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Investment property loans

Structure first. The rate is the last thing we choose.

Updated

An investment loan is judged twice: by the lender when it is written and by you every year after. Which property secures which loan, how the rent is counted, whether the loan is interest only, and how the next purchase will be funded all decide the result before a rate is quoted. We assess the structure, choose the lender for it, and put the position in writing. For portfolios above $10 million there is a separate review, with Ian Webbe as the first point of contact.

Start an investment review How we assess

Short assessment to begin. No documents at this stage, no credit check. Finance is subject to lender assessment, and we do not quote interest rates on this site. We arrange the lending; your accountant advises on the tax.

Income, equity and security, read together rather than one at a time A single grey bar showing one property read alone, rent in and repayment out. Below it, the position a lender actually reads: income and rent beside equity and security. Below that, what the structure sets up: this purchase, the next one, or stopping here. ONE PROPERTY, READ ALONE Rent in, repayment out, and nothing else no lender reads a portfolio that way THE POSITION A LENDER READS Income and rent Equity and security assessed together, across everything already held ServiceabilityEquity availableSecurity mixCost of holding WHAT THE STRUCTURE SETS UP This purchasestanding on its ownThe next onekept possibleOr stop hereif the numbers say so structure decided before the application, not after it Income, equity and security, read together rather than one at a time ONE PROPERTY, READ ALONE Rent in, repayment out WHAT A LENDER READS Income and rent Equity, security ServiceabilityEquity availableSecurity mixCost of holding WHAT THE STRUCTURE SETS UP This oneon its ownThe nextkept openOr stopif it says so structure decided before the application
Income, equity and security, and what the structure leaves open
2010Established
$1B+Lending settled
50+Lenders through our lender and aggregator network
PremiumBroker status with leading banks
5.0From 196 Google reviews

At a glance

First investment
Equity from the home released as a separate loan, securities kept apart, rent counted the way each lender counts it
Growing a portfolio
Lenders spread, buffers held, properties revalued before the next purchase, ownership structure settled with your accountant first
Refinance and restructure
Interest only reviewed against principal and interest, cross-collateralised loans untangled, fixed terms ending
$10m+ portfolios
Opulent Portfolio Review: a facility map, serviceability lender by lender, structural options and an indicative pricing analysis, before anything is lodged
Credit assistance
Dayan Kasturiratna, Australian Credit Representative 394747, under Australian Finance Group Ltd, ACL 389087
What we arrange

From the first investment property to the review a portfolio needs.

Choose the one that fits. The questions change to suit it, and the same judgement is applied at every size.

A young couple looking at a unit block from the footpath01

Your first investment property

Equity from your home, released as its own loan rather than one mortgage over both properties. Rent counted at the lender's shading, borrowing power tested at the assessment rate, and a structure that keeps the investment debt separate from the home from the first day.

Begin A street of townhouses under construction beside established houses02

The second and third property

Each purchase uses equity and adds debt, and borrowing power with one lender falls as commitments grow. Lenders are spread deliberately, buffers are held, and properties are revalued before the next contract, not after. The debt to income limit from February 2026 is part of every assessment.

Begin An investor at a desk with property statements spread out03

Refinance and restructure

Cross-collateralised loans untangled so a property can be sold or moved on its own. Interest only periods reviewed before they revert. Fixed terms ending. Loans repriced with the lender you have where that is the better answer, and refinanced where it is not.

Begin A family loading a car outside a house with a for-lease sign04

Keeping your home and buying the next one

The old home becomes the investment and the new one becomes the home. Deductibility follows what the borrowing was for, not what the property is now used for, so the lending is set before contracts are signed, with your accountant at the table.

Begin Five properties of different kinds seen across a city skyline at dusk05

Opulent Portfolio Review, $10m+

For residential, commercial or mixed portfolios above $10 million: a facility map across every lender and entity, serviceability assessed lender by lender including rental, company and trust income, structural options and an indicative pricing analysis. Ian Webbe is your contact from the first conversation; the credit assistance is provided by Dayan Kasturiratna.

Begin

Whether a property is held personally, jointly, or through a trust or company, and whether a loan should be interest only, are tax questions before they are lending questions. We arrange the lending and work alongside your accountant on the structure; we do not provide tax advice.

How we assess

Which property secures which loan, and what the rent is worth to a lender.

Two decisions do most of the work in an investment assessment: the security structure and the income counted. Both vary by lender more than most investors expect.

A modern apartment building with a small park in front

A first or second investment property: what is assessed

  1. Equity available at 80% of your home's value without lenders' mortgage insurance, and how it is released
  2. Rental income counted at the lender's shading, commonly 70% to 80% of gross, less for some property types
  3. Serviceability at the assessment rate, with every existing limit and commitment included
  4. Debt to income ratio against the 20% portfolio limit on lending at six times income or more
  5. Interest only against principal and interest, on the repayment after the period
  6. Securities kept separate so each property can be sold or refinanced on its own
A row of mixed commercial and residential buildings on a main road

A portfolio: what the review looks at

  1. A facility map: every lender, entity, security and facility, on one page
  2. Serviceability lender by lender, including rental, company and trust income, and how each lender shades it
  3. Structural options: separating owner-occupied and investment debt, aligning facilities to entities, releasing equity for the next purchase
  4. Where consolidation helps and where it does not, with fewer lenders as an outcome rather than a goal
  5. An indicative pricing analysis with fees and costs shown, and the trade-offs explained
  6. Private bank pathways for qualifying clients, taken to the lender only after you have seen the position
Illustrative scenarios

Three investors, assessed the way a lender would.

