Crows Nest mortgage broker
Crows Nest mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Crows Nest.
Terraces, walk ups and new Metro towers, all inside a postcode shared with St Leonards. Lenders read all four differently. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Crows Nest
What the 2065 market actually looks like
History of Crows Nest
Edward Wollstonecraft built a cottage on the ridge in the 1820s and called it Crows Nest for the view back to the harbour. The village grew along Willoughby Road and stayed a village, which is unusual this close to the city. The Metro station opened in 2024 and put the CBD a few minutes away, the biggest single change to the place in a century.
Crows Nest property market
Four kinds of property in a small area. Federation terraces and semis on their own title through the older streets, red brick walk ups from the middle of last century, newer towers that came with the Metro, and the commercial stock along the highway. A buyer here is usually choosing between a small terrace and a large apartment at a similar price, and lenders treat those two as completely different propositions.
Crows Nest property prices
Houses and terraces sit well into the millions, with the tighter semis lower and the wider blocks higher. Apartments cover a wide range, from older two bedders to new stock near the station. Published medians here vary noticeably between sources, partly because so little detached stock trades and partly because the postcode covers several suburbs. Treat any single figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in Crows Nest
The thing most buyers here do not know is that 2065 is shared with St Leonards, Wollstonecraft, Naremburn and Greenwich. Where a lender applies restrictions by postcode rather than by building, towers a kilometre away can shape how your Crows Nest apartment is treated. Send us the address before you offer and we will tell you which lenders suit it.
Crows Nest is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where the postcode you are buying in covers five suburbs rather than one.
Buying an apartment
in 2065?
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.
Buying with a sibling
or a friend?
A joint loan makes each of you liable for all of it. There is another way to structure it, and it is worth understanding both.
Client stories
How we helped in Crows Nest
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
Brothers, but separate loans.
Two brothers buying an investment property together. We put two structures in front of them. A standard loan with both as co-borrowers, where each is liable for the whole debt and it shows on both credit files in full. Or a property share arrangement, where the lending is split so each is responsible for his own portion. We walked through the risks either way. They chose the share arrangement, so one brother is not carrying the other.
Paid it down, then drew back.
They had cash sitting in offset and wanted to buy an investment. Rather than send the offset money straight to the purchase, we used it to pay down the home loan, then set up a separate split and drew the deposit from there. Because interest deductibility follows what borrowed funds are used for, that ordering mattered, and their accountant confirmed the treatment before anything moved. Pre-approval for the investment loan followed.
Lower rate, money for work.
They wanted two things that usually get done separately: the sharpest rate available to them, and cash out of the property to fund a renovation. We did both in the one refinance rather than a rate switch now and an equity release later, which would have meant two applications, two valuations and two sets of costs. The renovation funds came out at a home loan rate, and repayments came down by $490 a month.
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 Crows Nest 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 Crows Nest 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 Royal North Shore is the next suburb over. 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
Crows Nest questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Crows Nest?
Because four very different kinds of property sit within a few streets of each other here, and lenders treat them nothing alike. A terrace on its own title, a red brick walk up, a new tower near the Metro, and anything with commercial underneath. Your bank has one view of all four and you find out what it is after you apply. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
Does sharing a postcode with St Leonards affect my loan?
It can, and almost nobody buying here knows it. Postcode 2065 covers Crows Nest, St Leonards, Wollstonecraft, Naremburn and Greenwich. Where a lender applies restrictions at postcode level rather than building level, the tower stock concentrated around St Leonards can influence how the whole postcode is classified, which means a smaller share of the value on your Crows Nest apartment and a larger deposit. Not every lender works that way. Checking the specific address against the panel is what sorts it out.
Is buying a terrace different from buying an apartment here?
Very. A terrace or semi on its own title is assessed on you and on the land, so the building questions that come with apartments largely fall away. What replaces them is land size, because a narrow terrace on a small footprint can attract a more conservative valuation, and heritage, because a conservation listing shapes what you can do later rather than whether you can buy. At similar prices the terrace is usually the simpler loan.
What about the older walk up flats?
They are a large part of the stock here and they are usually fine, with two things worth checking. Internal floor size, because a compact one bedder in a sixties block can fall under a lender's minimum and either get declined or lend a much smaller share of the value. And the strata report, because an ageing building brings sinking fund questions and the possibility of a special levy. Neither is a reason to avoid them. Both are a reason to look early.
Has the Metro changed how lenders see the area?
Not directly. Lenders do not price transport access, they price the property and assess you. What the Metro has changed is the stock, because the newer towers built around it are exactly the buildings where high density caps and lender exposure limits apply. So the effect is real but indirect. The station did not change the rules, it changed how many buildings the rules now apply to.
