Sydney CBD mortgage broker
Sydney CBD mortgage broker
A mortgage broker
who knows postcode 2000.
Everything in the city is an apartment, and apartments are where lenders get fussy. We compare 35+ lenders and it costs you nothing.
35+
Lenders
10+
Years experience
1,000+
Clients helped
$0
Cost to you
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.
Not sure where to start
with your home loan?
We compare 35+ mortgage lenders to help you find the right home loan before you start looking at apartments.
Client stories
How we helped
Three real situations, and what actually happened in each one.
A rate review became a reset.
They came to us wanting a sharper rate. Going through the file, we found they were paying for several products they were not using, and a lender that had not looked at their pricing in years. We consolidated it into one loan and negotiated the rate. Their repayments came down by more than $700 a month, from the rate alone, with the loan term left where it was.
Equity that was not locked away.
An investor was told they had no usable equity. One property sitting at a high loan to value ratio was holding back the whole portfolio, because their bank treated the lot as one pool. We separated the securities and moved one loan to a different lender. The equity that was supposedly locked became available, and it funded the next purchase without selling anything.
Keeping the home after a split.
After a separation, a client was told they would have to sell, because they could not refinance the loan into their own name. Income was never the issue. The problem was how the existing loan was structured and how that lender assessed it. We restructured the debt, used a partial equity release to settle the property split, and found a lender whose policy fitted. They kept the home.
These are past client stories, with details changed for privacy. Your own result depends on your situation and what the lender decides.
Start here
Find your local mortgage broker
Each page covers what that part of the city sells, what lenders do there, and what deposit you are likely to need.
Barangaroo mortgage broker
2000
Circular Quay mortgage broker
2000
Martin Place mortgage broker
2000
Wynyard mortgage broker
2000
Town Hall mortgage broker
2000
Chinatown mortgage broker
2000
World Square mortgage broker
2000
Mortgage broker near me
All of Sydney
Outside the city? See all 220+ suburbs we cover across Sydney and NSW.
Buying a city apartment
to rent out?
We set the loan up for an investor and check the building fits the lender, before you make an offer rather than after.
Free guides
What to know before you buy
Twelve free guides covering how a city purchase actually runs, from pre-approval to settlement.
Home loan pre-approval
What pre-approval covers, how long it holds, and why it is not formal approval.
Read the guide
Buying off the plan
The gap between signing and settling, and what happens if the valuation lands low.
Read the guide
Strata title apartments
What you own in a tower, what the body corporate owns, and what lenders check.
Read the guide
Bank valuations
Lenders lend against the valuation, not the price you agreed to pay.
Read the guide
Property valuation guide
What a valuer looks at, and why two valuations can land far apart.
Read the guide
Loan to value ratio
The number behind every deposit rule and every building cap in the city.
Read the guide
Lenders mortgage insurance
What LMI costs, who pays it, and the ways to avoid paying it at all.
Read the guide
Settlement day
What happens at the end, and everything that has to be ready before it.
Read the guide
Private treaty sales
Most city apartments sell this way. What the process looks like and where you can push.
Read the guide
Choosing a home loan
Fixed, variable, offset and redraw, and what suits a flat you may not hold forever.
Read the guide
Genuine savings
What lenders count as your own money towards a deposit, and what they will not count.
Read the guide
Picking the right place
How to judge an apartment beyond the photos, the price and the floor level.
Read the guide
What we do
Home loans for every Sydney CBD plan
First home
Learn more
Next home
Learn more
Investment property loans
Learn more
Refinancing
Learn more
No LMI loans
Learn more
Self employed home loans
Learn more
Guarantor loans
Learn more
Using your equity
Learn more
Building loans
Learn more
Bridging loans
Learn more
Debt consolidation
Learn more
SMSF loans
Learn more
See all home loan help at Buyvest, or read the free guides in the Loan Vault. This is general information only, not personal financial advice.
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 the city 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
Bankers
Home loans for
Lawyers
Home loans for
Accountants
Home loans for
Auditors
Home loans for
Actuaries
Home loans for
Doctors
Home loans for
Dentists
Home loans for
Optometrists
Home loans for
Physiotherapists
Home loans for
Chiropractors
Home loans for
Psychologists
Home loans for
Osteopaths
Home loans for
Podiatrists
Home loans for
Pharmacists
Home loans for
Sonographers
Home loans for
Veterinarians
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
Free check
We work out what you can borrow across 35+ lenders, and which ones suit the suburb and the kind of place you are buying.
2
Get pre-approved
We get your file ready and send it to the lender most likely to say yes to you and to your building.
3
Settle, then stay in touch
We stay with you to settlement, then keep an eye on your rate after that.
