ST Peters mortgage broker
St Peters mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows St Peters.
Terraces and new builds on ground that was quarried, brickmade and filled for a century, where what sits under a site matters as much as what sits on it. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
About St Peters
What the 2044 market actually looks like
History of St Peters
Clay country, dug out for brickworks and potteries from the middle of the nineteenth century, with the enormous pit at the heart of it later used as a landfill and eventually capped and turned into Sydney Park. The chimneys still stand at the top of the hill. The motorway interchange arrived far more recently at the southern end.
St Peters property market
Victorian and Federation terraces and workers cottages through the residential streets, with pockets of newer townhouses and terraces built on former industrial land around the park edge. Only a few dozen houses trade in a year and they move quickly. Industrial and light commercial premises still operate through parts of the suburb.
St Peters property prices
Well into the millions for a terrace, with newer builds around the park at a premium again. Rents sit low relative to price. Because so little trades in any given year and the housing varies from original cottages to brand new townhouses, a suburb median blends very different things together.
Borrowing in St Peters
The land history is worth understanding here in a way it is not in most suburbs. Sites that were once industrial, or that sit near the old pit or the motorway corridor, can raise questions in a valuation or a lender assessment that a plain residential block never would. That is a question for a specific address rather than the suburb.
St Peters is one of the suburbs we cover across Sydney, and the one where the land history matters most.
Buying on former
industrial land?
What the land was used for shows up in the searches and sometimes in the valuation. Send us the address early.
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.
Self employed and
buying locally?
Your tax return rarely reflects what you can service. What each lender adds back differs, and that difference is often the loan.
Client stories
How we helped
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
One valuation, then another.
The valuation came back below what they had agreed to pay, and their bank would only advance against its own figure. Where a suburb sees few sales and the housing runs from original cottages to new builds, a valuer has more judgement to apply than usual. We took the property to other lenders, whose panels reached a different view, and one supported the price.
Their books understated it.
A self employed buyer whose tax return showed a modest figure at the bottom, which is exactly what their bank assessed them on. It was not what they genuinely had available. We worked through the add-backs, the items that reduced the taxable figure without costing cash, and took the position to lenders whose policy recognises them. That difference was the loan.
Ready before they looked.
They had watched two properties go while they were still gathering documents. We went through the whole process properly, had pre-approval in place and sent property reports so they could move on something the week it appeared rather than the week after. In a market where houses sell inside a month, being ready first turns out to be most of 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 St Peters 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 St Peters 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
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, which matters at St Peters house prices. The lists and the limits differ from one lender to the next.
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.
★★★★★
"Cannot recommend Ali highly enough. He made a complicated and daunting process incredibly easy, and continually went above and beyond. Would absolutely recommend him to everyone."
★★★★★
"Ali is super knowledgeable, reasonable and personable! He will be realistic with what is possible but always find you the best deal whilst making you feel looked after."
★★★★★
"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."
FAQ
St Peters questions, answered
Why use a mortgage broker in St Peters?
Because the housing here ranges from original cottages to brand new townhouses on former industrial land, and lenders respond to those very differently. Add a market where only a few dozen houses trade a year and valuations become less predictable. We compare 35+ lenders at no cost to you, under a legal obligation called the Best Interests Duty.
Does it matter what the land was used for?
It can. A great deal of this suburb was clay pits, brickworks and industry before it was housing, and where a site has an industrial past that history can appear in the searches. It does not make a property unsuitable and it does mean the checks are worth doing properly rather than skimming. Your solicitor handles that side.
What searches will my solicitor do?
A planning certificate from council setting out zoning and any controls affecting the land, a title search, and enquiries covering matters like contamination, road proposals and any notices affecting the property. On land with an industrial history those enquiries matter more than usual. Ask your solicitor to explain anything the certificate discloses before you exchange.
Does the motorway nearby affect anything?
It can affect what a valuer makes of a specific address, in the same way any major infrastructure does, and the effect varies enormously street by street. It is not a suburb wide issue. If the property you are considering sits close to the corridor, that is worth raising with us before you commit rather than after a valuation lands.
Are new townhouses built on former industrial sites treated differently?
Sometimes, and it depends on the site rather than the fact of the redevelopment. Where remediation has been completed and documented properly it is generally straightforward. Lenders take their own views and those views change, so the sensible order is to send us the address and let us check the panel before you make an offer.
Why do valuations vary between lenders here?
Because each lender uses its own panel of valuers, and with only a few dozen house sales in a year across housing that ranges from original cottages to new builds, there is more judgement involved than in a uniform suburb. Two valuers can land some distance apart, and the lender advances against its own figure.
What happens if the valuation comes in low?
You cover the difference in cash at settlement, because the lender lends against its valuation rather than the price you agreed. A lender will not order one until contracts are exchanged, so the buffer needs to exist beforehand. Another lender using a different panel can reach a different number, which is worth pursuing quickly.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes, and presentation makes a considerable difference. Most lenders want two years of tax returns and financials, some accept one year, and a few work from business bank statements. Lenders add back items that reduced your taxable figure without costing cash, and what each allows differs, so two lenders can read the same return and reach very different incomes.
