Jessica Clausen - Emmel Finance

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Jessica Clausen - Emmel Finance

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Finance Broker - Nurturing through education and service

01/11/2026

💳 Why can an unused credit card have such a big impact on borrowing capacity?

Because when lenders assess your home loan application, they generally don't just look at what you currently owe on the card.

They also allow for the credit limit available to you.

So even if your $10,000 card:
✅ has a $0 balance
✅ gets paid off every month
✅ is only there “for emergencies”

…it may still be treated as an ongoing financial commitment when the lender works out how much you can afford to borrow.

In some scenarios, a $10,000 credit card limit can shave around 45,000–50,000 from borrowing capacity. The actual impact varies considerably between lenders
and borrowers.

Before applying for a home loan:
👉 Review any cards you're not using
👉 Consider whether you need such a high limit
👉 Have your broker run the numbers before cancelling anything

Sometimes reducing a limit can make a surprisingly big difference.

The little things can have a very big impact on the final number. 👀

General information only. Borrowing capacity and lender treatment of credit cards varies.

30/10/2026

🏇 Melbourne Cup week incoming!

For Australians, next week brings that strange annual phenomenon where Tuesday somehow manages to destroy the productivity of an entire week. 😂

Whether you love it or hate it...

Here's a little mortgage tip you may not know.

🎰 Regular gambling transactions can attract attention during a home loan assessment.

When assessing a loan, lenders need to understand and verify a borrower's financial position and expenses.

An occasional Melbourne Cup flutter isn't automatically going to derail a home loan application.

But frequent or significant transactions to:
🎰 betting apps
🏇 bookmakers
🎲 online gambling
💳 gambling-related services

can prompt questions, particularly if they appear inconsistent with the expenses you've declared or suggest that gambling is a regular part of household
spending.

Our advice?

If you're planning to apply for finance soon, remember that your bank statements help tell the story of how you manage your money.

No need to spend Melbourne Cup Day clutching your bank statement in terror. 😂

Just another reason it's helpful to speak with your broker before you apply rather than discovering potential issues afterwards.

Gamble responsibly.

General information only. Each lender assesses applications and transaction history differently.

28/10/2026

🏢 This is such an important one for buyers to understand. If you already have a pre-approval in place - the body corporate fees can still reduce your borrowing
power.

If you’ve got a pre-approval and then decide to buy a property with body corporate / strata fees, those fees can be factored into your ongoing commitments
when the lender fully assesses the property.

That means:
⚠️ your borrowing capacity can reduce
⚠️ your surplus position can tighten
⚠️ the property you thought was comfortably affordable might suddenly feel a bit different

This doesn’t mean body corporate properties are a bad idea.

It just means those ongoing costs need to be considered early especially if you’re looking at apartments, units or townhouses.

So if your shortlist includes strata properties, let your broker know before you sign anything. 👌

General information only. Lender treatment of strata/body corporate levies varies.

27/10/2026

🚨 Teachers, police officers, nurses and other essential workers, this one is worth knowing.

Some lenders have profession-specific home loan policies, which means the job you do can sometimes change the lending options available to you.

Depending on the lender and your occupation, you may qualify for a 90% loan with NO LMI!

And this is where it gets important:

Not every lender has the same eligible occupation list.

Being a teacher, police officer or nurse doesn’t automatically guarantee an LMI waiver, but it does mean it’s worth checking the specialist policies available
before assuming you need a full 20% deposit.

If you’re an essential worker and buying is on the radar, ask your broker to check the profession-based policies available to you.

You may have more options than you realise.

General information only. Profession-based lending benefits, LMI waivers, LVRs and eligible occupations vary by lender and are subject to approval.

26/10/2026

📊 Ever looked at a borrowing calculator and thought… surely I can borrow more than THAT?

Here’s one reason the number can feel lower than expected.

When a lender assesses a new home loan, it generally needs to test whether you could still afford the loan at a rate 3 percentage points higher than the actual
loan rate.

So, as a simple example:
Actual rate: 6.00%
Assessment rate: 9.00%
You’re not actually paying 9%.

It’s a stress test designed to make sure there’s some breathing room if rates or circumstances change.

And while we can’t magically remove the buffer 🪄😂, borrowing capacity can still vary between lenders because they assess:

💰 income differently
💳 credit card commitments differently
🏠 rental income differently
📈 bonuses, overtime and allowances differently
🏦 existing debts differently

AND YES, there are some lenders who do offer a lower assessment rate!

Which is why one bank giving you a lower number isn’t always the end of the conversation.

Sometimes the difference is simply policy.

General information only. Serviceability and credit criteria vary between lenders.

25/10/2026

☕ A little day-in-the-life reminder of what mortgage brokers are actually doing behind the scenes...

