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Finance that feels human — trusted advice since 2011. Personal mortgage and finance advice for families, professionals and everyday heroes. Book a conversation.

Melbourne, Geelong, Bellarine & Surf Coast. Foster Ramsay Finance helps Aussie families, professionals and everyday heroes understand their home loan and finance options. Led by Chris Foster-Ramsay, we help with first homes, next homes, loan reviews and refinancing, property investment, self-employed home loans, and business and asset finance. Our offices are in Ringwood and North Geelong, serving Melbourne, Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast. Phone and video appointments are available. Please arrange a meeting before visiting. Book a conversation: https://calendly.com/fosterramsayfinance/meetingrequest
Explore FRF: https://www.fosterramsay.finance
Call 0448 010 999. General lending information only. Lending criteria, terms, fees and charges apply. Approval is not guaranteed.

01/11/2026

🏡 Found the property… but your deposit isn’t sitting in cash ready to transfer?
A deposit bond can sometimes be used in place of the cash deposit normally required when contracts are exchanged.

Think of it as a guarantee to the vendor that the agreed deposit amount will be paid at settlement.

They can be useful when:
🔑 you’re buying your next home before selling your current one
🔑 your money is tied up until another property settles
🔑 you’re buying off-the-plan
🔑 you’re purchasing at auction and your funds aren’t immediately accessible

A couple of important catches, though…
👉 The vendor needs to agree to accept one
👉 There are eligibility requirements and fees
👉 It needs to fit with the overall purchase and lending strategy

So this isn’t something I’d be organising from the auction carpark with three minutes to spare.

😅 If you’re buying soon and think your deposit timing could be tricky, speak to your broker early.

Your next move deserves more than just a loan — it deserves a clear plan and the right support beside you.
If you’re ready, we’re ready.
📞 0448 010 999�
📧 [email protected]�
Or message me here to get started.

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General information only. Deposit bond availability, acceptance, costs and eligibility vary.

30/10/2026

🏇 Melbourne Cup week incoming!
For Victorians, next week brings that strange annual phenomenon where Tuesday somehow manages to destroy the productivity of an entire week. 😂

And seeing as we're talking about the race that stops the nation… 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. ASIC

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.

Enjoy the Cup, gamble responsibly — and may your office sweep horse at least make it past the first bend. 🏇😂

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

29/10/2026

💛 Today is International Day of Care and Support.
A day to recognise the millions of people who provide care both professionally and unpaid to children, family members, older Australians and people who need additional support.

And from a mortgage perspective, there's something carers may not realise:

👉 Not every lender treats carer-related income the same way.

Depending on the type of payment and the borrower's circumstances, some lenders may consider certain government carer payments as assessable income, while others may restrict or exclude them.
That's where lender policy really matters.

So if caring responsibilities form part of your household and you've assumed home ownership isn't an option because of how your income is structured, it may be worth having the conversation rather than ruling yourself out. 🏡

We can look at the whole picture and see which lenders may suit your circumstances.

Send us a message if you'd like to chat.

General information only. Acceptance of government benefits and carer-related income varies by lender and individual circumstances.

28/10/2026

Have you ever thought; What actually makes a great wedding?
Listen here 👉 https://ow.ly/i76j50ZUfgr
Rob & I recently caught up with Wedding MC Jimmy Szabo to talk spring weddings, reading the room and what really makes a celebration memorable.

Jimmy’s three rules were simple:
1. Remember it’s your day.
2. Perfection is boring.
3. Be present — it goes quickly.

And his final message nailed it:
A great wedding isn’t about how much you spend or how perfect everything looks — it’s about enjoying the moment with the people you love most.

A fun conversation, some great advice and exactly the sort of local story I love bringing to air.

🎙️ You can catch Rob and I on 94.7FM The Pulse - Wednesday's 9am-11am.

28/10/2026

Friendly reminder from your mortgage broker. 🧾☕
Self-employed & lodging your own BAS?
Your July–September quarterly BAS is due TODAY!!

27/10/2026

📈 One of the biggest mistakes I see with investment property purchases? Using every last dollar to get in.
Yes, deposit matters.
Yes, stamp duty matters.
Yes, borrowing capacity matters.
But so does what happens after settlement.