Can I buy an investment property with my brother or a friend?
Yes, and there are two ways to do it that sit a long way apart. A standard joint loan makes each of you liable for the whole debt, and the full amount appears on both credit files, which can stop either of you borrowing again on your own. Some lenders offer a property share arrangement instead, where the lending is split so each borrower is responsible only for their own portion. Fewer lenders offer it and the paperwork is heavier. Which suits depends on whether either of you plans to borrow again.
What happens to my borrowing power if I go on a joint loan?
More than people expect. On a standard joint loan most lenders count the entire debt against you when you next apply, but only your share of the rent as income. So a half interest in an investment property can reduce your own capacity by considerably more than half. A few lenders take a more balanced view, and a property share arrangement avoids the problem at the outset. If you are buying with someone and either of you wants to buy again later, this is the question to settle first.
I have cash in my offset. Should I use it as the deposit?
The ordering matters more than the amount, and it is worth talking to your accountant before you move anything. Interest is generally deductible based on what the borrowed money was used for, so cash paid straight into a purchase and money borrowed for that purchase are treated differently. There are structures that put the funds where they need to be while keeping the borrowing identifiable, which usually means a separate split rather than one blended loan. Your accountant should confirm the treatment for your situation before anything moves.
How much of the rent will a lender count?
Not all of it. Lenders count a portion of the expected rent as income, commonly around eighty per cent, to allow for vacancy, management and costs, and they differ on the exact figure. They also assess the new loan at a rate well above the actual one. On a high density building some become more conservative again. So a property that looks like it pays for itself on paper often does not carry itself in the assessment, and your own income makes up the difference.
Can I release equity and get a better rate at the same time?
Yes, and doing both in one move is usually cheaper than doing them separately. A rate switch now and an equity release in six months means two applications, two valuations and two sets of costs. Combining them means one. The catch is that the amount you release is set at the time, so it needs to cover what you are actually planning rather than a guess, and the valuation has to support it. Worth having the builder's numbers before the application rather than after.
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. Because it moves with your valuation, and valuations differ between lenders, it is worth checking properly rather than guessing off a listing website.
Should renovation money come out of the home loan?
For cosmetic work, usually yes, because home loan rates sit well below personal loan rates and a top up on the existing loan is simple. Once you are changing the structure of the building, most lenders want a construction loan instead, which releases funds in stages against a fixed price contract and approved plans. On a heritage listed terrace the approval timeline shapes the drawdown schedule, so the council side needs to be underway before the finance is locked in.
When I refinance, does my loan term reset?
Only if you let it. Most refinances default to a fresh thirty year term, which makes the monthly repayment look better and quietly adds years of interest. You can ask for the remaining term instead, so a loan with twenty two years left stays a twenty two year loan. The repayment saving is smaller that way and it is a real saving rather than a longer road. Worth asking the question every time, because nobody volunteers it.
How much does it cost to refinance a home loan?
Usually a few hundred dollars to around a thousand. Your current lender charges a discharge fee, there are government fees to move the mortgage, and the new lender may charge a settlement or valuation fee, though plenty waive them. If you are on a fixed rate there can be break costs, and those can be large, so they get checked first. The real question is whether the saving over the next couple of years clears the cost.
Can I buy my first home in Crows Nest with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and it will be an apartment rather than a terrace 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 Crows Nest?
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 most here is the building and the postcode treatment, because a high density classification can mean you need considerably more than you planned. The number is worth working out against the actual address.
Can I get a Crows Nest home loan with no LMI?
You may be able to. Lenders mortgage insurance is a one off cost you pay when you borrow more than 80% of what a place is worth. Some lenders drop it completely for certain jobs, and with Royal North Shore and the St Leonards health precinct next door plenty of local buyers are on those lists. A family guarantor loan removes it another way, and if you already own a home the equity in it often gets you past 80% without paying any.
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. If it lands short, a different lender uses a different valuation panel and can come back with a different number on the same property. Failing that, the gap is covered in cash at settlement.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes. 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.
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 postcode where classification can be driven by buildings in a neighbouring suburb, one lender's view is a narrow view. A broker checks it against many, and will also tell you when staying put is the better answer. Buyvest compares 35+ lenders at $0 cost to you.
Your Crows Nest mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Crows Nest sits in the middle of the lower North Shore, so its neighbours are minutes away. St Leonards and Wollstonecraft share the postcode, with Artarmon the next stop up the line. North Sydney, Lavender Bay, McMahons Point, Milsons Point and Kirribilli run down to the Bridge. East along Military Road sit Neutral Bay and Cremorne, and north of the highway Cammeray and Northbridge sit around Middle Harbour. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.