What are add-backs?
Figures deducted in your accounts that never actually cost you cash during the year. Depreciation is the usual one, alongside one off expenses and voluntary superannuation contributions. Lenders put them back on to work out what you genuinely have available for repayments. Finding them and evidencing them properly is frequently what separates an approval from a decline.
How much deposit will I need?
Twenty per cent avoids lenders mortgage insurance, and at house prices here that is a substantial figure. Many buyers proceed with five or ten per cent and pay the insurance instead. Some occupations qualify for a waiver, a family guarantee can reduce what is needed, and if you already own, equity generally does the job in place of cash.
What is lenders mortgage insurance?
A charge applied once, when the loan exceeds eighty per cent of the property value, insuring the lender against loss rather than protecting you. Most borrowers add it to the loan. A twenty per cent deposit avoids it entirely, as can an occupational waiver at certain lenders, a family guarantee, or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme if you meet the criteria.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme here?
On a house, generally not, since prices sit above the scheme cap. At the apartment and smaller townhouse end it can occasionally work. The scheme lets an eligible first home buyer purchase with a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance, with Housing Australia guaranteeing the gap to 20%. It applies to a home you will live in.
How does a guarantor loan work?
A family member, usually a parent, puts up part of the equity in their own home so the lender holds additional security behind your loan. No cash changes hands and the repayments remain entirely yours. The pledge is normally capped at a defined amount rather than the whole property, and it can be lifted once your loan has fallen far enough.
How long does pre-approval last?
Around ninety days as a rule, renewable with updated payslips and statements. In a suburb where houses sell inside a month of listing, there is no time to begin an application after you find something. Preparing one properly beforehand is what lets you act rather than watch.
What reduces my borrowing capacity?
Credit card limits regardless of what you owe, existing loan repayments, ongoing commitments, study debts and dependants. Lenders also test whether you could repay at a rate well above the one you will pay. Clearing or reducing facilities you no longer use before applying often does more for the outcome than a sharper rate.
What should a building inspection tell me?
More than whether the place looks tidy. On an older cottage, read what the report says about the roof, damp, drainage, wiring, movement in the structure and any party walls shared with neighbours. A lender may not require the report and you certainly need it, since the valuer is not inspecting on your behalf.
Can I fund renovation work at the same time as buying?
Often yes. Cosmetic work can usually be handled by borrowing a little more against the purchase, while structural work generally calls for a construction loan releasing funds in stages against approved plans and a fixed price contract. Which applies depends on how far the work goes, and it is better arranged upfront than added on later.
What is an offset account?
A transaction account linked to your loan, where the balance is deducted before interest is calculated. Money held there reduces the interest you pay while remaining fully accessible. It suits anyone carrying a working balance, and it suits self employed borrowers whose income arrives unevenly through the year.
Offset or redraw?
Offset money stays in your own account and never becomes part of the loan. Redraw money has already been paid in as extra repayments and comes back out under terms the lender can change. Offset gives cleaner access, which matters when cash flow moves around. Redraw generally sits on a simpler loan at a lower rate.
Can I split the loan?
Yes, and most lenders allow it at no extra cost. A split divides the borrowing into portions on different rates or terms, so you might fix one part for certainty and leave another variable with an offset attached. Where income arrives partly in irregular amounts, that combination is genuinely useful and rarely offered unprompted.
When is refinancing worth looking at?
Whenever a couple of years have gone by without comparing, because lenders reserve their sharper pricing for new customers and the gap widens quietly. It is also worth a look when a fixed term ends, or when your income arrangements have changed enough that a different lender would read them more favourably.
Should I keep this place and rent it out?
Worth pricing against selling rather than deciding on instinct. The questions are whether your income supports both loans once part of the rent counts, and whether equity can be released without a sale. Rents here sit low relative to price, so the rent does less work than owners expect. Speak with your accountant about the tax side first.
How much of the rent will a lender count?
A portion rather than all of it. Expected rent is discounted for vacancy, management and running costs, with the figure differing between lenders, and the loan is assessed at a rate above the one you actually pay. On a house at these prices the rent covers a modest share of the repayment.
The site has an industrial past or sits near infrastructure. Does that matter?
It can, and this is where a general answer is no use. How a lender treats a property on remediated land, close to a motorway corridor or backing onto commercial premises, and how much it will advance, differ between lenders and change over time. Send us the address before you exchange and we will check it across the panel.
Do we have to meet in person?
Not unless you want to. Phone, Zoom or Teams covers the whole process, with paperwork shared and signed electronically, and most of our clients never sit across a desk from us. If you would rather meet face to face, we come to you, weekday evenings and weekends included.
Your St Peters mortgage broker
Your home loan.
Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. 35+ lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
St Peters sits on the southern edge of the inner west beside Sydney Park. Erskineville is north east and Newtown north, with Alexandria and Beaconsfield east and Marrickville west. Mascot lies south towards the airport, with Rosebery south east and Eveleigh, Camperdown and Darlington north east towards the university. Redfern and Zetland sit beyond. We cover all of them, so if your search shifts a suburb or two, you are not starting from scratch.