Lane Cove mortgage broker
Lane Cove mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Lane Cove.
Tightly held, quick to sell, and four units trade for every house. Having your finance sorted first matters more here than most places. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Lane Cove
What the 2066 market actually looks like
History of Lane Cove
The average hold period is close to twelve years, well beyond the Sydney norm, and only 58 houses changed hands last year. A village you can walk end to end, the Aquatic Centre, bush tracks down to the river at Tambourine Bay, and a ferry from Longueville. Vacancy sits under half a percent. Tightly held is the phrase agents use, and it means when something good comes up you will not be the only one who noticed.
Lane Cove property market
236 units sold last year against 58 houses, so four units trade for every house. Houses sit above $3 million, units closer to $950,000, and that gap is why the two markets barely speak to each other. If you are buying your first place here it is a unit. If you already own one, the jump to a house is a much longer step than it looks from the outside, and it usually needs the equity working properly rather than just more savings.
Lane Cove property prices
Houses sit above $3 million on a yield near 2%, and they move in under a month. Units sit closer to $950,000 on a yield around 4%, and take a little longer. House values have eased slightly over the past year after a long run up, which matters if you bought recently and are thinking about pulling equity out, because your usable equity moves with the valuation rather than with what you paid.
Borrowing in Lane Cove
Two things. Stock moves fast, so having your finance sorted before you find the place is worth more here than in a slow market. And if you already own, the equity sitting in your home is usually cheaper money than anything else you could borrow, whether that is for a renovation or a deposit on the next one. Both are worth checking before you need them.
Lane Cove is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where stock is held longest and moves fastest when it finally comes up.
Buying your first home
in Lane Cove?
Units here sit at a price the government 5% deposit scheme reaches. We can check what you qualify for before you start looking.
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.
Ready for
your next home?
Stock moves fast here, so the finance needs to be sorted before you find the place. We work out your equity and what it buys.
Client stories
How we helped in Lane Cove
Three real situations, all of them about closing a gap that looked too wide.
5% down, and a sharp rate.
A first home buyer qualified for the government 5% deposit scheme, which meant no lenders mortgage insurance. What they had not realised is that the scheme does not decide your rate. Plenty of people assume a small deposit means whatever pricing they are offered. We compared what was available across the panel and put them with a lender giving both the scheme and a sharp rate. Same deposit, better loan.
The rate, not the calendar.
We reviewed their loans and refinanced them, and the repayments came down by around $800 a month. The part worth noting is that we kept the loan term exactly where it was. It is easy to make a repayment look smaller by stretching the term back out to thirty years, and that costs you more over the life of the loan even though the monthly figure improves. This was the rate doing the work, not the calendar.
Equity, not a personal loan.
They wanted to renovate and were about to take a personal loan to fund it. We looked at the home loan they already had, negotiated a better rate with their existing lender, and released the equity for the work at the same time. Home loan rates sit well below personal loan rates, so the money cost them far less. They did not even have to change lenders to get 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 a Lane Cove 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 Lane Cove plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Investment property
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Refinancing
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Construction loans
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Bridging loans
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Guarantor loans
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No LMI and waived LMI
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Self employed home loans
Learn more
Not sure where to start? See what a mortgage broker actually does.
Investing, or checking
the rate you are on?
Units here return around 4% against under 2% on houses, and lenders count rent very differently from each other.
Your job matters
Home loans by profession
Some lenders drop lenders mortgage insurance for certain jobs, and the St Leonards health precinct is next door. 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
Lane Cove questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Lane Cove?
Because stock here is tight and it moves. Houses sell in under a month and hold periods run close to twelve years, so when something suits you there is rarely time to work out your finance afterwards. A broker gets that sorted first and checks it across many lenders rather than one. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
Does a 5% deposit mean I get a worse rate?
Not necessarily, and this is where a lot of people leave money behind. The government scheme decides whether you pay lenders mortgage insurance. It does not set your interest rate. Different lenders write those loans at very different pricing, and some are far sharper than others. You can have the small deposit and a competitive rate at the same time, but only if someone compares them properly before you apply.
Can I buy my first home in Lane Cove with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and it will be a unit 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, so we check what applies to you first.
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.
Should I use equity or a personal loan to renovate?
