First investment property or your tenth — we compare 60+ lenders to structure investment loans for cash flow, tax efficiency, and long-term portfolio growth.
The right structure can ease cash flow, sharpen your tax position, and unlock the equity you need for the next purchase. The wrong one will lock you in, cap your borrowing power, and cost you tens of thousands over the life of the loan.
We work with first-time investors, established landlords, and self-managed super fund (SMSF) buyers across Australia — comparing 60+ lenders to match your strategy: positive gearing, negative gearing, interest-only, principal-and-interest, or a mix. Sharper rates. Smarter structures. None of the runaround.
We're particularly good with the income types big banks struggle to read — FIFO with site allowances, self-employed with add-backs, regional investors already at their bank's lending cap. Different lenders treat these wildly differently. Picking the right one shifts your borrowing capacity by hundreds of thousands.
My bank capped me at one investment property. Pilbara restructured the lot — I just settled on number four.
One bank means one set of policies — and a portfolio that stalls at property two or three. We map your strategy first, then split lenders to maximise borrowing capacity, isolate security, and keep options open for the move after this one.
Different lenders calculate rental income, negative gearing, and existing debt very differently. We know which ones treat 80% of rent as income and which ones penalise you for it — and we structure each loan to keep your portfolio scalable.
Investment lending is full of levers — interest-only periods, offset accounts, redraw, equity release. We pull the right ones for your numbers so cash flow works for you, not the bank.
No call centres. No outsourced loan officers. You get a broker who works alongside your accountant, talks plain numbers, and tells you straight if a deal won't service.
No bank-branch queues. No back-and-forth between your bank and your accountant.
Tell us what you're after — takes 60 seconds. We'll call you back within the hour.
We run the numbers across 60+ lenders and bring back your best matches.
We handle the application, chase the lender, and stay on top of it through to settlement.
A quick guide to what lenders might offer once your income, existing debts, and projected rent are factored in. Your real number depends on the lender, the structure, and you.
A few quick details to shape the numbers.
Pick what fits — we'll ask the right income questions next.
Gross figures (before tax). We'll handle the tax calc behind the scenes.
If you own investment properties, we'll factor in the rent.
Total balance owing — we'll work out the monthly impact behind the scenes.
Total balance owing on any vehicle finance — we'll work out the monthly impact.
Total credit limit across all cards — not the balance. Lenders use the limit, not what's owing.
HECS, any other facilities, and your preferred loan term.
This calc gives you a feel for it. To get a number you can actually use, talk it through with one of our brokers — no pressure, no commitment, just a proper look at what's possible for you.
Estimates only. This calculator does not assess your borrowing capacity, does not take your full personal circumstances into account, and is not a credit offer or recommendation. Lender servicing assessments vary; your actual borrowing capacity will be confirmed by a lender as part of a formal application. Tax brackets are based on the Australian Taxation Office 2025-26 resident schedule. Pilbara Equities Pty Ltd, CRN 478535, of Mortgage Specialists Pty Ltd, ACL 387025.
Interest-only (IO) keeps repayments low for 1–5 years and eases cash flow — useful while you're growing the portfolio or holding a negatively geared property. Principal & interest (P&I) chips away at the balance from day one and usually attracts a sharper rate. Many investors split: IO on investments, P&I on the owner-occupied. We model the cash flow difference before you commit.
If your investment property runs at a loss — interest, depreciation, and outgoings exceed the rent — you can deduct that loss against your taxable income. That's negative gearing. The interest portion of your investment loan is tax deductible, which is why loan structure matters: keeping investment debt separate from owner-occupied debt protects your deductions. We don't give tax advice, but we make sure your loans are set up so your accountant has clean lines to work with.
The deposit for your next investment usually comes from equity in the last one — most lenders let you borrow up to 80% of the new value without lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). The trick is structuring the equity release as a separate split so the deductibility stays clean. Investment serviceability is also tighter: lenders typically count 70–80% of projected rent, then stress-test it at 3% above the actual rate. Picking the right lender for your existing debts can change your borrowing power by hundreds of thousands.
Buying through an SMSF needs a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) with a separate bare trust — a smaller pool of lenders, tighter loan-to-value ratio (LVR) (usually 70%), and stricter serviceability. Family or unit trusts have their own rules around guarantees and director income. If you've already got 3+ properties, lenders look at portfolio-level exposure, not just this deal. We work in this space every week and know which lenders welcome it.
Daniel — a self-employed contractor — already owned an owner-occupied home and one investment property, both with the same big-four bank. When he tried to buy his second investment, that bank capped his borrowing at the existing portfolio total. Two years of strong tax returns and rising equity, and they wouldn't budge.
We restructured. Released equity from the owner-occupied as a separate split, refinanced the first investment to a lender that counts 80% of rent and full add-backs on his self-employed income, and placed the new investment with a third lender on a 5-year interest-only term. Cross-collateral untangled. Borrowing capacity nearly tripled. He's just settled on number four — and his portfolio is now structured to scale to six.
Composite scenario built from multiple real Pilbara Finance property investor transactions. Names, locations and identifying details are illustrative; the timeline, structure and pricing reflect the kind of outcomes our 60+ residential lender panel produces in 2026.
Real reviews from real Google. No curated screenshots, no cherry-picked quotes.
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A no-obligation chat with a broker who structures investment loans every week — and will tell you straight whether the next one stacks up.
"Knew exactly which lenders to use to keep my portfolio scaling. Just settled on number four."
Buying or upgrading your own home? Same brokers, same panel — different structure to keep your investment debt clean.
Learn moreBuying property through your self-managed super fund. Smaller pool of lenders, stricter rules — we know the playbook.
Learn moreRestructure existing investment loans to free up equity, sharpen rates, and untangle cross-collateral.
Learn more