Hypothetical positions with rounded figures, built to show how the structure decides the outcome. None is a client result, approval, quote or promise.

Illustrative scenario

A first investment unit funded from home equity

Investor
Couple, two salaries
Home value
~$1.2m
Home loan
~$520,000
Headroom at 80% of the home
~$440,000, which is the ceiling, not the amount drawn
Unit purchase
~$650,000
Deposit and costs actually needed
~$130,000 plus buying costs
Rent counted
~75% of gross
Structure considered
Separate securities, no cross-collateralisation
Outcome considered
Investment debt clearly identified

The useful question is how much borrowing fits the purchase and the household budget, not how much equity could theoretically be released. The equity facility is written as its own loan and is still secured against the home. Either property can usually be sold or refinanced on its own later, subject to the lender’s consent and the position at the time, and the investment borrowing is identifiable for the accountant from day one. Tax treatment follows actual use and is for the accountant.

Illustrative photograph of a brick unit block with a small garden Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

A first investment unit funded from home equity

Two loans, two securities, one accountant at the table.

Illustrative scenario

A third property against the debt to income limit

Investor
Salaried, two properties held
Total debt after purchase
~$2.4m
Verified gross income, before serviceability shading
~$380,000
Debt to income
~6.3 times
Lender A
No allocation available at six times or more this quarter
Lender B
Allocation available; serviceability passes with rent shaded at 80%
Structure considered
Third lender, own security
Outcome considered
Purchase funded, buffer kept

From 1 February 2026 each APRA-regulated ADI may write at most 20% of its new mortgage lending at a debt to income ratio of six or more, measured separately for investor lending. The ratio is total debt against verified gross income before serviceability shading, so rental shading does not move it; shading decides serviceability, which is a separate test. A borrower near the line is not refused everywhere; the lender with allocation available, and a serviceability calculation that passes, is the one to approach.

Illustrative photograph of a townhouse with a small courtyard Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

A third property against the debt to income limit

The lender is chosen after the calculation, not before it.

Illustrative scenario

Two interest-only periods ending in the same year

Investor
Salaried, two units held
Loans
~$1.1m combined, both interest-only, periods ending within months
Rents
~$62,000 a year combined
If nothing is done
Both revert to principal and interest over the years left
Option A
Renew interest-only with the current lender, if policy allows
Option B
Refinance one loan to a new lender, reset the term
Assessed on
Principal and interest over the remaining term, whatever the label
Outcome considered
One loan reset, one moved to principal and interest

Every lender assesses an interest-only loan as if it were principal and interest over the years that remain after the interest-only period, so a shorter remaining term is what makes the repayment jump. Resetting the term is often the larger lever.

Illustrative photograph of two similar apartment buildings side by side on a tree-lined street Illustrative image Illustrative scenario

Two interest-only periods ending in the same year

Two interest-only expiries, one plan.

Illustrative scenarios. Figures are hypothetical and rounded. These are not client results, approvals, quotes or promises. Tax treatment depends on your circumstances and is a matter for your accountant. Finance remains subject to lender assessment, valuation, documentation and applicable law.

How it works

Four steps, and nothing lodged until you agree.

01

Tell us what you are doing

A short assessment: the property or portfolio, roughly what it is worth and what is owed, how you are paid, how the properties are held, and timing. No documents, no credit check.

02

We map the structure

With your agreement, we gather statements, leases and rates notices, and work out which property should secure which loan, how each lender would count your income and rent, and what the debt to income position is.

03

We show you the options in writing

Keep, reprice, restructure or refinance, with costs, conditions and comparison rates. For a portfolio, the written review with the facility map and pricing analysis comes before any lender sees it.

04

You decide, then we lodge

Nothing is lodged and no credit check is run until you have chosen. We manage the application, the valuations and settlement, and the review continues after it.

What we will ask for at step two

  • Payslips or two years of tax returns and financials, and the latest notice of assessment
  • Loan statements for every existing loan, showing rate, balance and security
  • Leases and rental statements for properties held, or a rental appraisal for the property being bought
  • Rates notices for the properties offered as security
  • The ownership structure your accountant has advised, and the trust deed where there is one
  • For a portfolio: a schedule of properties, lenders, facilities and entities

What we will not do

  • Cross-collateralise properties by default, or recommend it without saying why
  • Treat an interest only loan as a way to borrow more
  • Quote a capacity figure as if it were an approval
  • Advise on negative gearing, capital gains or which entity should own a property; that is your accountant's call, and we work with them
Who you will deal with

Two people, and you know which one has your file.

