Questions people ask before reaching out

No. Just Right Lending doesn't charge you a fee. Jane is paid by the lender when your loan settles, and the rate you get is the same as if you'd gone to that lender directly. You'll see exactly what commission is paid before anything goes ahead, and it never influences the recommendation. Jane chooses the lender that's best for you, not the one that pays the most. Brokers are also legally required to act in your best interests, not the bank's.

Your bank can only offer you its own products. A broker compares loans across a wide panel of lenders and can also tell you how different lenders would view your situation, which often matters more than the rate. If your circumstances don't fit one bank's template, they may not say no, but they might offer you far less than another lender would. Brokers in Australia are also legally required to act in your best interests. Banks aren't.

It depends on your income, expenses, existing debts and who relies on you financially, and every lender calculates it a little differently. That's why the same person can get quite different answers from different banks. A short conversation gives you a realistic figure and, more importantly, what you can comfortably afford rather than the maximum.

Because they're built for a simple, single-salary situation and they fall over the moment real life shows up. Bonuses, overtime, casual hours, allowances, a novated lease or a small business all get treated differently by different lenders. A calculator can't know which lender suits your income mix. That's the bit Jane does.

No. Many people buy with 5% to 10%, using lenders mortgage insurance, a family guarantee or a government scheme like the 5% Deposit Scheme or Help to Buy. Each has trade-offs, and a chat will quickly tell you which ones are open to you.

Yes, for many first home buyers. Under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, the government guarantees part of your loan so the lender doesn't need lenders mortgage insurance, which can save tens of thousands of dollars. There are no longer income caps or limits on places, but property price caps still apply and they differ by area, and not every lender offers it. It's worth checking early because it can change what you're able to buy.

More than most people budget for. On top of your deposit, allow for stamp duty (the biggest one in Victoria), conveyancing, building and pest inspections, lender fees, and lenders mortgage insurance if your deposit is under 20%. Jane maps all of these out early so your budget covers the whole picture, not just the house.

More than most people expect. Lenders assess credit cards on the full limit, not what you owe, so a card with a zero balance and a high limit still reduces your borrowing power. Buy now pay later accounts and personal loans count too. Sometimes reducing a limit or closing an account you don't use makes a real difference to what you can borrow, and it's one of the first things Jane looks at before an application goes in.

Pre-approval is a lender saying "based on what you've told us, we'd likely lend you up to this amount." It's useful for house hunting with confidence. Full approval comes once you've found a property and the lender has valued it and checked everything. Pre-approvals usually last three to six months.

There's no universally right answer. Fixed gives certainty on repayments, variable gives flexibility to make extra repayments and use an offset account. Some people split the loan and do both. The right choice depends on how you use your money and how much certainty you need, which is exactly what we'd talk through.

Often, yes. Casual and variable income is assessed differently to a standard payslip, but it isn't automatically a dealbreaker. It depends on your work history and the specific lender's policy, which is exactly the kind of thing worth a conversation about.

It can be, but only if you're with the wrong lender. Some lenders want two years of tax returns, others will accept one year, and some can work from BAS statements or an accountant's letter. Jane spent years working with small business owners before broking, so this is familiar ground.

That's the situation Jane is built for. Twenty years of solving complex problems in corporate financial services carries directly into working through self-employment, multiple properties, a separation, an inheritance, or anything else that doesn't fit a standard template.

Yes, in many cases. Lenders look at your income now, any child support in or out, and what happens to the existing property. It can feel like the doors have closed, but there are usually more options than people expect.

There's no single right answer. Buy first and you may need a bridging loan or a way to carry both properties for a while. Sell first and you might be renting in between. Sometimes you can keep your current home and buy without bridging at all. It depends on your equity, your borrowing capacity and your timeline, and there are a few ways to structure it. The right one depends entirely on your situation.

Often, yes. If your home has grown in value, a lender may be able to use that equity as the deposit for your next property, so you don't need a large amount of cash saved. Whether it works depends on how much equity you have and whether your income supports the extra borrowing. It's one of the first things worth checking if you're thinking about upsizing.

Sometimes, and sometimes not. It's worth looking at if your fixed rate is ending, you haven't reviewed your loan in a few years, or your situation has changed. But switching costs money too, so a proper comparison should include the fees, not just the headline rate. If staying put is the better answer, that's what Jane will tell you.

The loan itself is similar, but the way it's set up usually isn't. Investors often think about interest-only periods, offset accounts and how the loan sits alongside their existing mortgage, because cash flow matters as much as the rate. Jane works through the structure with you and, where it's useful, alongside your accountant.

Usually faster than people expect. Some lenders can approve within hours when the application arrives complete, because they rely on brokers to do much of the upfront work. That's Jane's job: getting your documents in order and structuring the application properly before it goes anywhere near a lender. Other lenders take a week or two regardless. Either way, being organised early is what makes the difference.