Mortgage broker · Mickleham & Melbourne’s north
Home loans, explained properly.
I’m Kagan — a mortgage broker based in Mickleham, working with buyers and owners across Craigieburn, Kalkallo, Donnybrook, Wollert and the surrounding growth corridor. First home, next home, investment, building, or refinancing what you already have.
- A real assessment of your situation before anything is submitted
- Access to a panel of lenders, not one bank’s product list
- Straight answers about what you can do — and what you can’t, yet
No fee to you for most home loans — the lender pays the commission. No obligation to apply for anything. Replies within one business day, usually sooner.
- MFAA Member842313Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia
- Credit Representative569824Under ACL 563763
- AFCA Member111583Independent dispute resolution
- Best interests dutyLegally boundYour interests come first, by law
What are you trying to do?
Every situation is different, but most people arrive with one of these in mind. Start wherever fits you best.
Buying your first home
Deposit, grants, guarantee schemes and stamp duty concessions — what you actually qualify for, and what it means for your budget.
Refinancing
Whether moving is worth it once you count the switching costs, and what restructuring could do beyond the rate.
Investment property
Using equity, how lenders assess rental income, and structuring a loan so it does not block your next purchase.
Building or house and land
Construction loans work differently from ordinary home loans. Progress payments, valuations and what catches people out.
Self-employed
ABN holders, contractors and business owners. What lenders need, and which ones are realistic about how you actually earn.
Buying your next home
Upsizing, downsizing, or moving suburbs. Whether to sell first, buy first, or bridge the gap.
Does your job change what you can borrow?
Sometimes, yes. A number of lenders treat certain occupations differently — including waiving lenders mortgage insurance at deposit levels where it would normally apply. It is worth knowing before you assume you need a 20% deposit.
- Doctors & medical professionals
- Nurses & midwives
- Teachers & educators
- Police & emergency services
- Accountants & lawyers
- Engineers, IT & technical professionals
- See all professions →
Eligibility depends on the lender, your role, your income and the loan itself. These policies change, and none of them are guaranteed to be available to you — but they are frequently missed.
How it works
Five steps, no surprises. For most home loans none of them costs you a fee, and you can stop at any point.
A conversation
We talk about what you want to do, where you are financially, and what your options actually look like. You are not committing to anything.
A proper assessment
I look at your income, expenses, debts and deposit, and work out realistically what lenders will and will not accept. If the answer is "not yet", you will hear that — along with what to change.
Finding the right fit
I compare products across my lender panel against your situation. You get the reasoning, not just a recommendation, so you can push back on it.
Application and approval
I prepare and submit the application, deal with the lender, and chase what needs chasing. You get updates without having to ask for them.
Settlement and after
I coordinate with your conveyancer through to settlement. After that I stay in touch — a loan that suited you in year one may not in year four.
Serving Melbourne’s northern growth corridor
Based in Mickleham, working across the corridor — an area with more new builds, house and land packages and first home buyers than almost anywhere else in Victoria. That shapes the lending questions that come up here.
Common questions
What does a mortgage broker cost me?
In most residential lending, nothing. Brokers are generally paid a commission by the lender once a loan settles, and that commission does not increase your interest rate or fees. If a fee were ever payable in your circumstances, you would be told what it is and why, in writing, before you were committed to anything. Full details are in our Credit Guide.
How is a broker different from going straight to my bank?
A bank can only offer you its own products. A broker compares products across a panel of lenders. There is also a legal difference: mortgage brokers are bound by a best interests duty, which requires us to put your interests ahead of our own. Bank staff are not subject to that duty.
Will enquiring affect my credit score?
An initial conversation does not. We only access your credit report with your consent, and we can discuss your situation and run numbers well before that point. Formal applications to lenders do appear on your credit file, which is one reason it is worth assessing your position properly before anything is submitted.
How much deposit do I actually need?
It depends on the lender, the property and your circumstances. Many lenders look for 20% to avoid lenders mortgage insurance, but options exist at lower deposits — including government guarantee schemes and, for some occupations, LMI waivers. The right question is usually not "how much do I need" but "what does each option actually cost me over time".
Do you only work with people in Melbourne’s north?
Most clients are in the northern growth corridor — Mickleham, Craigieburn, Kalkallo, Donnybrook, Wollert, Beveridge, Wallan, Greenvale, Roxburgh Park, Epping, Mernda and surrounds — because that is where Kagan is based and knows the market. But loans can be arranged for clients anywhere in Australia, and much of the process happens by phone and video regardless.
What if my situation is complicated?
That is usually where a broker is most useful. Self-employed income, a short time in a job, casual or contract work, existing debts, a past credit issue, or a non-standard property are all situations where lender policies differ enormously. Being knocked back by one bank does not mean the answer is no everywhere.
Tell me where you’re up to
No fee for most home loans, no obligation, and nothing goes to a lender without your say-so. If the honest answer is “wait six months”, you’ll hear that — along with what would need to change.
- A reply within one business day, usually sooner
- Your credit file is not touched without your consent
- Straight to Kagan — not a call centre or a lead pool
Prefer to talk? 0493 348 998