Home loans for Sonographers

A home loan with special benefits for accredited medical sonographers. The main benefit is waived LMI when borrowing above 80% of the property value, up to 90% LVR. You may also receive discounted interest rates and higher maximum loan amounts. These benefits exist because select lenders consider sonographers low-risk borrowers with stable income and strong healthcare employment demand.

Sonographers have strong job security driven by high demand across public hospitals, private imaging centres, and specialist clinics. Australia faces an ongoing shortage of qualified sonographers, which supports stable employment and competitive salaries. Select lenders classify sonographers alongside other medical professionals as lower-risk borrowers.

With a sonographer home loan, you can purchase with a 10% deposit and no LMI at 90% LVR. On a $1,000,000 property, that means $100,000 instead of $200,000. Use our property deposit calculator to see your maximum purchase price based on your savings.

No. Sonographers are not registered with AHPRA. This is a common misconception. Your eligibility is verified through the Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry (ASAR), a copy of your Australian university degree in medical sonography, or your most recent tax return confirming the sonography profession. Any one of these three methods is accepted.

Yes. Unlike doctors and dentists who have no minimum income requirement at most lenders, sonographer home loans require a minimum combined gross taxable income of $90,000 per annum from the medical qualification. Casual income is calculated over 48 weeks by some lenders. The average full-time sonographer salary in Australia is $120,000 to $140,000, so most qualified full-time sonographers meet this threshold.

90% LVR for both owner-occupied and investment properties. This means you need a minimum 10% deposit. Some professions such as doctors and dentists can access up to 95% LVR with waived LMI, but sonographers are classified at a slightly lower tier. You can still borrow above 90% LVR, but LMI will apply on the portion above the waiver threshold.

$5 million per security under the LMI waiver. Maximum total group exposure (total lending across all properties above 80% LVR) is $7.5 million. Your actual borrowing capacity depends on income, debts, expenses, and the lender's serviceability assessment.

Yes. The LMI waiver applies to both owner-occupied and investment property purchases at up to 90% LVR with select lenders. The same $90,000 income threshold and ASAR accreditation requirements apply. The loan is structured with separate splits for tax-deductible investment debt.

Over 52% of sonographers in Australia work part-time. Lender treatment of part-time and casual income varies. Some calculate casual income over 48 weeks, reducing your annual figure. Others assess over 52 weeks. If your part-time hours have been consistent for 12 or more months, most lenders accept the income at its current level. The $90,000 minimum income requirement still applies, so part-time sonographers need to earn above this threshold from the medical qualification to access the waiver.

Yes. Self-employed sonographers can access waived LMI provided they meet the ASAR accreditation, income, and verification criteria. The ABN must be registered for at least two years with evidence of reported profit each year. Two years of tax returns and full financials are required. Maximum loan amount is $1 million for self-employed applicants under some lender policies.

Yes. Locum income paid through ABN invoices is treated as self-employed income. You will need at least two years of ABN registration and two years of tax returns. If you have previous PAYG employment history in the same profession, some lenders will accept a shorter ABN history. Consistent billing evidence strengthens the application.

Yes. Some lenders impose a debt-to-income (DTI) cap. If your total debts (including the new loan, existing loans, HECS, and credit card limits) relative to your gross income exceed the threshold, typically a DTI of 6, your maximum LVR may drop or the waiver may not apply. Cancelling unused credit cards and paying down existing debts can improve your DTI and maintain eligibility for the full 90% LVR waiver.

Partially. The LMI waiver allows principal and interest (P&I) repayments, or interest-only converting to P&I after a fixed period. Permanent interest-only repayments do not qualify for the waiver, and standard LVR and LMI rules apply if you choose straight interest-only. For investment properties, interest-only converting to P&I is commonly used and still qualifies for the waiver.

It depends on the lender. Some extend the LMI waiver to fixed-price construction contracts at up to 90% LVR. Others exclude construction loans and vacant land from the waiver entirely. If building is part of your plan, we identify which lenders cover construction under the sonographer waiver.

Yes, with conditions. The property can be held in the name of a spouse or related entity (company or trust), but the qualifying sonographer must be a party to the transaction, at minimum as a guarantor. The sonographer's income must meet the $90,000 threshold, and ASAR accreditation must be verified.

The LMI waiver is typically restricted to Category 1 and Category 2 locations, meaning standard metropolitan and major regional areas. Properties in remote, mining, or high-risk postcodes may not be eligible. Most properties in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and other capital cities qualify without issue. If your property is in a non-metropolitan area, we check postcode eligibility before recommending a lender.

