North Sydney mortgage broker
North Sydney mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows North Sydney.
Bonuses, commissions and share plans make up a large slice of income here, and lenders count them very differently. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About North Sydney
What the 2060 market actually looks like
History of North Sydney
St Leonards was the original name, and the harbour crossing made the rest inevitable. The Bridge opened in 1932, the office towers followed, and North Sydney became the second business district in the state. Victoria Cross opened as a Metro station in 2024, the biggest change to how people move through here since the Bridge itself.
North Sydney property market
Overwhelmingly apartments, in towers that sit alongside offices rather than apart from them. Houses exist in a small residential pocket around Whaling Road and Bank Street, and there are very few of them. So the market is really two things. A deep apartment market where the building decides the loan, and a thin house market where the price sits well past most lender comfort levels.
North Sydney property prices
Houses sit around $2.6 million and recent sales have gone well past that, with several trading near $2.9 million. Apartments sit far lower and cover a wide range, from studios near the station to larger harbour facing stock. With so few house sales in a year, published medians swing between sources. Treat any single figure as a guide rather than a price.
Borrowing in North Sydney
Two things decide it here and neither is the interest rate. How your income is made up, because bonuses, commissions and share plans are common and lenders treat all three differently. And the building, because high density caps, minimum floor sizes and commercial floors underneath all change which lenders will lend and how much.
North Sydney is one of 32 suburbs we cover across the North Shore, and the one where how your pay is structured matters as much as how much of it there is.
Paid partly in bonus
or share plans?
Some lenders count most of it, some count half, some ignore it entirely. That gap decides what you can borrow.
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.
Found a place
in a mixed use 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.
Client stories
How we helped in North Sydney
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one. None of them were fixed by a lower rate.
An offer with no conditions.
Their pre-approval was in place, and that lender could run a computer valuation on the address beforehand. Not all lenders offer one and the number can land under what a place is really worth, so it is not something to count on. Here it came back above what they planned to offer, which said the lender was comfortable with the property as well as with them. They offered without conditions and the vendor took it. Only worth considering once the finance is genuinely settled.
The HECS was the problem.
They had bought off the plan and the previous broker's application was declined, because a HECS balance was cutting into what the lender counted as available income. We went back through it. Part of the deposit went to clearing the HECS outright, which lifted their assessed capacity, and we placed the loan with a lender offering a mortgage insurance waiver at 85% of the value. The purchase completed on time. Nothing about their income had changed, only what was sitting against it.
Two loans instead of many.
Cash flow was the problem rather than income. They were carrying a home loan plus several personal loans, all at different rates and different terms. We refinanced the lot into two: the existing home loan, and a second at a home loan rate over a deliberately shorter term rather than stretched across thirty years. Repayments came down by $780 a month, and that difference goes straight onto the second loan, so the consolidated debt clears faster rather than lingering for decades.
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 North Sydney 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 North Sydney plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
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Investment property
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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 North Sydney is full of them. 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
North Sydney questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in North Sydney?
Two reasons particular to here. Income in this postcode is often made up of base plus bonus, commission or shares, and lenders count each of those very differently, so the same payslip produces wildly different answers across the panel. And almost everything for sale is an apartment in a tower, where the building decides the loan. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first.
How do lenders treat my bonus?
Cautiously, and inconsistently. Most want to see a bonus paid over two consecutive years before counting any of it, and then they shade it, commonly using somewhere between half and eighty per cent, or averaging the two years and taking the lower figure. A few will look at one year with a strong employment letter. The practical effect is that two lenders can differ by hundreds of thousands on the same income. If a large share of your pay is bonus, which lender sees your file is the single biggest lever you have.
What about commission income?
Similar treatment with a different rhythm. Because commission is usually more regular than an annual bonus, some lenders are more comfortable with it, but most still want two years of history and will average it rather than take the most recent year. If your last twelve months were much stronger than the year before, averaging costs you. If they were weaker, averaging helps. Payslips showing year to date figures matter here, because they let a lender see the trend rather than a single number.
Can I use share plan or RSU income to borrow?
Sometimes, and this is where lenders differ most sharply. Many will not count share based pay at all. Some will count vested shares that have actually been sold and received as income, with two years of history. A handful will consider a regular vesting schedule if it is documented in your employment contract and shows on your tax return. Unvested equity is almost never counted, because it is not yours yet. If a meaningful part of your package is equity, it is worth knowing which lenders recognise it before you plan around it.
