Chatswood mortgage broker
Chatswood mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Chatswood.
Towers, interchange, and a postcode plenty of lenders treat as high density. The building decides more here than your income does. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Chatswood
What the 2067 market actually looks like
History of Chatswood
The railway arrived in 1890 and the place grew from orchards into the commercial centre of the lower North Shore. The Concourse, two shopping centres facing each other across Victoria Avenue, and an interchange that now carries Metro as well as the T1 line. It is the closest thing the North Shore has to a second city, and the housing stock reflects that rather than the leafy suburbs either side.
Chatswood property market
Apartments dominate, and a lot of them sit in large towers close to the interchange. Houses exist on the quieter streets east and west of the centre, at roughly three times what an apartment costs. The two markets barely speak to each other. Stock turns over quickly, auctions are common, and finance sorted beforehand matters more here than in a slower suburb.
Chatswood property prices
Apartments sit near the low millions for larger stock and closer to a million for the older two bedders, on yields around 4%. Houses sit in the low three millions on a yield under 2%. Published medians move about between sources because the apartment side is so much deeper than the house side. Treat any single figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in Chatswood
This is a postcode where several lenders apply their own restrictions. Caps on how much they will advance inside a large block, a limit on how many apartments in one building they will hold, minimum internal floor sizes that catch smaller units, and their own lists of buildings they will not touch. Send us the address before you offer and we will tell you which lenders suit it.
Chatswood is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where lender policy on the tower decides more than your income does.
Found a place
in a big tower?
Send us the address before you make an offer and we will email you a free RP Data property report. We can also talk through how lenders on our panel tend to look at buildings like it.
Your broker
Meet Ali Hasani
Ali Hasani is the founder of Buyvest. He has worked in home loans for more than ten years, a lot of it at Commonwealth Bank. We meet clients face to face, or by phone, Zoom and Teams, at night and on weekends as well as work hours. We take your loan to 35+ lenders, compare the numbers, and show you the options. Ali is an MFAA accredited broker with a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management and a Post Graduate in Accounting.
Bidding at auction
this weekend?
There is no cooling off once the hammer falls, so the finance has to be settled before you raise your hand, not after.
Client stories
How we helped in Chatswood
Three real situations, including one where switching was the wrong answer.
Pre-approved, then bought.
A first home buyer who did not know where to start. We went through the whole process with them, prepared the application properly and had pre-approval through the same day, then sent them the property reports so they could look with real numbers rather than guesses. They found a place that week and bought it. Fast is not the point on its own. Being ready before you find something is what makes fast possible.
Better off where they were.
They came to us wanting to refinance. We ordered valuations and the numbers did not support it, because there was not enough equity to move without paying mortgage insurance, which would have wiped out the saving. Switching was the wrong answer. So we went back to their existing lender, put the market rates in front of them and negotiated the rate down instead. Same lender, lower repayments, no application and no costs.
Equity covered the deposit.
They wanted an investment property and assumed they would need to save a second deposit for it. We reviewed the loan on their home first, moved it to a sharper rate, and released the equity at the same time. That equity covered both the deposit and the stamp duty on the purchase, so the savings account stayed where it was. Because how investment lending is structured affects tax, they worked that side through with their accountant.
These are past client stories, with details changed for privacy. Your own result depends on your situation and what the lender decides.
Free guides
What to know before you buy
Three free guides covering how a Chatswood purchase actually runs, from pre-approval to settlement.
Home loan pre-approval
What it covers, and how long it lasts.
Read the guide
Choosing a home loan
Fixed, variable, offset and redraw.
Read the guide
Settlement day
What has to be ready before then.
Read the guide
Read the free guides in the Loan Vault to know how the home buying process works in NSW.
What we do
Home loans for every Chatswood plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Investment property
Learn more
Refinancing
Learn more
Construction loans
Learn more
Bridging loans
Learn more
Guarantor loans
Learn more
No LMI and waived LMI
Learn more
Self employed home loans
Learn more
Not sure where to start? See what a mortgage broker actually does.
When did you last
check your rate?
We compare your current home loan against 35+ lenders. If a refinance saves you money we will show you the numbers, and if it does not we will tell you that too.
