Your Australian home loan roadmap
Tell us where you live, how you earn and what you are buying. You get a roadmap on screen straight away: how lenders usually see your situation, the cash to plan for, your document checklist, a timeline, the tax points and the questions to ask a broker.
Built from sources you can read yourself
Nothing in your roadmap is a guess, and nothing is a promise from a lender.
About the roadmap
Is the roadmap a loan application or a pre-approval?
No. It is general information worked out from your answers. It does not check your credit, it is not an application, and it does not tell you what you can borrow. Only a lender can do that.
Why do you not ask how much I earn?
Because we do not assess borrowing capacity and do not want your financial details. The roadmap uses your situation, your currency and the kind of income you have, which is enough to show what lenders usually ask for and where the hard parts are.
Why do you ask for my phone number?
So that a licensed broker can reach you if you tick the optional box, and so that we can follow up about your roadmap if you would like us to. We pass your details to a broker only if you tick the box. You can ask us to stop contacting you at any time.
What if I do not want a broker to contact me?
Leave the box unticked. Your roadmap is the same either way, and the broker introduction is optional.
How do you make money?
If you ask for a broker introduction, we may receive a fee or commission from the broker or lender. You pay us nothing, and we say so before you send the form. We do not charge readers.
Where do the figures come from?
Fees, surcharges and tax rates come from the ATO and each state revenue office. Loan limits and deposits come from broker and lender websites and are labelled indicative, because every lender sets its own. Each guide on this site lists its sources and the date we checked them.
Do I need FIRB approval?
If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent visa holder, generally yes. Your roadmap tells you which side you are on. For the detail, see FIRB Approval, an independent guide to the rules.