Yes. Lenders include school fees as a committed expense in their serviceability assessment. Private school fees of $20,000 to $40,000 per child per year can reduce borrowing power significantly. Some lenders treat school fees more conservatively than others. If you have children at private school, we identify lenders that minimise the impact on your borrowing capacity.

No. Sonographer home loans typically offer the same or better rates than standard loans. The lenders that offer the waiver also provide medico-specific rate discounts through their professional banking divisions. Rates change frequently. Contact us for today's best sonographer home loan rates.

Yes. You can refinance to a new lender with waived LMI, even if your current LVR is above 80%. This is valuable if you originally paid LMI before knowing about sonographer home loans. Combined with a lower rate and cashback, refinancing can save thousands per year.

Personal ID (passport or licence plus citizenship or residency proof), ASAR accreditation verification (or university degree or tax return), proof of income (2 recent payslips for PAYG, or 2 years of tax returns for self-employed), bank statements showing savings, and details of existing loans. A complete checklist is provided specific to your situation.

Yes. The property can be held in the name of a spouse or related entity, but the qualifying sonographer must be a party to the transaction, at minimum as a guarantor. The non-sonographer spouse's income also counts toward borrowing power. The sonographer's income must meet the $90,000 threshold from the medical qualification.

Yes. The sonographer LMI waiver is from the lender; stamp duty concessions are from the NSW government. They are completely separate. On a $750,000 first home purchase, you pay zero stamp duty and zero LMI, saving potentially $16,800+ in LMI alone plus the full stamp duty amount.

Sonographers with straightforward PAYG income and current ASAR accreditation can be pre-approved within a few days. Complex applications (self-employed, multiple income streams) may take longer. Pre-approval is valid for approximately 90 days.

This is especially critical for sonographers. The four major banks do not offer LMI waivers for sonographers. If you walk into a branch, they will either charge you full LMI or tell you the waiver does not exist for your profession. A broker who knows sonographer lending policies can direct you to the select lenders that do offer the waiver, saving you $16,800 to $44,800 in LMI. The service costs $0.

$0. The lender pays the commission when your loan settles. You pay the same rate whether you go direct or through a broker. Meet our team.

It depends on the lender. Some lenders that waive LMI for sonographers also include radiographers. Others do not. At least one major bank explicitly lists radiographers and medical radiation practitioners as ineligible with no exceptions. If you are a radiographer, contact us and we will confirm your eligibility across all lenders immediately.

Many sonographers split their week across two or three imaging centres. If each role is paid through payroll with tax withheld, most lenders will combine the income. If one or more roles are paid through your ABN, the ABN portion may be treated as self-employed income. We match you with lenders that recognise all of your income streams so nothing is left on the table.

All standard features: fixed rate and variable rate options, 100% offset accounts, redraw facilities, split loans, and interest-only repayments (converting to P&I only under the waiver). The LMI waiver does not limit your feature access.

Depends on income, debts, expenses, and lender. Each lender calculates differently, so using a broker across 35+ lenders maximises borrowing power. Use our mortgage repayment calculator to estimate repayments.

Significantly. Lenders assess card limits as fully drawn. A $10,000 limit reduces borrowing by approximately $30,000 to $50,000. Credit cards also increase your debt-to-income ratio, which may affect your eligibility for the LMI waiver. Cancelling unused cards before applying is one of the simplest ways to boost your borrowing power.

Yes. HECS does not prevent approval but reduces borrowing power. Lenders count the compulsory repayment (1% to 10% of income) as a committed expense. Some lenders treat HECS more favourably than others.

Yes. Lenders check for active BNPL accounts (Afterpay, Zip, Humm). These count as liabilities and reduce borrowing power. Some lenders view BNPL negatively. Close any BNPL accounts before applying.

The LMI waiver is assessed at application time. Once your loan settles with waived LMI, you do not need to remain in sonography. If you refinance later and your ASAR accreditation has lapsed, you would not qualify for a new LMI waiver. Your existing loan is unaffected.

The LMI waiver generally requires Australian citizenship or permanent residency. Some lenders accept temporary visa holders for standard home loans but without the LMI waiver. Contact us to check eligibility for your visa type.

The LMI waiver applies to standard residential property: houses, townhouses, and apartments. Some lenders restrict small apartments (under 50sqm), high-density buildings, or rural properties. The property must be in a Category 1 or Category 2 location. If you are purchasing in a non-standard location or property type, we check eligibility across all lenders before recommending one.

Debt recycling converts non-deductible home loan debt into tax-deductible investment debt. You draw equity from your home to invest in an income-producing asset, then use the returns to pay down your non-deductible home loan faster. For sonographers earning above $120,000, debt recycling can save significant tax while building wealth. It requires careful loan structuring with separate splits for deductible and non-deductible debt. Speak to your accountant and contact us to structure the loans correctly.