From complex income to a $1.5m investment purchase.

Good income. More moving parts than a standard application.

The couple owned their family home and had around $160,000 of remaining non-deductible home debt. The main applicant earned a senior sales salary with regular bonuses averaging approximately $35,000–$40,000. A growing side business generated about $30,000 a year.

Their goal was to purchase a Gold Coast investment property while putting the existing lending into a clearer structure and retaining a sensible cash buffer.

The existing lender was seeing only part of the picture.

The current lender did not recognise the side-business income and applied a conservative treatment to the bonus history. On paper, the proposed investment looked tighter than the household’s actual position suggested.

We built the evidence before selecting the product.

• Reviewed the salary, bonus history and side-business evidence separately
• Used 12 months of business statements and deposits to support the additional income
• Compared lender policies for acceptable bonus and business-income treatment
• Refinanced the home lending into clearly identified, purpose-specific splits
• Structured the investment loan at 80% LVR with interest-only repayments
• Linked offset accounts to preserve accessible cash and keep funds organised

The key move was not forcing the application into the existing lender’s policy. It was first establishing which lenders could sensibly assess the documented position, then comparing the suitable lending options.

Each loan purpose had a clear job.

Loan structure alone does not determine tax deductibility. The use and movement of borrowed funds matter. Independent tax advice is essential.

The purchase proceeded with the wider plan intact.

The couple purchased a $1.5 million Gold Coast investment property at 80% LVR. Their home lending was moved into a more deliberate structure, the application used supported income under a suitable lender policy and the offsets preserved flexibility.

This outcome was specific to their verified income, liabilities, property, valuation and lender assessment. It should not be treated as a borrowing benchmark for another household.

Three lessons for variable-income professionals.

1. 01
   Evidence each income stream separately.

   A strong total income figure is less useful if its components cannot be verified clearly.

2. 02
   Compare policy before chasing rate.

   The cheapest advertised product may not suit an application involving bonus or business income.

3. 03
   Design the loan around its purpose.

   Clear splits and disciplined fund movements can make the position easier to understand and administer.

Understand the income pieces.