Hornsby mortgage broker
Hornsby mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Hornsby.
Where the two rail lines meet, and where a lot of buyers live here but buy somewhere else entirely. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Hornsby
What the 2077 market actually looks like
History of Hornsby
Named after Samuel Horne, a constable granted land here in the 1830s for catching bushrangers. The railway made the rest of it, because Hornsby is where the North Shore line and the Northern line meet, and everything north of here runs through it. Westfield, the hospital and the TAFE followed, and the bushland never left, which is why the shire calls itself the bushland shire.
Hornsby property market
Three markets rather than two. Newer apartments clustered around the station and Waitara, townhouses through the middle, and family houses on larger blocks running out towards the bushland edge. Prices sit well below the lower North Shore for the same land, which is what draws people here, and it is also why so many Hornsby owners end up buying an investment somewhere else.
Hornsby property prices
Houses sit around $1.7 million on a yield near 2.5%. Apartments sit closer to $720,000 on a yield around 4.5%. That gap between the two is smaller than most of the North Shore, which makes the step from a unit to a house more reachable here than it is a few stops south. Treat any single figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in Hornsby
The apartments near the station are where lenders apply high density caps and minimum floor sizes. The houses out towards the bushland carry bushfire ratings that affect insurance rather than approval. And a large share of the lending we do for people here is not on a Hornsby property at all, because the equity is here and the purchase is somewhere else.
Hornsby is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where clients most often live locally and buy elsewhere.
Living here
but buying elsewhere?
The lender cares about the property you are buying, not the suburb you live in. We can work out what your Hornsby equity reaches.
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.
Valuation come back
under the price?
A different lender uses a different valuation panel. Sometimes that is the whole difference between settling and not.
Client stories
How we helped in Hornsby
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
The first bank valued it low.
They had bought off the plan and held approval with their own bank. When the building finished, that lender's valuation came in under the price and they had no way to cover the gap. They came to us with settlement approaching. We ordered valuations through several other lenders, and one came back supporting the purchase price. Same apartment, different panel, different number. They settled on time and the shortfall never had to be found in cash.
Car money, home loan rate.
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 them over the same period. The difference came out around $590 a month, and the car still gets paid off on a car timeline.
Ready before they looked.
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 their first home about six weeks later. The speed was not the point. Knowing what they could do before they started looking is what made the six weeks calm rather than frantic.
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 Hornsby 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 Hornsby plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Investment property
Learn more
Refinancing
Learn more
Construction loans
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Bridging loans
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Guarantor loans
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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 Hornsby Hospital is on the doorstep. 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
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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
Hornsby questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Hornsby?
Because Hornsby buyers are rarely doing one simple thing. It is a first home in an apartment near the station, an upgrade to a house on the bushland edge, a refinance after years of not looking, or an investment purchase somewhere else entirely using Hornsby equity. Each of those suits different lenders. A bank has one answer to all four. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
I live in Hornsby but want to buy elsewhere. Does that matter to the lender?
Far less than people expect. A lender assesses you, and 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, not to your address. So a Hornsby owner buying a unit in a high density postcode faces that postcode's rules, not Hornsby's. We check the address you are buying, wherever it is.
Can I use my Hornsby equity to buy an investment property?
Usually yes, and it is the most common thing we do for people here. Usable equity is roughly 80% of what your home is worth today less what you still owe, and that figure can fund the deposit and costs on a purchase without touching your savings. The structuring matters more than the amount. Done well, the equity release sits as its own split so the borrowing for the investment is separate and identifiable. Because that separation affects tax, it is worth involving your accountant early.
Should the new property be with the same lender as my home?
Not necessarily, and this is where people get caught. If one lender holds both properties as security for the same borrowing, they are linked. Every time you want to release equity, refinance or sell one, the lender reassesses the whole bundle, and a weaker valuation on one can hold up the other. Keeping the purchase with a second lender, or at least keeping the securities standalone, preserves your flexibility. It is far easier to set up that way than to unpick later.
What changes if I buy interstate?
The lending is much the same, because the major lenders operate nationally and assess you the same way wherever the property is. What changes sits outside the loan. Stamp duty, land tax thresholds and any surcharges are set by each state, and land tax in particular catches investors who own in more than one. Settlement periods and conveyancing practice also differ. Your conveyancer in that state is the right person for those, and we handle the finance around whatever timeline they set.
