“When you outgrow this home, what should this loan let you do?”
It turns a question about today's loan into a question about the plan.
Buy the home — without losing sight of the structure.
The home is the decision you'll remember; the loan structure decides what you can do next. I explain the deposit and costs, the schemes and concessions that may apply, offset and redraw, fixed and variable, and how today's loan can affect the next property. Whether it's your first home or your next, I compare lender policy as well as rate.
On my booking page, choose “Initial 15 mins phone call”.
Mortgage broker since 2015 · Brisbane-based, working with clients Australia-wide
What I look at before the property search
Deposit and cash to complete.
The deposit, plus transfer duty, legal and inspection costs and lender fees.
Schemes and concessions.
Which of the 5% Deposit Scheme, state duty concessions and grants may apply, and the contract-date rules attached to each.
The property.
Its type (established, new or vacant land), its price against any scheme cap, and how a lender's valuation may compare with the price.
Income and commitments.
How each lender assesses your income and existing debts.
Features.
Offset, redraw, fixed, variable or a split, and whether you will actually use them.
The next move.
Whether you might keep this property, upgrade or refinance, and what this loan would allow.
Policy note
Where a purchase gets more complicated than the price
Scheme and concession figures below are as at 21 September 2026. Rules change; check the official page before you rely on a figure for a specific purchase.
The loan you choose now shapes the next property
- The situation
- This home may become an investment, or you may sell it and buy again.
- Why lenders treat it differently
- Features such as offset and redraw, and how the loan is structured, differ by lender and product, and they decide how much flexibility you keep later.
- What I do about it
- I compare structure and features as well as rate, and show how each option could work if you keep this property when you buy the next one.
The deposit isn't the only cash you need
- The situation
- You have saved a deposit and assume that is the number.
- Why lenders treat it differently
- Transfer duty (unless a concession applies), conveyancing and legal fees, building and pest inspections and lender fees are typically funded on top of the deposit. A deposit that reaches your target LVR doesn't mean you can cover them too.
- What I do about it
- I build a cash-to-complete picture before you set a search budget, and use the duty calculator as a guide.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.
A scheme suits some properties and not others
- The situation
- You are eligible for the 5% Deposit Scheme, but the property you like is above the price cap or isn't the right type.
- Why lenders treat it differently
- The scheme has property price caps, an owner-occupier requirement and a first-home test. In Queensland the cap is $1,000,000 for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, and $700,000 elsewhere. Since 1 October 2025 there are no income caps and no limit on places.
- What I do about it
- I check eligibility against the current rules before you settle on a price bracket, and weigh the scheme against other ways to buy, including paying lenders mortgage insurance.
Which Queensland concession you get depends on the property and the date
- The situation
- You are buying in Queensland.
- Why lenders treat it differently
- For contracts signed from 1 May 2025, a first home that is new, or vacant land, carries a full duty concession (nil duty). An established home's concession, on contracts from 9 June 2024, phases out between $710,000 and $800,000 and is nil from $800,000. The $30,000 First Home Owner Grant is for new homes, on contracts from 1 July 2026. From 1 August 2026, home concessions require the buyer to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree.
- What I do about it
- I confirm your position before you sign and put the result into your cash-to-complete.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.
You are building the deposit through super
- The situation
- You plan to use the First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) for part of your deposit.
- Why lenders treat it differently
- Contributions count towards release up to $15,000 a financial year and $50,000 in total, and you must request your FHSS determination before ownership of the property transfers to you.
- What I do about it
- I flag the timing against your contract dates. How the scheme interacts with your tax position is a question for your accountant.
Credit assistance is not tax, legal or financial product advice. Where your question turns on tax treatment, ownership structure or superannuation law, I work alongside your accountant, solicitor or licensed adviser.
The property you choose changes the numbers
Everything you need to complete
A stacked bar labelled cash to complete, made of deposit, transfer duty after any concession, legal and conveyancing, lender fees, lenders mortgage insurance where applicable, and a buffer.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.
Figures as at 21 September 2026.
Lender policy
Schemes, state revenue offices and lenders each apply their own tests, and each test turns on different facts: your contract date, the property type and price, your income and your commitments.
What that means for you
A property that qualifies for a concession may not be the one that suits the loan structure you want next, and a contract date can change which concession applies.
A general example
Two eligible first home buyers in Queensland sign contracts after 1 May 2025, each at $800,000. One buys an established home and gets no additional first-home concession, because that concession is nil from $800,000. The other buys a new home and gets a full duty concession (nil duty). The property type, not the price, made the difference to the cash they need at settlement.
Worked example: an illustrative scenario, not a client result.
Individual results vary. Any figure shown reflects one set of circumstances at one point in time and is not a prediction of what you will be approved for.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.
Figures as at 21 September 2026.
Christine’s view
“The home is the decision you'll remember. The loan structure is the one that quietly shapes what you can do next.”Christine Junidar
Worked example: an illustrative scenario, not a client result.
Understanding an offset before chasing a repayment shortcut
Understanding how interest is calculated is more useful than relying on a universal shortcut. The option that fits a household depends on its cash needs, costs and loan terms.
Read Christine's view →First home buyer grants and duty concessions in Queensland
Read Christine's view →Stamp duty
A guide to duty, not a quote.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.
An estimate only, based on the figures you entered and the assumptions listed beside the result. It is not a borrowing limit, a quote, or an offer of credit. A lender will assess your application against its own criteria.
First home guide
Want the first home buyer guide?
It covers grants, deposit schemes and LMI waivers. Ask for it and I will send it to you with a few pointers for your situation.
Where to begin
Tell me what you're buying, and what comes after.
Tell me the price range, the deposit you have and what you'd like this loan to allow later. I'll tell you which schemes and concessions to check and what I'd compare.
I read every enquiry myself and will be in touch to arrange a time to talk. I work in English, Indonesian, Mandarin and Korean.
General information only. It does not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account. Lending is subject to lender assessment and criteria. This is not a quote or an offer of credit.
A guide only. Duty depends on the contract date, property type, your eligibility and the precise dutiable value. Confirm the amount with the relevant state revenue office or your solicitor before you rely on it.