I am on secondment or paid partly from overseas. Does that work?
It can, though the field of lenders narrows. Those that accept foreign income usually convert at a conservative exchange rate and count only part of the total, so the figure reaching the assessment is smaller than what you earn. Some will only accept it where the employer is a recognised multinational. Your visa also matters, because temporary residents face a smaller lender panel, a larger deposit, and generally need Foreign Investment Review Board approval on an established dwelling before exchange.
Do lenders treat North Sydney apartments differently?
Several do. 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 also cap how many apartments in one development they will hold, so the obvious lender can already be full. Studios and smaller units near the station can fall under a minimum internal floor size. It comes down to the specific building rather than the suburb.
What if there are offices or shops in the same building?
It is common here and it changes the assessment. Where a tower has commercial floors underneath, some lenders treat the whole building as mixed use and either lend a smaller share of the value or decline it. Their concern is how readily a residential apartment inside a commercial building would sell again. Others are perfectly comfortable. It is one of the clearest examples of the same apartment producing a yes from one lender and a no from another, so the address is what we check.
What about serviced or hotel style apartments?
These are much harder to finance and a lot of buyers do not realise it until they apply. Where an apartment is part of a serviced or short stay arrangement, or is subject to a management agreement, many lenders will not touch it and those that do often lend well under the usual share of value. The price can look attractive for exactly that reason. Confirm what the strata scheme allows and whether a management agreement sits over the lot before you get attached to the number.
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. Company title stock exists in the older blocks around the lower North Shore, and it is usually cheaper for exactly this reason.
Do harbour views change the valuation?
They can, considerably, and that cuts both ways. A valuer will price a genuine view above an equivalent apartment without one, which helps on an equity release. The risk sits with views that are not protected, because a development approval on a neighbouring site can change what you are looking at. A valuer takes the view as it is on the day. If the premium you are paying is mostly for the outlook, it is worth understanding what could be built in front of it.
Are large loans assessed differently?
Not harder, but they are looked at more closely. Past certain loan sizes some lenders add extra checks, want more documentation, cap how much of the value they will lend, or apply their own internal limits. At the house end of this market most buyers are well inside that territory. Combined with income that is heavily bonus weighted, it is the point where the difference between lenders stops being about rate and starts being about whether the loan happens at all.
Can I buy my first home in North Sydney 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. Not every lender is approved to write them, and the building still has to suit whichever lender you use.
Can I get a North Sydney home loan with no LMI?
You may be able to. Lenders mortgage insurance is a one off cost you pay when you borrow more than 80% of what a place is worth, and at these prices it is a serious sum. Some lenders drop it completely for certain jobs, and this postcode is full of the professions that appear on those lists. A family guarantor loan removes it another way, and if you already own a home the equity in it often gets you past 80% without paying any.
How much deposit do I need in North Sydney?
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 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.
Does the rent on an apartment help me borrow more?
If you are buying to invest, yes, though not as much as the rent statement suggests. Lenders count only part of the expected rent, typically shading it to allow for vacancy and costs, and they differ on how much. Apartments here return well against the houses. On a high density or mixed use building some lenders become more conservative about the rent as well, which is another reason the same purchase can land differently across two lenders.
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 a contractor or self employed?
Yes, and there are a lot of both around here. Most lenders want two years of tax returns, though some will look at one year, and a few work from business bank statements instead. Contractors on long term arrangements are sometimes assessed closer to PAYG if the contract history is strong. The bigger issue is what gets added back, because depreciation, one off costs and super contributions can often be counted back as income, which changes what you can borrow.
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. Here that matters twice over, because one lender's view on how it counts your bonus and one lender's view on your building both have to go your way. 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 North Sydney mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
North Sydney sits at the middle of the lower North Shore, so almost everything is walking distance. Lavender Bay, McMahons Point and Milsons Point run down to the water on one side, with Kirribilli under the Bridge. Neutral Bay, Cremorne and Mosman sit east along Military Road. North of the highway, Wollstonecraft, Crows Nest and St Leonards follow the line towards the hospital, with Cammeray and Northbridge across Middle Harbour. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.