What to expect when working with our Team
Our team is primarily based out of our Wavell Heights office, on the corner of Kinmond Avenue and Jeffcott St, just next to Apricot Coffee and Pear Physiotherapy.
When you contact our office, you can expect to speak with Charlotte or Joyce, who will be able to book your first appointment with Cara.
Your first appointment can be either in person at the office, over the phone or via Microsoft Teams. We love for everyone to be involved and informed so if you are buying with a partner or someone else, be sure to make a time that everyone can attend. If you have parents assisting you with a purchase, they are very welcome to attend the meeting as well - there are no secrets! We want you to feel as comfortable as possible with this next stage of your life.
In that first meeting, Cara will get an understanding of your situation to uncover anything that may be unique from a bank's perspective. It may be you need a guarantor, work as a casual or have a past credit default. It's important to tell Cara as much as possible so she can coach you along - remember, when you speak directly with a bank, you need to fit in their box; when you work with a broker, we find the lenders that will suit your needs and circumstances.
At the end of your first meeting, we determine if you are ready to formally get an application underway; we will send you what's called our "Hello" pack. This is basically an online form and will also have a document request which will be customised to your unique situation. This will typically take about 25 minutes for a single, and 45 minutes for a couple to complete. If you have any issues or questions along the way, Charlotte in our team is available to assist you.
Once all your information is returned, our team will review the information to validate what was previously discussed with Cara, in order to start shortlisting the most appropriate banks for you. Christine and Lee Ann are key to this part of your journey. One of our team will also then be able to book you in for a Loan Strategy Meeting.
In your Loan Strategy Meeting, Cara will present to you our shortlist and talk you through the pros and cons of each bank - we generally like to shortlist 3 banks for you. We will cover off on any finer details and loan structure. At the end of that meeting, Joyce or Lee Ann will introduce themselves to you and progress the application to its final stages. They will issue your 'Game Plan' which is a compliance summary of what we are applying for, and they will also provide you final application forms to sign. These days, most banks are digital so there is rarely a need to find a printer, most banks accept electronic signatures.
Once your application is lodged, we aim to give you an update every 2-3 business days, depending on what the bank has initially quoted us for their own turnaround times. Now if there are any questions along the way, no problem, your assigned Client Service Manager (Joyce or Lee Ann) will be there, and Cara is never far away if you prefer to speak with her directly.
Ideally you will be approved within a week, sometimes two weeks, depending on the bank and any deadlines you have, if there is a purchase contract. Pre-approvals can take a little longer as banks will always prioritise applications that have purchase contracts, then refinances, then pre-approvals.
Once you are approved, we will be in touch and advise you of next steps, which will be different, depending on if you are buying, or refinancing. Our work is not done once you are approved, we will be there every step of the way through to settlement. Joyce and Lee Ann work with your solicitor (also known as conveyancer) or your existing bank, to ensure things are tracking well and settlement is booked.
Think we are all done yet? Nope! We will still be monitoring your application on settlement day right up to 'CONGRATULATIONS!'.
After settlement we will also follow up the bank, make sure all your accounts have been set up correctly, check your offset account is linked (if appropriate) and check exactly when your first repayment is due, how much it is and from which account. We'll send all that over to you so you can breathe easy and focus on your unpacking.
But we are still not done! One of our team is dedicated to reviewing your loan regularly (usually annually) and we will let you know if the rate is not looking great, or if there is a clear need to refinance down the track.
Did we miss anything? Let us know! We are thorough but we'd love to know if you have more questions.
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