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
Sydney CBD questions, answered
Can I buy a Sydney CBD apartment with a 5% deposit?
If you are an eligible first home buyer, often yes. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme lets you buy with a 5% deposit and pay no lenders mortgage insurance. Housing Australia guarantees the gap between your deposit and 20%, so the lender treats the loan as covered. It is a guarantee, not a grant, and the government takes no share of your home. Not every lender is approved to write these loans, and the rules are reviewed from time to time, so we check what applies to you before you start looking.
Is there a minimum apartment size lenders will accept?
Most lenders set one, and it is usually measured on the internal living area rather than the whole title. Small studios and one bedders in the city often fall under it. When that happens some lenders decline the loan and others will lend a much smaller share of the price, so you need a bigger deposit. Every lender draws the line in a different place, which is why we check before you make an offer.
What about serviced apartments?
A lot of city stock is hotel style, or sits under a management agreement with a letting company. Many lenders will not lend on it at all, and the ones that do usually lend a lot less than they would on a normal unit. It can look like good value on the listing and still be very hard to finance. Check with us before you sign.
Do lenders treat Sydney CBD apartments differently?
Yes, more than anywhere else in Sydney. Postcode 2000 is nothing but towers, so lenders and mortgage insurers watch it closely. Some cap how much they will lend on a unit in a large building. Some keep their own list of towers they will not lend on at all. The same unit can be approved by one lender and declined by another.
What should I know about buying off the plan in the city?
The bank values the unit when it is finished, not when you sign. If it values lower than the price you agreed to pay, you have to cover the gap in cash at settlement. Approval given years earlier can also run out. The cooling off period on an off the plan contract in NSW is ten business days rather than five. The CBD has a lot of towers still being built, so plan for all of this before you sign.
What does a bank valuation look at on a city apartment?
Recent sales in the same building carry the most weight, then sales in similar towers nearby. The valuer also looks at the internal size, the floor level, the aspect, whether there is parking, and the state of the building itself. Two lenders can order two valuations on the same flat and get different numbers, because they use different valuation firms with different panels. That is why a low valuation with one lender is not the end of it.
What is loan to value ratio and why does it matter in the city?
It is the size of your loan against what the place is worth, written as a percentage. Borrow $760,000 on an $800,000 flat and your LVR is 95%. It matters more in the CBD than anywhere, because lenders cap the LVR they will accept on units in large towers, and that cap is set by the building rather than by you. A cap can turn a small deposit into a large one overnight, which is why we check the building before you make an offer.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in NSW?
There are concessions for first home buyers buying below certain price levels, and above those levels full duty applies. The thresholds are set by the NSW government and get reviewed, so the honest answer is that it depends on the price and on the rules in force when you buy. Plenty of city apartments sit near the line rather than clearly under it, so budget for some duty rather than assuming it is waived, and we will check the current position for your price range.
Can I use my super to build a deposit for a city apartment?
You may be able to, through the First Home Super Saver Scheme. You put extra money into super, then release it later for your first home. There are annual and lifetime limits set by the ATO and they get adjusted, so check the current ones. Two traps are worth knowing whatever the limits are. You have to ask the ATO for a determination before you sign a contract, and some lenders will not count released super as genuine savings. Ask us before you rely on it, and ask your accountant about the tax side.
Can I borrow to renovate a Sydney CBD apartment?
Usually yes for cosmetic work, and it is simpler than people expect. A new kitchen, bathroom, flooring or paint can normally be funded by topping up your existing loan against the equity you have, at home loan rates rather than personal loan rates. Anything touching common property, plumbing stacks or walls needs your owners corporation to approve it first, and a lender will want to see that approval. Structural work in a tower is rare and hard to fund, so most city renovations stay cosmetic.
Can I get a home loan if I am self employed?
Yes, and the city is full of people who need one. Consultants, contractors and business owners all sit around the CBD. 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. Not every lender treats a self employed home loan the same way, so which one you apply to matters more than it does for a salaried buyer.
Should I go to my bank or a mortgage broker for a city apartment?
A bank can only offer its own loans and its own rules. If those rules leave out your building or your floor size, you often find out after you have applied and paid for a valuation. A broker checks it against many lenders first. Brokers also have a legal duty called the Best Interests Duty, which means we have to put you first. Buyvest compares 35+ lenders at $0 cost to you.
Your Sydney CBD mortgage broker
Your home loan. Made simple.
Free check. No pressure. More than 35 lenders compared at $0 cost to you.
Buyvest serves every part of the Sydney CBD: Barangaroo mortgage broker | Circular Quay mortgage broker | Martin Place mortgage broker | Wynyard mortgage broker | Town Hall mortgage broker | Chinatown mortgage broker | World Square mortgage broker