Dayan Kasturiratna provides the credit assistance on every investment file. Enquiries above $10 million are managed by Ian Webbe, Mortgage Development Manager, from the first conversation.

Dayan Kasturiratna, Founder and Director of Opulent Finance, seated in a Melbourne boardroom

Dayan Kasturiratna

FIPA FFA CTA

Founder and Director. Chartered tax adviser and finance specialist. Australian Credit Representative 394747, under Australian Finance Group Ltd, ACL 389087.

Established Opulent Finance in 2010. Investment lending rewards the structure that was set before the second property and punishes the one that was not. The work is reading the whole position, choosing the lender for it, and writing it down before anything is lodged.

Mobile0423 272 600 Office1300 001 551
dayan@opulentfinance.com.au
WINNER · 2026Best Solo OperatorAFG Broker AwardsWINNER · 2025 · VIC/TASBest Finance Brokerage (Office)The Adviser Better Business AwardsOpulent Finance
Ian Webbe, Mortgage Development Manager at Opulent Finance, seated at a meeting table in a Melbourne office

Ian Webbe

Mortgage Development Manager. First point of contact for enquiries above $10 million.

Ian takes every $10m+ enquiry from the first conversation through to settlement. Ian manages the relationship; the credit assistance on the file is provided by Dayan.

Mobile0415 989 012 Office1300 001 551
ian@opulentfinance.com.au
Premium Broker statusWith leading banks
Established 2010Melbourne finance brokers
Burwood, Victoria22 Harker Street

Credit assistance is provided by Dayan Kasturiratna, Australian Credit Representative 394747, authorised under Australian Finance Group Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 389087.

Google reviews

What clients say about working with us.

5.0196 Google reviews
Dayan and the team were approachable and knowledgeable, and always willing to help.Bich Thuy Nguyen on Google
Both were warm and friendly and always available.Melanie Georgiou on Google
I highly recommend Dayan and Lihini for their honest, professional, and reliable service.Varuni Wickramasinghe on Google

Where these reviews come from, and the rest of what clients say

Questions

Before you start.

How much equity can I use to buy an investment property?

Usually the difference between 80% of your home's value and the loan against it, without lenders' mortgage insurance; above 80% insurance applies. The amount also has to be serviceable on your income and the rent the lender counts. The borrowing power tool on this site shows the working on your own figures.

Should I cross-collateralise my properties?

Usually not. One loan over two properties is simple to set up and hard to unwind: neither property can be sold or refinanced without the lender revaluing both. Separate securities take more paperwork at the start and keep each property free to move. We say when the exception applies.

Do lenders count rental income in full?

No. Most count 70% to 80% of gross rent to allow for vacancy and costs, and less for some property types, postcodes or short-stay arrangements. The same rent produces different borrowing power at different lenders, which is one reason the lender is chosen after the assessment.

What is the debt to income limit and does it stop me buying?

From 1 February 2026 APRA limits each APRA-regulated ADI (a bank or other authorised deposit-taking institution) to 20% of its new mortgage lending at a debt to income ratio of six or more, measured separately for owner-occupier and investor lending, with exemptions including loans to buy or build a new dwelling. It is a limit on the lender's portfolio, not a ceiling for you; lending above six times continues, but it is scarcer and the lender has to be chosen with the limit in mind.

Should the investment loan be interest only?

It depends on your tax position, your other debt and what the freed-up cash does. Interest only loans carry a higher rate and are assessed on the principal and interest repayment after the period, so they reduce borrowing power rather than increase it. We give the lending view; your accountant gives the tax view.

What is the $10m+ Portfolio Review?

A written review for portfolios above $10 million: a facility map across every lender, entity and security, serviceability assessed lender by lender including rental, company and trust income, structural options and an indicative pricing analysis with fees and costs shown. Ian Webbe is the first point of contact and manages the relationship; the review is prepared under Dayan Kasturiratna, who provides the credit assistance, and it is discussed with you before any application is lodged. The review has its own page, with a tool that reads back the shape of a portfolio from six figures.

Further reading

Articles on investment lending.

Longer reads from our archive, and the investment guide written new for this site.

ArticleInvestment property loans: structure first, then the rate (guide)Read ArticleInvestment property loans explained simplyRead ArticleBuying an investment property with existing debtRead ArticleUsing home equity to grow your wealthRead ArticleMortgage broker Melbourne insights for property investorsRead
Ready when you are

Tell us about the property, or the portfolio. We will tell you how it should be structured.

Short assessment. No documents at this stage, no credit check. Contact at the time and by the method you choose.

Start an investment review How we assess

Worked illustrations and tools for investors and portfolio owners.

CalculatorStamp duty calculatorDuty on an investment purchase in any state or territory, with your own price.ScenariosIllustrative scenariosThirty-one hypothetical positions assessed the way a lender would, including three investor scenarios.ServiceSMSF lendingProperty held through a self-managed super fund is a separate structure with its own lenders and rules.

Guide to investment property loans