Understand your First Home Loan Options, grants and incentives with LoanBuddy

Embarking on the journey towards purchasing your first home is an exhilarating adventure, filled with aspirations and dreams. However, this path can often seem labyrinthine, fraught with new terminology, processes and a plethora of documentation. This is where LoanBuddy stands out for its unparalleled support and knowledge.

We recognise the distinct obstacles faced by first-time buyers, from accumulating the essential deposit to navigating the diverse government grants and incentives available. The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) acts as an excellent kick-start, providing a financial boost to new entrants in the housing market. Whereas the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS)helps Australians acquire a home with a reduced deposit, bypassing the need for lender’s mortgage insurance. We also help you explore the possibility of First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Exemptions for you. These can substantially alleviate initial purchasing costs.

Opting for LoanBuddy means choosing a Mortgage Broker partner who is deeply invested in enriching your first home buying experience, ensuring it is as seamless and fulfilling as possible. Our proficiency empowers first home buyers to confidently traverse the complex terrain of grants, schemes, and exemptions, bringing your coveted home within reach with the best Home Loan for you.

We Can Help You By

  • Explaining all the extra costs, including; stamp duty, council rates and other hidden fees.

  • Assisting with setting up any savings plans if needed

  • Educating you on any potential grants available, for eg: First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS)

  • Calculating your borrowing capacity

  • Providing guidance on what steps need to be taken in order to purchase your first home

  • Educating you on guarantor options

  • Providing you with multiple Home Loan options from a variety of banks and lenders that fit within your objectives

Our Recent Reviews

Highly recommend using Shane from LoanBuddy. Shane was incredibly clear and thorough throughout our home loan process. As a non- native Australian, he made navigating a system I was not familiar with very easy and he relieved a significant amount of stress during this time. I will continue to use Shane in the future.

Rachel Chatfield

Had a great experience with Shane. Found him incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and approachable throughout!

Ruairi Keavy

We cannot recommend Shane enough! He is the best broker we have worked with. He is so thorough, explains every detail, and just makes the process so seamless. Highly recommend ⭐

Melissa Moscato

Shane made our loan process smooth, stressfree and incredibly fast. From the first conversation, he was professional, knowledgeable and always available to answer our questions. He explained all options clearly and worked hard to find the best solution for our situation. What really stood out was his honesty, transparency and dedication. Shane kept us updated throughout the process and made everything easy to understand. His support and guidance gave us complete confidence. If anyone is looking for a reliable and efficient mortgage broker, I strongly recommend Shane and the LoanBuddy team. Thank you again for your outstanding service!

Brinda Tamang

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use equity in my current property to invest?

Often, yes. If your property has increased in value, you may be able to access equity to use as a deposit for your next purchase. We assess this carefully to make sure the strategy is sustainable.

What’s different about construction loans?

Funds are released in stages as your build progresses. You usually only pay interest on the amount drawn during construction. We guide you through the entire process.

Do I pay to use LoanBuddy?

In most cases you do not pay for our services. If there is a fee to pay you will be notified up front before your application is submitted.

Can I buy property through my SMSF?

Yes, if your SMSF is set up correctly and meets lender requirements. SMSF lending has stricter rules than standard investment loans, so it’s important to structure it properly from the start.

Can LoanBuddy help if I have a poor credit history?

Not all credit issues are the same. We review your situation upfront and let you know what’s possible and whether anything needs to be addressed first.

Am I ready to speak to a mortgage broker?

Whenever you have a property objective, be it buying a new home or refinancing your current one, it’s time to have a conversation with a mortgage broker, or, as we like to refer to them, our ‘home loan experts.’

We’re here to guide you on your journey, helping you reach your destination, wherever that may be!

What documents will I need for a loan application?

Most lenders will ask for identification, proof of income such as payslips or tax returns, recent bank statements, and a summary of your existing debts and living expenses. To make the process easier, we provide a simple, tailored checklist based on your individual circumstances.

How much can I realistically borrow?

It depends on your income, expenses, debts and lender policy. Online calculators are a guide only. We assess your position properly and give you a realistic borrowing range.

How does LoanBuddy get paid?

Lenders compensate us to help you secure an outstanding home loan.

Why do they do it? Well, lenders highly value new customers, and our role involves handling many of the complex tasks that lenders typically perform to guide you through the home loan process. Hence, they reward us for our assistance.

Importantly, we’re impartial in our recommendations. As mortgage brokers, we are legally obliged to prioritise your best interests when suggesting a home loan.

Rest assured, choosing us won’t result in higher loan costs compared to going directly to a lender. In fact, we often secure better deals for you than the advertised rates.

Think of us as your trusted allies. We’ll always provide full transparency regarding any commissions, as disclosed in our documents.

How long does the mortgage approval process usually take?

Depending on the lender it can take anywhere from a couple of days to over a week. We manage the entire process and keep you updated throughout.

Who is LoanBuddy?

We are an Australian Mortgage Broker business. At LoanBuddy, we pride ourselves on being more than just home loan experts. We’re your trusted partners in making you feel secure about your home loan choices.

Our powerful combination of cutting-edge technology and extensive experience is your key to discovering ‘the perfect’ home loan from a selection of over 30 lenders and thousands of loan options.