Tom Mather - Finance Broker

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Tom Mather - Finance Broker Residential & Commercial Finance Broker at Bernie Lewis Home Loans

📞 0448 425 844

Interest Only vs Principal & Interest - what’s actually the difference? 🏡With Principal & Interest (P&I), each repayment...
29/08/2026

Interest Only vs Principal & Interest - what’s actually the difference? 🏡

With Principal & Interest (P&I), each repayment goes towards both the interest charged and reducing your loan balance.

With Interest Only (IO), your required repayments during the interest-only period generally only cover the interest - meaning the principal balance isn’t being paid down.

So why would someone choose Interest Only?

For some property investors, it can help with:

• Managing cash flow
• Keeping more cash available
• Directing surplus funds elsewhere
• Structuring investment debt more effectively

But lower repayments today don’t necessarily mean a lower overall cost.

Once the interest-only period ends, repayments will generally increase as you begin paying down the principal over the remaining loan term.

Neither option is automatically better - the right structure depends on what you’re trying to achieve.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404.
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There’s a lot more to finance than just getting a loan approved.This refinance formed part of a complex settlement agree...
27/08/2026

There’s a lot more to finance than just getting a loan approved.

This refinance formed part of a complex settlement agreement, so there were a few more moving pieces than usual. Getting the structure right and keeping everything progressing was incredibly important.

Really grateful to receive feedback like this and, more importantly, to have been trusted to help through such an important transition.

A great outcome and the start of an exciting new chapter for my client.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404.

Business finance isn’t just a business loan.One of the biggest differences between residential and commercial lending is...
24/08/2026

Business finance isn’t just a business loan.

One of the biggest differences between residential and commercial lending is the range of facilities available to solve different problems within a business.

A growing business might use:

🏢 Commercial property finance to purchase the premises it operates from.

🚜 Asset finance to purchase vehicles, machinery and equipment without funding the entire purchase from working capital.

💰 An overdraft to provide flexibility when the timing of cash coming into the business doesn’t match expenses going out.

📋 A bank guarantee to support certain lease, supplier or contractual obligations.

📈 Business lending to fund expansion, acquisitions, fit-outs or other legitimate business purposes.

And these facilities don’t necessarily have to be arranged one at a time.

Depending on the business and lender, facilities such as asset finance limits can sometimes be established in advance, giving a growing business access to approved funding when the next vehicle or piece of equipment is required, subject to the facility terms.

For me, good commercial lending isn’t simply about asking “How much can we borrow?”

It’s understanding the business, where it’s heading, and then asking:

“What does the money actually need to do?”

The right facility should solve the right problem.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. This content does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.

FUNDED. 🏡 | $766K PPOR Renovation – West CroydonConstruction is officially underway on a major upgrade to this 1963-buil...
21/08/2026

FUNDED. 🏡 | $766K PPOR Renovation – West Croydon

Construction is officially underway on a major upgrade to this 1963-built, 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home in West Croydon.

The $766K renovation will effectively double the existing floorplan, adding:

• 2 additional bedrooms
• A new living space
• A huge outdoor entertaining area
• A complete transformation of the existing home

The end result will be a substantially larger family home in an established inner-west location, with the works expected to create a significant uplift in the property’s value.

One of the major advantages of putting money into your own home is that, provided the property continues to qualify for the main residence exemption, any future capital gain can generally be CGT-free.

For the right person, improving the home you already own can be a really effective way to build wealth while also creating a better place to live.

General information only. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. Speak with a qualified tax professional regarding your situation.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404.
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You’ve built equity in your property… but how much of it can you actually use? 🏡Equity is simply the difference between ...
19/08/2026

You’ve built equity in your property… but how much of it can you actually use? 🏡

Equity is simply the difference between your property’s value and what you still owe against it.

For example:

Property value: $1M
Home loan: $500K
Total equity: $500K

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you can access the entire $500K.

Most lenders will generally allow you to access equity up to 80% of the property’s value without Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), subject to servicing, valuation and lender policy.

Using the same example:

80% of $1M = $800K
Less existing loan = $500K
Potential usable equity = $300K

That equity could potentially be used towards another property purchase, renovations, investments or other approved purposes.

But here’s the important part:

Equity doesn’t equal borrowing capacity.

Even if you have $300K in usable equity, you still need to demonstrate that you can afford the additional debt based on your income, expenses and existing commitments.

Having substantial equity can create opportunities — understanding how much you can actually access is what matters.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. This content does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.

CLIENT SUCCESS | First home build in Morphettville 🏡A great result for my FHB clients that have now settled on their lan...
17/08/2026

CLIENT SUCCESS | First home build in Morphettville 🏡

A great result for my FHB clients that have now settled on their land in Morphettville, preparing to commence construction.