If you’re buying an investment property, you should also be thinking about:
🏠 vacancy periods
🛠 repairs and maintenance
💰 rates, insurance and ongoing costs
📄 property management fees
🚪 lease-break situations and reletting costs
📉 the possibility that rent doesn’t cover everything

Just because a property is “investment grade” doesn’t mean it will behave perfectly every month. That’s why a cashflow buffer matters.

A smart investment plan isn’t just about getting approved.

It’s about making sure you can hold the property comfortably too.

Your next move deserves more than just a loan — it deserves a clear plan and the right support beside you.

If you’re ready, we’re ready.

📞 0448 010 999�
📧 [email protected]�
Or message me here to get started.

General information only. Costs and rental outcomes vary depending on the property, tenant and market conditions.

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25/10/2026

🏡 If you’re in Victoria and eligible for the Government Guarantee 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 an $850,000 purchase as an example:
✅ Deposit = $42,500
✅ Loan = $807,500
✅ No LMI under the scheme (if eligible)
⚠️ But you still need to allow for purchase costs

Because this purchase price is above the Victorian first-home-buyer duty concession range, stamp duty still applies in this example — which is why your total contribution is much higher than just the deposit.

So the real question isn’t just:
“Can I buy with 5%?”
It’s:
“What total cash contribution do I actually need to get this done comfortably?”

That’s the bit buyers really need clarity on. 👌

Your next move deserves more than just a loan — it deserves a clear plan and the right support beside you.
If you’re ready, we’re ready.
📞 0448 010 999�
📧 [email protected]�
Or message me here to get started.

General information only. Figures are indicative only and may vary depending on your eligibility, lender, fees and final transaction costs.

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21/10/2026

🏡 If buying a home is on the horizon, your financial decisions in the months beforehand can matter.
That doesn't mean putting your entire life on hold until settlement.
Please still enjoy yourself. 😂

But if you're about to:
🚗 finance a car
💳 open another credit card
👩‍💻 change jobs
💰 move large amounts of money around
📈 increase an existing loan
…it is worth checking what impact it could have on your home loan plans before you do it.

One of the biggest benefits of speaking with a broker early is having someone help you work backwards from the goal.

You don't need to have found a property.

You don't even need to be 100% ready.

Sometimes the most valuable conversation happens months before you ever make an offer.
Property hunting is much more fun when you already know your numbers. 🔑

Your next move deserves more than just a loan — it deserves a clear plan and the right support beside you.
If you’re ready, we’re ready.
📞 0448 010 999�
📧 [email protected]�
Or message me here to get started.

� � � � � � � � � �

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. 📊

Your next move deserves more than just a loan — it deserves a clear plan and the right support beside you.
If you’re ready, we’re ready.
📞 0448 010 999�📧 [email protected]�Or message me here to get started.

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

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20/10/2026

Ever been at a barbecue when someone mentions their home loan rate… and you immediately start wondering why yours is higher?
Listen here 👉 https://ow.ly/r4tx50ZUffM

It’s a conversation happening around plenty of Australian households at the moment — but comparing mortgage rates isn’t always an apples-with-apples exercise.

Recently on 94.7FM The Pulse, I caught up with finance and money expert Kate Littlejohn to unpack why two borrowers can seemingly have similar home loans but end up paying different interest rates.

We talked about some of the things that can make a difference — including the amount borrowed compared with the property value, the type of property, whether the loan is owner-occupied or investment, principal-and-interest versus interest-only repayments, and how income is verified.

Kate then managed to “coffee-ify” the whole thing for me.

☕ My coffee order might be completely different to yours. Different ingredients go into the cup — and the end result is different.

That means hearing that “Uncle Barry” has a better rate at the barbecue doesn't necessarily mean you've got a bad deal.

But it should still prompt a useful question: is my current home loan still right for me?

One of the things I’m really enjoying about developing as a presenter and producer at The Pulse — with the guidance and mentorship of the amazing Rob Cameron — is learning how to take subjects that can sometimes feel complicated and turn them into conversations people can actually use.

Thanks to Kate for another terrific chat.

🎙️ You can hear Rob & I on 94.7FM The Pulse Wednesdays from 9-11am.
📻 Conversations about the things that affect everyday life across Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast.

Address

Waterman Workspaces, Level 3, Eastland Shopping Centre, 175 Maroondah Highway, Ringwood
Ringwood
3134

Telephone

+61448010999

Website

https://www.fosterramsay.finance/

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