I work rotating shifts. When do we actually talk?

Evenings, mostly. The booking calendar runs later slots specifically so you're not using a break to have this conversation. Pick whatever suits - if nothing fits your roster, message me and we'll find a time that does.

$15,000 plus GST, in two parts: a $4,000 + GST retainer to begin the search, and an $11,000 + GST success fee payable when your purchase is secured. It's a fixed fee, not a percentage of the purchase price - so there is no incentive for me to push you into a more expensive property. You know the full cost before we start.

Do I need finance approved before we start?

Not approved, but you do need a clear picture - and for healthcare income that conversation is worth having properly. Before the strategy call, speak to a broker who understands salary packaging, penalty rates and shift allowances. If you don't have one, I'll introduce you at no cost and no obligation. This single step is the difference between a search that ends in a settlement and one that stalls after the contract.

Do I have to attend inspections?

No. I inspect on your behalf and send video walkthroughs with a written assessment, so you can make the call from home after a shift rather than spending a rostered day off driving to opens. If you want to see a property before contract, we'll arrange it around your roster.

How long until I've bought something?

Most engagements run from strategy call to signed contract in weeks rather than months, but it depends on your brief and on stock. A tightly defined search in an active market moves fast; a narrow brief in a thin market takes longer. I'd rather wait for the right asset than fill a deadline with the wrong one.

I'm on a public health salary. Is $15,000 worth it?

That's the right question to ask. Overpaying by 3% on a $700,000 purchase is $21,000 - more than the fee, on one transaction. Buying in the wrong location costs considerably more over a decade. If after the strategy call you'd rather run the search yourself, the buying brief is yours to keep and I'll tell you honestly whether you need me.

Am I dealing with you, or with staff?

Me. Haus Haven is deliberately small - I take on a limited number of clients at a time so every search, inspection and negotiation is run by the person who built the framework. When that capacity is full, I say so rather than stretching thin.

How do healthcare workers use the equity in their home to buy an investment property?

3 Oct

Written By Luke Murphy

Short answer: You borrow against the value your home has gained, and use that money as the deposit and costs for an investment property. Most lenders let you borrow up to 80% of your home's value, minus what you still owe.

A simple example

Home value: $800,000
80% of value: $640,000
Current loan: $450,000
Usable equity: $190,000

On a $600,000 investment property, a 20% deposit is $120,000. Stamp duty and buying costs add more, depending on the state. So $190,000 of usable equity can often cover the lot without touching your savings.

The part most people skip

Usable equity is not the same as what you can afford. The bank still checks your income can carry both loans. The real question is whether you can carry them if you cut back a shift, take leave, or rates go up. I'd rather you buy something you can hold comfortably than the most the bank will lend you.

How we've used it

My wife and I built our portfolio this way, using equity from one property to buy the next. Recently we sold two of them for around $370,000 in gross profit, two years after buying.

Questions people ask

Is the equity loan a separate loan?
It should be. Keep it split from your home loan so the investment debt stays clear for tax.

Do I need my home paid off?
No. You only need enough value above what you owe.

Who sets this up?
A mortgage broker does the lending. A buyers agent finds and negotiates the property.

Luke Murphy is a buyers agent for healthcare workers, working Australia wide. General information only, not financial advice.

Luke Murphy

How do healthcare workers use the equity in their home to buy an investment property?

A simple example

The part most people skip

How we've used it

Questions people ask

Should a healthcare worker buy for cash flow or growth?

Can a nurse afford an investment property in Australia?