Being eligible first home buyers building their first home, they were able to take advantage of the First Home Owner’s Grant ($15,000) & the Stamp Duty Exemption (approx. $7,500 in this case)

But the biggest win with this deal was the LMI waiver, due to her employment as a registered nurse.

The result?

They were able to get in to their first home with a 10% deposit, inclusive of the $15K FHOG and pay $0 lenders mortgage insurance 🥳

Rather than needing to contribute a 20% deposit simply to avoid LMI, the clients were able to get their build underway while retaining more of their savings.

It’s a great example of why choosing a lender isn’t always about finding the lowest advertised interest rate.

Sometimes the right lender policy can make a much bigger difference to the overall outcome.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. Eligibility criteria, lender policies and government grants or concessions apply and may change.

CLIENT SUCCESS | First home build in Morphettville 🏡A great result for my FHB clients that have now settled on their lan...
17/08/2026

CLIENT SUCCESS | First home build in Morphettville 🏡

A great result for my FHB clients that have now settled on their land in Morphettville, preparing to commence construction.

Being eligible first home buyers building their first home, they were able to take advantage of the First Home Owner’s Grant ($15,000) & the Stamp Duty Exemption (approx. $7,500 in this case)

But the biggest win came down to lender policy.

One of the applicants qualified for a major bank’s Medical Professional LMI Waiver due to her work as a registered nurse.

The result?

They were able to get in to their first home with a 10% deposit, inclusive of the $15K FHOG and pay $0 lenders mortgage insurance 🥳

Rather than needing to contribute a 20% deposit simply to avoid LMI, the clients were able to get their build underway while retaining more of their savings.

It’s a great example of why choosing a lender isn’t always about finding the lowest advertised interest rate.

Sometimes the right lender policy can make a much bigger difference to the overall outcome.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. Eligibility criteria, lender policies and government grants or concessions apply and may change.

Client Success | West Croydon Renovation 🏡Construction funding is now underway for a major upgrade to this 1963-built, 3...
14/08/2026

Client Success | West Croydon Renovation 🏡

Construction funding is now underway for a major upgrade to this 1963-built, 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom home in West Croydon.

The clients are investing $766K into the renovation, effectively doubling the existing floorplan and transforming the property into their long-term family home.

The project includes:

• 2 additional bedrooms
• A new living space
• A huge outdoor entertaining area
• Significant improvements throughout the existing home

Beyond creating a home that better suits their family, the completed project is expected to result in a significant uplift in the property’s value.

And there’s another interesting consideration here.

Unlike an investment property, where a future gain may be subject to capital gains tax, gains on a principal place of residence can generally qualify for the main residence CGT exemption, provided the relevant requirements are met.

That can make putting capital into improving your own home particularly interesting when you’re comparing it with taking on another investment property — especially if the renovation substantially improves both the lifestyle and value of the home.

A great example of finance being used to improve the asset you already own rather than simply buying another one.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. This content does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Tax outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Consider obtaining independent tax advice.

CLIENT SUCCESS | Putting equity to work 🏡Recently, I worked with a 55-year-old client who had spent years doing what man...
13/08/2026

CLIENT SUCCESS | Putting equity to work 🏡

Recently, I worked with a 55-year-old client who had spent years doing what many homeowners aim to do - aggressively paying down his home loan.

As a result, he’d built substantial equity in his family home.

The issue was that much of his wealth was now tied up in his PPOR, and outside of potentially downsizing later in life, he wanted to create another asset that could contribute towards his retirement.

We accessed some of the equity in his home to help fund the purchase of a $850K residential investment property, with approximately $54K in associated purchase costs.

The intention is to hold the property for around 10–15 years, before considering selling it as part of his broader retirement strategy.

To put the long-term thinking into perspective:

If an $850K property achieved an average compound growth rate of 6% p.a., after 10 years its value would be approximately $1.52M.

That’s an illustration — not a prediction or guaranteed return — and doesn’t account for the outstanding loan balance, interest, rental income, property expenses, selling costs or tax.

But that’s also not really the point of the story.

The important part is that after spending years building equity, the client was able to consider putting some of that equity to work towards another long-term goal — while retaining his family home.

Sometimes it’s not about earning more. It’s about understanding what you can do with what you’ve already built.



Tom Mather is a Credit Representative (544615) of ratesonline.com.au Pty Ltd, Australian Credit Licence 384404. General information only. This content does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Illustrative growth figures are not guarantees of future performance.

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Adelaide, SA
5034

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