and the law that keeps a broker on your side.
Loan know-how, simply explained
negative gearing
New builds: the only way left to negatively gear
From 1 July 2027 the tax rules favour brand-new property. What counts, the depreciation edge, and the traps.
Finsure Awards 2026
365 Home Loans named dual finalist — Finsure Awards 2026
NSW Broker of the Year and Top Brokerage (<5 brokers), from Australia’s largest broker network of 4,000+.
Now what?
Property prices are falling — what it means for you
Cotality July 2026: national −0.7%, Sydney −1.4%. The sober read for buyers, owners, upgraders and investors.
made in August
Spring 2026: get finance-ready in August
Listings surge from September. The 5-step checklist that has you bidding, not scrambling.
Recheck the number
Your tax return just moved your borrowing power
Fresh financials, refunds, pay rises — what to recheck this tax season, especially if self-employed.
10 months
The CGT rules change 1 July 2027
Contract date counts. Who should care about the timing, who shouldn’t — and the panic-selling traps.
still allowed
SMSF refinancing after the ban
The ban stopped new loans — not refinances. Escape the legacy rate before lenders exit.
10 August?
Settling a grandfathered SMSF purchase
Contract date beats settlement date — incl. off-the-plan. The 4 risks and the 6-month checklist.
that survived
Business real property in super
Commercial LRBAs continue — your premises, leased back to your business. How and for whom.
नेपालीमा
पहिलो घर किन्ने पूरा गाइड — नेपालीमा
डिपोजिट, $10,000 अनुदान, स्ट्याम्प ड्युटी छुट र ५% स्किम — सबै सरल नेपालीमा।
LMI बिना
५% डिपोजिटमा घर — Home Guarantee Scheme
आय सीमा हट्यो, सिड्नी cap $1.5M — को योग्य, कसरी आवेदन। नेपालीमा।
हिन्दी में
पहला घर ख़रीदने की पूरी गाइड — हिन्दी में
डिपॉज़िट, $10,000 अनुदान, स्टाम्प ड्यूटी छूट और 5% स्कीम — आसान हिन्दी में।
sell later
Bridging loans: buy before you sell
Peak debt, end debt, capitalised interest — how the bridge works, with a worked Sydney example.
decoded
What credit score do you need for a home loan?
No magic number — how lenders really read your file, and how to lift it before applying.
borrowing ban
SMSF borrowing ban is now law
Now law: SMSFs can’t borrow for residential property from 10 August 2026. Contracts signed before then are safe — what changed, who’s exempt, and what to do.
decoded
Stamp duty in NSW, explained
What you’ll really pay, who pays $0, and the 12-month residency trap. Plus the off-the-plan deferral.
mistakes
10 first home buyer mistakes I see every month
From auction day without pre-approval to the post-settlement loyalty tax — and the fix for each.
गाइड
अस्ट्रेलियामा घर किन्ने — नेपाली गाइड
भिसा र PR अनुसार के सम्भव छ, FIRB नियम र डिपोजिट — सरल नेपाली भाषामा।
no LMI
Home Guarantee Scheme: 5% deposit, no LMI
No income caps, no place limits since Oct 2025. Price caps by state and how to stack it with grants.
a visa
Buying a home on a visa: what’s possible in 2026
482/485/491 or PR? Lender rules, FIRB, the established-home ban, and the spouse exemption.
Approved.
Self-employed loans: what lenders actually want
Full-doc vs alt-doc, the add-backs that lift borrowing power, and the tax-time trap to avoid.
Buy there.
Rentvesting: buy where you can afford
Keep renting where life works, buy where the numbers do. Pros, trade-offs and a worked sketch.
Fixed vs variable: which rate is right for you?
Certainty vs flexibility, what break costs mean, and when a split loan is the smart middle ground.
Offset vs redraw: how to actually save interest
Both cut your interest, but they work differently — and the difference matters for tax and access.
When is refinancing actually worth it?
The rate gap that matters, the real switching costs, cashback traps, and the signs it's time to switch.
Home loan pre-approval, explained
What it is, how long it lasts, whether it dents your credit — and why you want it before you bid.
can I borrow?
How much can I borrow? What lenders really look at
Income, debts, expenses and the assessment buffer — plus practical ways to lift your borrowing power.
loans
Guarantor home loans: how family can help you buy sooner
Use family equity to buy with little or no deposit and skip LMI — how it works, and the risks done honestly.
What I write about
New articles drop here regularly — often the same notes I post on Facebook. Follow along so you don't miss them.