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Articles · general information only

Property finance, explained in plain English.

Sixteen factual articles on how Australian property finance actually works: home loans, borrowing power, stamp duty, the first home schemes, construction and bridging, SMSF lending, refinancing, plus the full development finance series. All figures are indicative, not offers or quotes.

Home loans and property finance

Home loans

How Lenders Calculate Your Borrowing Power in Australia (2026)

What sits behind the borrowing power number: HEM living expenses, the APRA serviceability buffer, income shading and how debts cut capacity.

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Refinancing

When Refinancing a Home Loan Actually Saves Money (2026)

The break-even maths on refinancing: rate gap, switching costs, cashbacks and when staying put is the better call.

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Home loans

Offset Accounts Explained: How They Cut Home Loan Interest (2026)

How a 100% offset account works, offset vs redraw vs extra repayments and when the fee is worth paying.

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First home

The First Home Guarantee: Buying With a 5% Deposit (2026)

How the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme works, the property price caps and what buying with a 5% deposit really means.

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Property costs

Stamp Duty in Australia: How It Works in Every State (2026)

How transfer duty is calculated across the 8 states and territories, the main concessions and where to check the current rates.

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Building

How Construction Loans Work in Australia: Progress Payments Explained (2026)

Progressive drawdowns, the five build stages lenders fund, interest during construction and what can go wrong.

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Bridging

Bridging Loans in Australia: Buying Before You Sell (2026)

Peak debt, end debt and capitalised interest: how bridging finance works, what it costs and the risks to plan for.

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SMSF

SMSF Property Loans: How Limited Recourse Borrowing Works (2026)

How an LRBA is structured, the single acquirable asset rule, typical lender requirements and the rules that catch trustees out.

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Development finance

Structuring

The Development Finance Capital Stack Explained (2026)

Senior, stretch senior, mezzanine and preferred equity explained: where each layer sits in Australian development finance and which lender types provide it.

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Pre-sales

Pre-Sales and Development Finance in Australia (2026 Guide)

What pre-sales debt cover means in Australian development finance: bank vs non-bank thresholds, qualifying pre-sale rules, sunset and FIRB wrinkles, pricing.

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Small projects

Financing 2 to 5 Dwelling Projects in Australia (2026)

Duplex, triplex and small townhouse finance in Australia: where the residential-to-development line sits, why banks split the segment and who funds it.

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First project

First-Time Developer Finance in Australia: No Track Record

How first-time developers get funded in Australia: which lender categories weight track record, what compensates for a thin one and realistic terms by category.

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Product choice

Bridging Finance vs Development Finance in Australia (2026)

Bridging finance and development finance are different products. How each is priced and sized in Australia, when each fits and the expensive trap scenarios.

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Speed & cost

The Cost of Speed in Property Finance Australia (2026)

What settling in days instead of weeks really costs Australian developers: how private and caveat lenders price speed and when paying for it makes sense.

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Location

Why 'National' Lenders Are Not Really National (2026)

Location appetite in Australian development finance: metro vs regional vs remote postcodes, state coverage gaps and what regional developers actually face.

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Completion

Residual Stock Finance in Australia: How It Works (2026)

How residual stock finance works in Australia: why it exists, how lenders size it, in-one-line vs individual security, lender categories and exits.

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