Your job matters
Home loans by profession
Some lenders drop lenders mortgage insurance for certain jobs, and the St Leonards health precinct is two stops away. The lists and the limits differ from one lender to the next, so it is worth checking where yours sits.
Home loans for
Doctors
Learn more
Home loans for
Dentists
Learn more
Home loans for
Accountants
Learn more
Home loans for
Lawyers
Learn more
Not sure if your job is on a list? See No LMI and waived LMI home loans, or ask us and we will check every lender on our panel.
Plan ahead
Run the numbers
Free tools that show you where you stand right now.
How it works
Three steps to your loan
1
Financial health check
2
Get pre-approved
3
Settle, then stay in touch
Client reviews
5.0 ★★★★★ on Google
Reviews from clients across Sydney.
★★★★★
"Ali is an excellent broker who truly knows his numbers. He made the entire process of securing two investment loans incredibly smooth and stress-free. What really sets him apart is the valuable advice he provides not just about loans, but also about making safe and smart investments."
★★★★★
"Ali was very professional and was able to help with our complicated loans to refinance. He kept us up to date throughout the process and made sure my wife and I understood everything before signing and that we had no issues after settlement."
★★★★★
"Ali is our trusted advisor for many years. He responds swiftly and honestly. He is the best in working out options for loans. He goes above and beyond to get the best outcome for the customers."
FAQ
Chatswood questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Chatswood?
Because this is a postcode where lender policy on the building decides more than your income does. Caps inside large blocks, limits on how many apartments in one tower a lender will hold, minimum floor sizes, and their own lists of buildings they will not touch. Your bank has one set of rules and you find out about them after you have applied. A broker checks several first. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
Is Chatswood a high density postcode for lenders?
Several lenders treat it that way, and it is the single most useful thing to know before you make an offer here. Where a lender classifies a postcode or a building as high density, it will usually lend a smaller share of the value, which means a larger deposit than you planned for. The classification is not uniform. One lender may cap a particular tower while another treats the same apartment normally. It comes down to the specific building rather than the suburb, so the address is what we check.
How many apartments in one building will a lender fund?
Most set an internal limit on how much of a single development they will hold, often expressed as a share of the total apartments. It rarely troubles a buyer in an older block. In a newer Chatswood tower where one or two lenders have written most of the loans, you can find the obvious lender has reached its limit and simply will not take another one, regardless of how strong you are. Knowing that before you offer saves an application and a valuation fee.
Is there a minimum apartment size lenders will accept?
Most set one, and it is usually measured on the internal living area rather than the whole title, so a balcony and a car space do not count towards it. Studios and small one bedders near the interchange can fall under. When that happens some lenders decline and others lend a much smaller share of the price, so you need a bigger deposit. Every lender draws the line in a different place, which is why it pays to check the floor plan before you make an offer.
What if the apartment is company title rather than strata?
It changes the lending question completely. With company title you own shares in a company that owns the building rather than the apartment itself, and the company can vet buyers. A good number of lenders will not fund it at all, and those that do usually lend a smaller share of the value and want to see the company constitution. Company title stock does exist in the older North Shore blocks. It is usually cheaper for exactly this reason. Worth confirming the title type before you fall in love with it.
Can I get a home loan on a temporary visa?
Often yes, though the field narrows and the deposit is usually larger. Lenders differ on which visa subclasses they accept, how they treat income, and how much they will lend. Buying an established dwelling as a temporary resident generally also requires Foreign Investment Review Board approval before you exchange, and that is a separate application with its own fee and timeline. Permanent residents are usually treated much the same as citizens. Start early, because the FIRB step sits outside the lender's control.
What if some of my income is earned overseas?
Some lenders accept foreign income and many do not. Those that do usually apply a discount to it, converting at a conservative exchange rate and counting only part of the total, so the figure that reaches the assessment is smaller than what you actually earn. They will also want the income evidenced in a form they recognise, which can mean translated documents. The gap between lenders here is wider than almost anywhere else in lending, so which one sees your file matters a great deal.
What should I know about buying off the plan in Chatswood?
