Epping mortgage broker
Epping mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Epping.
A decade of towers went up around the station, and lenders read those buildings very differently from the streets behind them. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Epping
What the 2121 market actually looks like
History of Epping
Orchards became a rail junction, and the junction became the suburb. Epping is one of the few places in Sydney where the T9 line, the Metro and a major road corridor all meet, which is why it was rezoned for height around the station while the streets a few minutes away stayed as they were. The suburb is also split between two councils, which surprises people at rates time rather than at settlement.
Epping property market
Two markets that grew apart in about a decade. A dense band of newer apartments around the station and along the main roads, and established family houses on the streets behind them at roughly three times the price. Schools drive a lot of the house demand. The apartment side draws first home buyers and professionals, and a good share of both markets are families who have arrived from overseas in the last few years.
Epping property prices
Houses sit in the low to mid two millions on a yield near 2%. Apartments sit closer to the high hundreds on a yield around 4%, with the newer stock above that. 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 Epping
On a house it is your income and your existing debts. On an apartment it is the building. Several lenders treat the towers around the station as high density and lend a smaller share of the value there, and the newer stock brings questions about defects and special levies that a lender reads before it reads your payslips. Send us the address before you offer and we will tell you which lenders suit it.
Epping is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, though its nearest neighbours sit over in the Hills District.
Found a place
in a newer 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.
Deposit coming
from family overseas?
Lenders have rules about gifted funds and where money came from. Worth sorting before you exchange rather than the week of settlement.
Client stories
How we helped in Epping
Three real situations, from a rate review to a full rebuild.
Loyalty tax, three years on.
They had not looked at their loan in over three years, and in that time the lender had kept pricing new business more sharply than the loans already on its books. Nothing about them had changed. We compared what they were paying against 35+ lenders and refinanced, and the repayments came down by around $400 a month. We kept the loan term exactly where it was, so that saving is real rather than a longer road with a smaller monthly figure.
They settled before selling.
They found the home they wanted before their own had sold. Rather than list under a deadline, we released the equity in the existing property so it funded the purchase, and they settled on the new home first. The old house went on the market afterwards, presented empty and sold on their timetable. Most of the proceeds went straight back against the loan once it settled, so the borrowing only sat at the higher level for a short period.
A buffer they did not need.
They wanted to do structural work, which meant a construction loan rather than a simple top up, because the funds release in stages against a fixed price contract and approved plans. We built in a buffer above the contract price for the things that come up mid build. The build finished without needing it, so at the end we reduced the total lending back down rather than leaving the limit sitting there, and the repayments came down with it.
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 an Epping 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 Epping 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 Macquarie Park is a few minutes down the line. 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
Epping questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Epping?
Because Epping is two markets and they are assessed very differently. On a house it comes down to your income and your existing debts. On an apartment near the station it comes down to the building, and several lenders apply their own restrictions there. 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.
Can I use a gift from family overseas as my deposit?
Usually yes, and it is the step that most often stalls a settlement here. Lenders will want a signed letter from the person giving it confirming the money is a gift and not repayable, and most want it sitting in your account for a period before they treat it as yours. They also have to satisfy themselves where the funds came from, so expect questions about the source and paperwork from the overseas account. Transfers can take longer than people plan for. Start this well before exchange rather than the week of settlement.
Can I get a home loan on a temporary visa?
Often yes, though the field of lenders 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 approval step sits outside the lender's control.
Is there extra stamp duty if I am not a citizen or permanent resident?
There can be. NSW charges a surcharge purchaser duty on residential property bought by foreign persons, on top of the normal duty, and a land tax surcharge applies annually after that. The definition of a foreign person depends on your visa and how long you have been in Australia, and some permanent residents are exempt. Certain nationalities have also been treated differently at various points. Because the amounts are large and the rules are specific to your situation, this is a question for your conveyancer or a tax adviser before you sign.
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 it 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.
Do lenders treat Epping apartments differently?
Several do. The towers around the station went up in a concentrated period, and where a lender classifies a building or a postcode as high density it will usually lend a smaller share of the value, which means a larger deposit than you planned for. Some lenders also cap how many apartments in one development they will hold, so the obvious lender can already be full. Studios and small one bedders can fall under a minimum floor size. It comes down to the specific building rather than the suburb.
What does the strata report tell a lender about a newer building?
A great deal, and it matters more in Epping than in a suburb of older walk ups. Lenders look at the sinking fund, any special levy struck or 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, and a large levy changes what you can afford. Order the report early rather than treating it as a formality after exchange.
What should I know about buying off the plan in Epping?
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. Epping still has stock coming through, so plan for all of this before you sign.
Do the school catchments change what I can borrow?
Not directly. Catchments hold value and a valuer sees that in comparable sales, which can help on an equity release. It does not make a lender lend you more. Your borrowing capacity comes from your income and your existing debts. Plenty of people stretch for a catchment and then find the loan was the limit rather than the house, so it is worth knowing your real number before you narrow the search to a few streets.
Epping sits across two councils. Does that affect anything?
Not for your loan. It affects which council you deal with for rates, waste and any development application, and the boundary runs through the suburb rather than around it. Where it can matter indirectly is renovation timing, because approval sits with one council rather than the other and processes differ. If you are planning work that needs a construction loan, knowing which side you are on saves confusion when the drawdown schedule is being set.
Can I buy my first home in Epping 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.
What counts as genuine savings?
Most lenders want to see that part of your deposit was saved by you over time, usually at least three months in your own account. That rules out some things people assume will count. A cash gift often does not on its own, though many lenders accept it once it has sat in your account long enough. Released super, tax refunds and inheritance are treated differently by different lenders. Rent paid on time can sometimes count in place of savings. It is one of the most common reasons an application stalls late.
How much deposit do I need in Epping?
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 on the apartment side 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 an Epping 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 an Epping apartment end up buying their house in Carlingford, North Rocks or further out. Worth working out the real number before you plan around 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.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes. Epping has a lot of small 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. If you are buying an apartment here, 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 Epping mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Epping does not sit on its own, and its closest neighbours sit across two of our areas. Carlingford, North Rocks and Pennant Hills sit west and north in the Hills District, and they are where a lot of people look when the house here does not stretch. South of the motorway, Ryde and Gladesville run down towards the river. Up the T9 line sit Turramurra, Pymble, Wahroonga, Gordon, Killara and Hornsby, where the blocks get bigger and the towers stop, along with Lindfield. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.