Neutral Bay mortgage broker
Neutral Bay mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows Neutral Bay.
One of the highest concentrations of apartments in Sydney, and the building decides the loan more often than you do. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About Neutral Bay
What the 2089 market actually looks like
History of Neutral Bay
Governor Phillip set the bay aside for neutral ships so foreign vessels could anchor away from the settlement, and the name outlived the purpose. Ferries built the suburb before the roads did, which is why Kurraba Point and Hayes Street still feel separate from the Military Road strip a few minutes up the hill. The postcode covers Neutral Bay and Kurraba Point.
Neutral Bay property market
Apartments, overwhelmingly. Red brick walk ups from the sixties and seventies, art deco blocks closer to the water, and newer stock along the main roads. Houses exist and are expensive when they appear. A large share of residents rent, which makes this an investor market as much as an owner occupier one, and that shapes what buyers here are asking a lender for.
Neutral Bay property prices
Apartments cover a wide band, from compact one bedders in older blocks to larger units with water views at several times the price. The handful of houses sit well into the millions. Published medians move about between sources because the apartment stock is so varied. Treat any single figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in Neutral Bay
The building matters more than almost anywhere. Several lenders apply high density caps here, older blocks raise questions about the sinking fund, and compact one bedders can fall under a lender's minimum internal floor size. Some of the older stock is company title rather than strata, which narrows the field further. Send us the address before you offer and we will tell you which lenders suit it.
Neutral Bay is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where the block you are buying into matters most.
Found a unit
in an older 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 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.
Keeping the unit
and buying again?
The equity in it can fund the next deposit without selling. Whether it works comes down to how the rent is counted.
Client stories
How we helped
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
The surplus went to offset.
A first home buyer with a lot of cash saved and no idea where to start. We went through the options with them. They put down enough to clear 20% and avoid mortgage insurance, and the rest went into an offset account against the loan rather than sitting in savings. Every dollar in there reduces the interest charged while staying available, so the money kept working while they decided what to do with it.
They kept the apartment.
They assumed the apartment had to be sold to fund the next place. Once we went through the numbers it did not. We restructured the lending, used the equity already sitting in the unit as the deposit, and set up a loan that let them keep the first place and rent it out. Given how far apart units and houses sit around here, holding onto the cheaper end of the market was worth more than the cash from selling it.
Better off where they were.
They came to us wanting to refinance. We ordered valuations and the numbers did not support it, because there was not enough equity to move without paying mortgage insurance, which would have wiped out the saving. Switching was the wrong answer. So we went back to their existing lender, put the market rates in front of them and negotiated the rate down instead. Same lender, lower repayments, no costs.
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 Neutral Bay 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 Neutral Bay 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 North Sydney is one stop away. 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
Neutral Bay questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in Neutral Bay?
Because this is an apartment market and lenders differ most on apartments. Caps on larger blocks, minimum floor sizes that catch compact one bedders, questions about older buildings, and company title stock that some lenders will not touch at all. Your bank has one view of the block you have picked and you find out what it is after you apply. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
Can I buy my first home in Neutral Bay with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes, and it will be an apartment rather than a house. 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. The building still has to suit the lender, which in Neutral Bay is the part that decides it.
Does a small deposit mean I get a worse rate?
Not necessarily, and a lot of people leave money behind assuming it does. The scheme decides whether you pay lenders mortgage insurance. It does not set your interest rate. 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 the application goes in rather than after.
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 rather than all of it. Once your own place has enough equity behind it, usually at or under 80% of value, the guarantee can be released. It does not happen automatically. Someone has to ask.
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 full loan sits on their credit file and counts against anything they want to borrow later. Co-borrowing can lift what you can afford because both incomes count, and it is a much larger commitment than a limited guarantee. If either of you plans to buy again, settle that difference before you apply rather than after.
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 keep a decent balance it usually earns its keep even where the loan carries a package fee. If your account runs close to empty each month, the fee can cost more than the offset saves. It is worth doing the arithmetic on the balance you actually hold rather than the one you hope to.
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 or changed by the lender, and money you redraw counts as new borrowing. That last point matters a lot in Neutral Bay, where plenty of owners eventually keep the apartment and rent it out. If that is possible for you, offset is usually the cleaner structure, and 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, which matters if you hold a large balance. Breaking a fixed loan early can be expensive, so the term you pick matters more than the rate on day one. Plenty of people split the loan instead, fixing part for certainty and leaving the rest variable so the offset still works.
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 Neutral Bay has a lot of investors. What people forget is that lenders assess an interest only loan on what the repayment becomes when it reverts, not what you pay now, so it reduces what you can borrow elsewhere. Worth talking through with your accountant as well as us.
Do lenders treat Neutral Bay apartments differently?
Several do. Where a lender classifies a building or a postcode as high density, it will lend a smaller share of the value, which means a larger deposit than you planned for. Compact one bedders in the older red brick blocks can fall under a minimum internal floor size, measured on living area rather than the whole title. And an ageing building raises sinking fund questions. It comes down to the specific block rather than the suburb, which is why the address is what we check.
What if the apartment is company title rather than strata?
It changes the lending question completely. With company title you own shares in a company that owns the building rather than the apartment itself, and the company can vet buyers. A good number of lenders will not fund it at all, and those that do usually lend a smaller share of the value and want to see the company constitution. There is company title stock in the older blocks around here, and it is usually cheaper for exactly this reason. Confirm the title type before you get attached to the price.
How much deposit do I need in Neutral Bay?
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 entirely, and a family guarantor loan can cut the deposit further again. What changes the answer most here is the building, because a high density cap on a particular block can mean you need considerably more than you planned. The number is worth working out against the actual address rather than the suburb.
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.
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, and we will tell you when staying put wins.
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.
Can I keep my Neutral Bay apartment and buy a home as well?
Often yes, and it is one of the most common things we set up here. You use the equity in the apartment as the deposit on the next place and keep the first as an investment. Whether it works depends on whether your income supports both loans once the rent is counted. Setting the loans up so the two properties stay separate rather than tied together preserves your flexibility later, and the tax side is a conversation for your accountant.
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 carries both for a period, usually through bridging, where the lender funds the new purchase before the old one sells. Keeping the first place and renting it out is the third route people forget. Which fits comes down to your equity and whether your income supports both loans for a while.
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. On a high density building some become more conservative again. So an apartment 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.
I live in Neutral Bay 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. If you are buying interstate, stamp duty and land tax are set by that state, and your conveyancer there is the right person for those.
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 built almost entirely of apartments, the odds that one lender is comfortable with your particular block 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 Neutral Bay mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Neutral Bay sits in the thick of the lower North Shore, so its neighbours are minutes away. Cremorne is next door along Military Road, with Mosman further out on the peninsula. North Sydney is one stop towards the city, and Kirribilli, Milsons Point, Lavender Bay and McMahons Point gather under the Bridge. North of the highway sit Cammeray, Crows Nest, Wollstonecraft and St Leonards, with Northbridge across Middle Harbour. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.