Dulwich Hill mortgage broker
Dulwich Hill mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Dulwich Hill.
Art deco blocks of eight, semis that may or may not be strata titled, and bungalows on deep lots. The title tells you more than the address. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Dulwich Hill
What the 2203 market actually looks like
History of Dulwich Hill
Named by a settler after Dulwich in London, and built out in two clear waves. Federation and California bungalows went up on the ridge in the early 1900s, then art deco flat blocks filled the gaps between the wars. Very little has been knocked down since, which is why the streets read as a record of two decades rather than a dozen.
Dulwich Hill property market
Bungalows and semis on the residential streets, art deco and post war flats through the middle, and newer apartments near the stations. It is one of the few Inner West suburbs with both heavy rail and light rail, which has drawn a steady flow of young families and professionals. A large share of the flat stock sits in small blocks rather than big complexes.
Dulwich Hill property prices
Houses sit well into the millions, with recent sales in the suburb reaching past three million for the larger ones, and apartments a long way below. Semis and duplex halves fall between the two and vary enormously depending on how the title is set up. Treat any single published figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in Dulwich Hill
The title type does more work here than in most suburbs. A semi can be Torrens titled, strata titled or company title, and each is read differently by lenders. The small art deco blocks bring their own question, because a levy in a scheme of eight owners is a very different bill from the same work in a block of eighty. Send us the address before you offer.
Dulwich Hill is one of 20 suburbs we cover across the Inner West, and the one where checking the title type before you offer saves the most trouble.
Buying a semi
or a flat in a small block?
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 properties 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.
Assuming you have
to pay mortgage insurance?
Some lenders drop it entirely for certain jobs. It is worth checking your role against the panel before you budget for it.
Client stories
How we helped
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
Ready before they started.
A first home buyer who did not know where to begin. We took them through pre-approval first, then sent property reports so they could look at listings with real numbers instead of guesses, and stayed with them through each step as questions came up. They bought about six weeks later. The speed was not the point. Knowing what they could do before they started looking is what made those weeks calm rather than frantic.
Their job removed the LMI.
They came in certain their parents would have to guarantee the loan, because they only had a 10% deposit. We looked at what they did for a living and worked through which lenders treat that job differently. One of them waived the mortgage insurance altogether, so we wrote the loan without a guarantor at all. They bought with their savings intact, and nobody had to put a second property on the line.
Car money, cheaper money.
They were about to take a car loan. We looked at the equity in their home first, refinanced the existing loan onto a sharper rate, and released the car money as a separate split over a deliberately short term rather than folding it into thirty years. We compared it against what the car finance would have cost over the same period. The difference came out around $590 a month, and the car still gets paid off on a car timeline.
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 Dulwich Hill 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 Dulwich Hill plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Refinancing
Learn more
Construction loans
Learn more
Guarantor loans
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 it is the fastest way to save a large sum on a Dulwich Hill purchase. 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.
★★★★★
"Cannot recommend Ali highly enough. He made a complicated and daunting process incredibly easy, and continually went above and beyond. Would absolutely recommend him to everyone."
★★★★★
"Ali is super knowledgeable, reasonable and personable! He will be realistic with what is possible but always find you the best deal whilst making you feel looked after."
★★★★★
"Ali is a maestro with a wealth of experience in home lending business, mixed with excellent people skills. His professional and supportive approach is a safe pair of hands to work with to get the required funds for your goal in the property market."
FAQ
Dulwich Hill questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Dulwich Hill?
Because the title type decides more here than the price does. A semi can be Torrens titled, strata titled or company title, and lenders read each differently. The art deco blocks bring a separate question again, since a scheme of eight owners carries costs very differently from a block of eighty. A bank has one policy on all of it. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
Does it matter whether a semi is strata or Torrens titled?
A great deal. Torrens title means you own the land and building outright and lenders treat it as a house. Strata title on a semi means you own a lot in a two lot scheme, which most lenders are fine with but some price differently, and you share responsibility for common property with one other owner. Company title is a different thing again. The contract tells you which it is, and it is worth knowing before you offer rather than after.
What is company title and why do lenders care?
With company title you own shares in a company that owns the building rather than the apartment itself, and the company can vet who buys in. A good number of lenders will not fund it at all, and those that do lend a smaller share of the value and want to read the company constitution. It turns up in some of the older blocks along the ridge, priced below strata equivalents for exactly that reason. The contract tells you which it is, so check before you fall for the place.
Is a flat in a small block riskier for a lender?
Not riskier, but the numbers work differently and buyers rarely think it through. In a scheme of eight, the cost of a new roof or waterproofing divides among eight owners rather than eighty, so each share is far larger. Lenders read the capital works fund with that in mind. A small well run scheme is perfectly good security. A small scheme with a thin fund and work coming is where the caution appears.
What should I check in the strata report on an art deco block?
The balance of the capital works fund against the age of the building, any special levy struck or being discussed in the minutes, and whether there is a live dispute. Interwar blocks reach a point where waterproofing, wiring and roofing all come due within a few years of each other. None of that is a reason to avoid them, and plenty are beautifully maintained. It is a reason to read the minutes rather than skim the summary.
Can I buy my first home in Dulwich Hill with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and at that deposit it will be an apartment rather than a bungalow. 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. Not every lender is approved to write them, and the block still has to suit whichever one does.
Can I avoid lenders mortgage insurance without a guarantor?
