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Are LOW DOC loans a good option?

Is there anything I should watch out for?

Low doc loans are a higher risk to financial institutions so they tend to place greater restrictions on this type of loan.

There are very few lenders that offer low doc solutions while others have significantly increased the interest rates they are applying.

There are few potential issues to look out for:

  • Higher interest rates: This will mainly depend on the lender and what sort of verification or supporting documentation that you are able to provide. Some of our lenders offer the same low rates as they do for full documentation home loans.
  • Larger deposit: 20% of the purchase price is normally required although some lenders require less.
  • LMI: Mortgage insurance is normally applicable if you borrow over 60% LVR (60% of the property value).

There may be few more issues which lenders advise upon assessing the case.

Apply for a low doc home loan today!

Which lenders do you qualify with?

Which lender has the lowest interest rates?  How much will be my LMI?

Our team specialise in low doc mortgages. We can quickly assess your situation and get back to you with the best suitable options.

Qualifying criteria

Lenders demand supporting documents to verify your income.

Each lender has their own requirements and will accept different document types to prove your income.

The  documents that can be used to verify your income are:

  • Recent 1 year BAS statements showing a high turnover.
  • An accountant’s letter verifying your income.
  • Business bank statements showing a high turnover.
  • Old tax returns (over 24 months).
  • Interim financial statements.

Under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act (NCCP) Act lenders are required to have some kind of income verification from you before they can approve your mortgage.

If you can’t provide one of these documents then it is unlikely that you can get approval for a low doc loan. A  no doc loan can be a option then.

Loan to value ratio (LVR)

Most lenders will accept loans for up to 60% of the value of your property (60% LVR). Some will consider lending up to 80% LVR. One of our lenders will consider a 90% low doc loan.

The higher the percentage of your property value that you are borrowing, the higher your interest rates and fees will be.

Length of ABN / GST registration

The majority of lenders require you to have an ABN that has been GST registered for two years but this varies between lenders.

For a startup business, some lenders will accept an ABN older for one day only.

Asset to income ratio

Borrowers should have a good asset to income ratio. One of our lenders likes to see that you have a net asset position that is equal to two times your annual gross income.

For example, if you earn $80,000 a year then you would be expected to have around $160,000 in net assets.

This is a very strict policy for younger applicants and is a little lenient for older borrowers.

It is important to choose a lender with a right policy according to our needs.

Credit history

Lenders look particularly closely at your credit file and the repayment history of your debts because they cannot fully verify your income.

The major banks are far less forgiving of any problems with your credit history.

We do have options with some of our specialist lenders if you have a bad credit history.

Security property

Lenders prefer prime security properties in high demand locations like capital cities or regional centers. Properties that are unique, in disrepair or difficult to sell are not accepted by many lenders.

You can refer to our list of low doc property types for more information.

Total exposure

Most lenders prefer low doc borrowers with total debts under $1 million.

A few select lenders allow loans of up to $2.5m per borrower group (e.g. a husband and wife’s total borrowings together).

On a case by case basis we can help investors to borrow more than $2.5m with some of our lenders but they would need to have significant assets and be borrowing a low percentage of the property value.

Equity releases

Lenders normally require proof of how the loan funds will be used if any money is released directly to the borrower.
Lenders are concerned that the borrower may not actually have an income and is using the money to make the repayments or that equity is being released to be used as a deposit to buy further properties.

Refinances

Some lenders will not refinance an existing low document home loan or existing investment loan but will allow you to purchase a property with a low doc loan.
Refinances are known to be a higher risk than loans used to purchase a property.
Unfortunately, many people are caught out by this if they buy vacant land and then later refinance when they decide to build.

What is a low doc loan?

Certain types of low doc loans are much more difficult to obtain than others including loans to refinance existing mortgages or home loans without BAS statements to back up declared income.

  • What is a low doc loan?: Find out the basics of borrowing money without proving your income.
  • No BAS low doc loans: Many lenders now require BAS statements to prove your income but there are lenders out there that don’t have this requirement! Find out which lenders can help.
  • Home loans with no payslips: Many people have PAYG (pay as you go) jobs but cannot prove their income with payslips.There are alternatives to a standard loan that allow you to borrow without evidence of your income.
  • Low doc refinance: Are you stuck on a high rate low doc loan? Although many lenders will not approve refinance, there are still some that are willing to consider these applications.
  • Low Doc Calculator: Do you qualify for a low documentation home loan? This calculator will tell you!

IS low doc lending easy ?

In the past, you would have been able to obtain a self-certified low doc home loan and, if you had an ABN that had been registered for over two years, it was easy to get approved for a low doc loan.

After the introduction of the NCCP Act by the Australian Government, the banks have tightened their lending criteria.

This means that the banks now require proof of income, and in particular, several types of home loans are now very difficult to finance:

  • Low doc Loans for companies and trusts.
  • Equity releases, known in the industry as “cash out” loans.
  • Construction loans.
  • Refinances, particularly existing low doc loans or loans from non-conforming lenders.
  • Asset lends / no doc home loans.
  • Applicants with a bad credit history.

However, we do have lenders that can assist with most of the above loan types.

Which loan features are available?

You can get almost all of the normal home loan features with your low doc loan:

  • Interest only.
  • Extra repayments.
  • 100% offset.
  • Line of credit.
  • Fixed interest rates.
  • Split loans (multiple loan accounts).

The following are generally not available with a low doc mortgage:

  • Third party guarantees (e.g. parents guaranteeing your loan)
  • Introductory interest rates
  • Repayment breaks
  • In some instances, security substitution

In most cases, you would need to lodge a new application so that the lender’s credit department could review your situation at the time that a repayment break or new security property was required.

Benefit’s of a low doc loan?

Low doc home loans are designed to assist those who have a deposit saved or who have existing equity in a property but are self employed and have difficultly showing proof of their income.

In particular, business owners like sole traders, people in partnerships, or company owners who cannot provide full financials due to complications in their business structure.

Similarly, businesses that have grown significantly in the most recent financial year compared to the previous financial year, hence, their current income evidence does not reflect their actual earnings.

They can also be of use to professional investors, people with fluctuating incomes or people who have had a low income in the last financial year.

A low doc loan may be the best fit for the self employed as minimal documentation is required to qualify for this type of loan.

You may be able to borrow up to 80% LVR (80% of the property value) by providing alternative income verification documents such as financial statements, business bank statements, BAS statements or an accountant’s letter.

 

 

Refinance from low doc to full doc?

You can refinance out of your current low doc loan when you owe less than 80% of the property value on your mortgage, you are outside of a fixed term and you can provide the following business financials:

  • Two years personal tax returns.
  • Two years personal tax assessment notices.
  • Two years company/partnership/trust tax returns.
  • Two years financial statements (if available).

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