The bank values the apartment when it is finished, not when you sign. If it values lower than the price you agreed to pay, you cover the gap in cash at settlement. Approval given years earlier can also run out, and lender policy on the building can change while it is being built. The cooling off period on an off the plan contract in NSW is ten business days rather than five. Chatswood has a lot of towers still being built, so plan for all of this before you sign.
I am bidding at auction. What do I need in place?
There is no cooling off once the hammer falls, and the deposit is payable on the day. So the finance has to be sorted before you raise your hand rather than after. Pre-approval is the starting point, but it is not the whole answer, because it does not cover the specific property. The part people miss is the building. If the lender behind your pre-approval will not fund that tower, the pre-approval does not help you. We check the address before auction day, not after it.
What happens if the valuation comes in under the price?
You usually find out after you are committed, because a lender will not order a valuation on a purchase until there is an exchanged contract. So the buffer has to exist before you sign, and at auction there is no cooling off to fall back on. In a tower it is more likely than people expect, because a valuer leans on recent sales inside the same building. A different lender uses a different valuation panel and can come back with a different number. Failing that, the gap is covered in cash at settlement.
What does the strata report tell a lender?
More than most buyers realise. Lenders look at the state of the sinking fund, any special levy that has been struck or is coming, and whether there is building defect litigation on foot. Defects in a newer tower can make a lender cautious about the whole building rather than your apartment. A healthy fund and no live disputes make the file straightforward. It is worth ordering the report early rather than treating it as a formality after exchange.
Can I buy my first home in Chatswood with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and it will be an apartment rather than a house at that deposit. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme lets you buy with a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance, with Housing Australia guaranteeing the gap between your deposit and 20%. It is a guarantee, not a grant, and the government takes no share of your home. Not every lender is approved to write them, and the building still has to suit whichever lender you use.
How much deposit do I need in Chatswood?
A 20% deposit avoids lenders mortgage insurance. Plenty of buyers get in with 5 or 10% and pay that insurance instead, some professions can skip it, and a family guarantor loan can cut the deposit further again. What changes the answer here more than anywhere is the building, because a high density cap on a particular tower can mean you need considerably more than you planned. The number is worth working out against the actual address rather than the suburb.
Can I upgrade from a Chatswood apartment to a house?
It is a bigger jump than most people expect, because houses here sit at roughly three times what apartments do. Equity in the apartment will not close that on its own, and the borrowing capacity needed is a different order. Plenty of people who start in a Chatswood apartment end up buying their house further up the line or across the highway. Worth working out the real number before you plan around it.
Does the rent on an apartment help me borrow more?
If you are buying to invest, yes, though not as much as the rent statement suggests. Lenders count only part of the expected rent, typically shading it to allow for vacancy and costs, and they differ on how much. Chatswood apartments return well against the houses here, so the rent does real work in the assessment. On a high density building some lenders also become more conservative about the rent, which is another reason the same purchase can land differently across two lenders.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes. Chatswood has a lot of business owners and contractors. Most lenders want two years of tax returns, though some will look at one year, and a few work from business bank statements instead. The bigger issue is what gets added back. Depreciation, one off costs and money you have paid into super can often be counted back as income, which changes what you can borrow. Which lender sees your file matters more than it does for a salaried buyer.
How much equity can I use?
Usable equity is roughly 80% of what your place is worth today, less what you still owe. Go past 80% and lenders mortgage insurance usually comes back into it. That figure funds a renovation, a deposit on the next home, or an investment purchase. In a tower it is worth checking properly rather than guessing, because a valuer leans on recent sales inside your own building and those can sit below what you would expect.
Should I use my bank or a mortgage broker?
A bank can only offer its own loans, its own valuation panel and its own rules. In a market this dominated by apartments, the odds that one lender is comfortable with your particular building are not great, and you usually find out after you have applied and paid for a valuation. A broker checks it against many lenders first. Buyvest compares 35+ lenders at $0 cost to you.
Your Chatswood mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Chatswood does not sit on its own. Artarmon and St Leonards run south down the line towards the hospital, with Wollstonecraft and Crows Nest beyond them. Roseville, Lindfield and Killara climb north where the blocks get bigger and the towers stop. East of the highway, Willoughby, Castlecrag, Northbridge and Cammeray sit around Middle Harbour, and Lane Cove is west. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.