Sometimes, and it is the first thing worth checking before you assume the answer is no. A handful of lenders drop the insurance entirely for certain professions, at a deposit level where everyone else would charge it. The lists differ between lenders and depend on your exact registration rather than your industry generally. Where it applies, it removes the cost without anyone putting a second property on the line.
How does a guarantor loan work?
A family member, usually a parent, offers part of the equity in their property as extra security for your loan. They do not make your repayments and no cash changes hands. Most are set up as a limited guarantee, so only a defined portion of their home is at risk. Before going down that road it is worth checking whether a profession waiver or the deposit scheme gets you there without involving anyone else at all.
What is the difference between a guarantor and a co-borrower?
A guarantor supports the loan with their property but is not on the title or the debt. A co-borrower is on both, so the whole loan shows on their credit file. Co-borrowing lifts what you can afford because both incomes count, and it is a far heavier commitment than a limited guarantee. Around here it often comes up where two friends buy an apartment together, and it decides whether either of them can borrow again alone. Settle it first.
How much deposit do I need in Dulwich Hill?
A 20% deposit avoids lenders mortgage insurance. On an apartment here that is within reach for a lot of buyers, and on a bungalow it is a considerably larger figure. Plenty of people get in with 5 or 10% and pay the insurance instead, some professions can skip it, and a family guarantor loan can cut the deposit further again. On company title or a very small scheme the lender may want more, so work the number against the address.
Can I use my home loan to buy a car?
You can, and the structure decides whether it helps you. Home loan money is far cheaper than car finance. The trap is folding it into the main loan across thirty years, so a cheap rate turns expensive because the car is long gone before the debt is. A separate split over a short term keeps the low rate and clears the car on a car timeline. Look at what the whole thing costs, not what it does to the monthly figure.
What is an offset account and is it worth having?
An offset is a transaction account linked to your loan. Every dollar in it reduces the balance interest is charged on, without being locked away. If you own in a small block it is particularly useful, because money set aside against a future levy is still working against your interest while it waits. If your account runs close to empty each month, a package fee can cost more than the offset saves, so check it against the balance you actually hold.
Offset or redraw. What is the difference?
Redraw means paying extra off the loan and taking it back later. Offset means the money sits beside the loan in its own account. The interest effect is similar. What differs is access and treatment, because redraw can be restricted by the lender and money you redraw counts as new borrowing rather than your own savings returning. If there is any chance you keep this place and rent it out when you move up, offset is the cleaner structure. Your accountant can explain why.
Should I fix my rate or stay variable?
Fixed gives certainty for a set period, usually one to five years. Variable gives flexibility, an offset account and unlimited extra repayments. Most fixed loans do not come with a usable offset. If you own in a small older scheme, that flexibility is worth something specific, because a levy in a block of eight arrives as a large share and a fixed loan gives you nothing to draw on. The term you pick matters more than the rate on day one.
Can I split the loan between fixed and variable?
Yes, and it is a sensible middle ground for a lot of households here. You fix a portion for repayment certainty and leave the rest variable so the offset still works against it. A good rule is to leave at least as much variable as the balance you typically hold in offset, which for a small scheme should include a levy buffer. Some lenders charge for each split, so check the fee before setting it up.
Interest only or principal and interest?
On a home you live in, principal and interest is almost always the answer, because interest only means you owe the same at the end of the period as at the start. On an investment it is a real question, and Dulwich Hill apartments are widely held by investors. The catch is that lenders assess an interest only loan on the repayment it reverts to, not what you pay now, so it eats into what you can borrow next time. Worth talking through with your accountant as well as us.
Does the heritage listing affect renovating a bungalow?
It can, and much of the older housing here sits in a conservation area. A listing changes what council will approve and how long approval takes, which matters because a construction loan is written against approved plans and a fixed price contract. Delays on the council side hold up the finance rather than the other way round. Get the approval process underway before the loan amount is locked in rather than after.
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. Ask for the remaining term instead, so a loan with twenty two years left stays a twenty two year loan. Nobody volunteers this, and on a bungalow sized loan the extra years cost a great deal more than the smaller repayment saves you. Ask every time.
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. On company title or a two lot scheme the new lender is more likely to want a full valuation rather than a desktop one, because of the title rather than you, so allow a little more time.
Should I sell first or buy first?
Sell first and you know your number, though you may be renting while you search. Buy first and the finance carries both for a period, usually through bridging, where the lender funds the new purchase before the old one sells. The third route is keeping the first place and letting it, which suits Dulwich Hill well given how strongly the apartments rent. Your equity and whether your income holds both loans decide which is open to you.
I live in Dulwich Hill but want to buy elsewhere. Does that matter?
Far less than people expect. A lender assesses you, then it assesses the property you are buying. Where you currently live barely features. What does matter is the postcode and property type you are buying into, because lender restrictions attach to the security rather than to your address. Plenty of owners here keep the flat and buy a house further west, and that lending is straightforward once the structure is right.
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 suburb where a great deal turns on the title type, one lender's policy on company title or a two lot scheme can be the whole difference between yes and no, 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 Dulwich Hill mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Dulwich Hill sits in the middle of the Inner West, so everything is close. Summer Hill, Marrickville and Petersham are next door, with Ashfield and Haberfield west along the line. Stanmore, Leichhardt and Newtown run east through the terrace belt, and Annandale and Lilyfield head north towards the water. Five Dock sits north west and Mascot south east. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.