A lot of people only see the exciting bit:
🏡 buying the home
✅ getting approved
🔑 getting the keys

What they don’t always see is everything happening in the background:
structuring the scenario
checking lender policy
reviewing documents
managing timeframes
liaising with banks
chasing valuers
preparing for auction deadlines
problem solving when something goes off script

No two weeks are ever the same and honestly, that’s half the fun 😅

A good broker doesn’t just submit an application. They help guide the strategy, manage the process and keep things moving when there are a lot of moving
parts.

22/10/2026

💰 Genuine savings trips up a lot of first home buyers not because they don’t have money, but because they don’t realise how lenders look at it.

In simple terms, genuine savings is a lender’s way of checking whether you’ve shown an ability to save and hold funds consistently to assess your capacity to repay a home loan.

They’re often looking for evidence that the deposit isn’t just money that appeared last week.

How is it checked?

Usually by reviewing:
📄 the last 3 months of bank statements
📄 savings account history
📄 evidence of where funds came from
📄 in some cases, a rental ledger

Important nuance

Rent can count with some lenders, but not all.

Gifted funds may still be acceptable as part of your overall contribution, but they don’t always count as genuine savings.

The same goes for recent inheritances or lump sums, they may be usable funds, but not necessarily genuine savings.

So if you’re planning to buy in the next few months, this is something to sort out early, not the week before you apply. 👀

General information only. Genuine savings requirements vary between lenders and products.

22/10/2026

🏡 BUYING IN TOWNSVILLE WITH JUST A 5% DEPOSIT?

If you’re a first home buyer in Queensland and eligible for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, this is the kind of breakdown I’d be walking you through!

A lot of buyers hear “5% deposit” and assume that means they only need 5% of the purchase price.

Not quite! 👇

Using a $700,000 purchase in Townsville as an example:

✅ 5% deposit: $35,000

✅ 95% home loan: $665,000

✅ No Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) under the scheme (if eligible)

✅ Stamp duty: $0 (assuming eligibility for the QLD first home buyer concession)

⚠️ Estimated government charges: $2,917.20

⚠️ Estimated legal/conveyancing costs: $3,000

💰 Total estimated cash contribution required: $40,918

So while you may only need a 5% deposit, there are still additional costs to consider when purchasing your first home.

The good news? Queensland's first home buyer stamp duty concessions can make a HUGE difference to how much you need saved!

And if you're purchasing a brand-new home, there may be additional government grants available too! 🙌

The real question isn't just:

“Can I buy with a 5% deposit?”

It's:

“How much money do I actually need saved to buy my first home?”

That's where I come in! 🏡

If you're thinking about buying your first home in Townsville, send me a message and I'll help you work out your borrowing capacity, deposit requirements and total funds needed to get you into your first home.

You might be closer than you think! 🔑

General information only. Figures are indicative and based on an eligible first home buyer purchasing an established property in Queensland. Eligibility criteria, lender requirements and transaction costs apply. Government grants and concessions are subject to eligibility.

20/10/2026

🏡 Same income. Different lenders. Different result.

One of the biggest misconceptions in home lending is that every bank will give you the same borrowing capacity.

They won’t.

Even with the same salary, the numbers can shift depending on:
✨ lender policy
✨ living expense assumptions
✨ minimum credit card repayments
✨ HECS/HELP
✨ existing commitments
✨ property type
✨ how different income types are assessed

So if you’re on $110K and asking, “What can I borrow?” the real answer is…

👉 It depends which lender is doing the maths.

That’s exactly why working with a broker can make such a difference. It’s not just about finding a rate, it’s about finding the lender whose policy fits your situation.

Moral of the story: don’t rule yourself in or out too quickly based on one calculator. 📊

General information only. Figures are illustrative and borrowing capacity varies based on your full scenario and lender policy.

19/10/2026

Different lenders may assess business income differently.

They might consider things like:
📊 One OR two years' financials/ tax returns
💰 Directors Salary/wages
📈 Business profit
➕ Add-backs
🏢 Company liabilities
📉 Changes in income year to year
Business Activity Statements
Accountants Letters

Which means two lenders can look at the same business… and calculate very different usable income.

That's where lender policy matters. A lot. Don't assume being self-employed means “the bank won't lend to me”. Get your numbers properly assessed first.

Which is why plugging one number into an online borrowing calculator doesn't always give a self-employed borrower the full picture.

Sometimes the difference isn't your income.

It's how the lender interprets it.

If you run a business and property is on the radar, getting your financials reviewed before you start house hunting can save a LOT of guesswork later.

Address

Townsville, QLD

Telephone

+61410681131

Website

http://www.emmelfinance.com.au/

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