For most people the equity in the home is far cheaper money, because home loan rates sit well below personal loan rates. Cosmetic work can usually be funded by topping up the loan you already have. Once you are changing the structure of the house, most lenders want a construction loan instead, which releases funds in stages against a fixed price contract and council approval. The trade off with folding it into the mortgage is the longer repayment period, so look at the total cost as well as the monthly one.
Do I have to change lenders to get a better rate?
Not always. Lenders price new business more sharply than existing loans, so long standing customers drift, but many will move on rate if you ask properly and can show them what the market is doing. Sometimes that is the cleanest answer, because there is no discharge fee and no new application. Sometimes the gap is too wide and moving is worth it. We check both before you decide anything.
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 house values here have eased slightly over the past year, it is worth checking properly rather than assuming last year's number still holds.
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.
How much can I borrow for a Lane Cove home?
It comes down to your income, your existing debts, how many people you support and the loan itself, and lenders differ enormously on all four. Two lenders can look at the same payslip and land a long way apart, because they treat overtime, bonuses, HECS and credit card limits differently. At Lane Cove prices that spread decides whether a house is possible or not. Online calculators give you one lender's version at best. We check it across the panel and give you a number you can rely on.
Will I pay stamp duty in Lane Cove?
Almost certainly on a house, and it depends on the price on a unit. First home buyers get a concession below certain price levels and pay full duty above them, and those thresholds are set by the NSW government and get reviewed. Lane Cove units can sit near the line rather than clearly under it, so budget for some duty rather than assuming it is waived. It is also payable within three months of exchange in NSW, so it needs to be cash you have rather than money you borrow.
Should I fix my rate or stay variable?
Fixed gives you certainty for a set period, usually one to five years. Variable gives you flexibility, an offset account and the ability to make extra repayments without penalty. Most fixed loans do not come with a usable offset, which matters a great deal if you keep a large balance sitting there. Plenty of people split the loan, fixing part for certainty and leaving the rest variable so the offset still works. Breaking a fixed loan early can be expensive, so the term you choose matters more than the rate on day one.
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 you did at the start. On an investment it is a genuine question, and with yields here under 2% on houses the cash flow difference is real. What people forget is that lenders assess an interest only loan on what the repayment becomes when it reverts, not on what you are paying now, so it can reduce what you can borrow elsewhere. Worth talking through with your accountant as well as us.
What about Longueville, Riverview, Northwood and Greenwich?
All in 2066 and all part of the same conversation, though the numbers differ. The waterfront pockets sit well above the Lane Cove median, which usually puts a purchase past the loan size where lenders start applying their own caps and extra checks. Waterfront and steep blocks can also affect a valuation, because a valuer looks at access, retaining walls and any part of the land that cannot be built on. Same postcode, different lending question, and we handle all of them.
I am downsizing. Does that change anything?
Yes, in a good way and in one you should plan for. If you are selling a house here and buying a unit, you are likely to walk away with money rather than needing a large loan, which makes the finance simple. The part that catches people is timing, because selling first can leave you renting in a market where good units go quickly. If you are over a certain age, downsizing proceeds can also be contributed to super under specific rules, which is a conversation for your accountant or financial adviser rather than for us.
Do lenders treat Lane Cove apartments differently?
Some do. Larger blocks, particularly the newer ones, 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. The same apartment can be approved by one lender and declined by another.
Do I have room to negotiate on a larger loan?
More than most people realise. A sizeable loan with a solid deposit behind it is exactly the business lenders compete hardest for, because the risk is low and the loan is profitable, so the pricing on offer is often better than anything advertised. That only helps you if someone asks for it. The catch is servicing. At Lane Cove prices the question is rarely whether a lender wants your business, it is whether their assessment says you can afford it, and lenders differ by a long way on how they read income, existing debts and card limits. So there are two jobs. Find the ones whose servicing works for you, then have them compete on rate.
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.
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, and it has no reason to tell you when a competitor is cheaper. A broker checks it across many lenders and will also tell you when staying put is the better answer. Buyvest compares 35+ lenders at $0 cost to you.
Your Lane Cove mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Lane Cove is hemmed in by good company. Artarmon and Chatswood sit north, with Roseville and Lindfield further up the line. St Leonards, Wollstonecraft and Crows Nest sit east towards the hospital and the towers, and Willoughby, Northbridge and Cammeray beyond that. Across the river you have Hunters Hill and Gladesville, which is where a lot of people look when the house here does not stretch. We cover all of them, so if your search moves a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.