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. 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. Two lenders can land a long way apart on the same purchase for this reason alone.
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 does land short, a different lender uses a different valuation panel and can come back with a different number on the same property. That is a real option and worth exploring before you go looking for the shortfall in cash.
My off the plan valuation came in low. Can I change lenders before settlement?
Often yes, and it is worth moving quickly. Approval with one lender does not lock you to it. Because valuations are ordered through each lender's own panel, another lender can value the same apartment differently, and on off the plan stock the spread can be wide. What you need is enough time before settlement to get a fresh application approved, so the moment you see a shortfall is the moment to start rather than after negotiating with the developer. Extensions are sometimes possible but they are the developer's call.
Can I buy my first home in Hornsby with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and Hornsby is one of the better places on the North Shore for it because apartment prices sit at a level the scheme comfortably reaches. 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 building still has to suit whichever lender you use.
How much deposit do I need in Hornsby?
A 20% deposit avoids lenders mortgage insurance. On an apartment near the station that is a reachable number for a lot of people, and on a house it is considerably more. Plenty of buyers 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. What changes the answer most is the building, because a high density cap on a particular block can mean you need more than you planned.
Can I upgrade from a Hornsby apartment to a Hornsby house?
More realistically here than almost anywhere else on the North Shore. The gap between apartment and house prices in Hornsby is narrower than it is a few stops south, so equity in the unit plus a few years of repayments genuinely moves you. The question is borrowing capacity rather than deposit, since the house price is roughly double. Worth working out the real number early, because it often turns out to be closer than people assume.
Should I sell first or buy first?
It is the question that decides everything else. Sell first and you have certainty about your number but may be renting while you look. Buy first and the finance has to carry both for a period, usually through bridging, where the lender funds the new purchase before the old one sells. There is a third route people forget, which is keeping the first place and renting it out. Which one fits comes down to your equity and whether your income supports both loans for a while.
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.
Should I chase a cashback offer when refinancing?
Only after you have looked at the rate underneath it. A cashback is paid once. The rate is paid every month for as long as you stay, so a slightly higher rate can cost you more within two years than the cashback ever gave you. Where a cashback genuinely helps is when the rate is competitive anyway and the payment covers your switching costs. Compare the total cost over three or four years rather than the headline figure.
Can I use my home loan to buy a car?
You can, and how it is set up decides whether it is a good idea. Home loan rates sit well below car loan rates, so the money is cheaper. The trap is folding it into the main loan over thirty years, which makes a cheap rate expensive because you are still paying for the car long after it is gone. Taking the funds as a separate split over a short term keeps the low rate while paying the car off on a car timeline. Compare total cost, not the monthly figure.
Do lenders treat Hornsby apartments differently?
Some do. The newer blocks around the station and through Waitara can count as high density with certain lenders, which caps how much they will lend on a unit there. Studios and small one bedders can fall under a lender's minimum floor size. Older walk ups raise questions about the building rather than about you, including what the strata report says about the sinking fund and any special levy. The same apartment can be approved by one lender and declined by another.
What about houses on the bushland edge?
A bushfire attack level on the title is common out towards the reserves and it rarely stops a loan. Where it bites is insurance, because a lender wants the property insured before settlement and cover on a highly rated site can be expensive or slow to place. Get a quote early rather than in the final week. If you are building or extending, the rating also sets construction standards, which affects the fixed price contract behind a construction loan.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes. Hornsby has a lot of small business owners and trades. 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. That last one matters most here, because a valuation is ordered through the lender's own panel and one bank's number is not the final word. A broker checks it against many lenders, and will also tell you when staying put is the better answer. Buyvest compares 35+ lenders at $0 cost to you.
Your Hornsby mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Hornsby is where the lines meet, so everything runs through it. Wahroonga, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara and Lindfield run south down the line where the blocks get bigger and the prices climb. Berowra sits north at the top of the line, and St Ives east across the ridge. West of here the bushland gives way to acreage at Dural and Middle Dural in the Hills District, with Pennant Hills and Epping between the two. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.