Queensland suburb and city guides
Local guides to buying and borrowing in Queensland. Each one covers who lives there, the types of homes, what lenders look at and the costs to plan for. Time Home Loans is based in Brisbane and works with buyers in Queensland by phone and video.
North Lakes is a master-planned suburb about 34 km north of the Brisbane CBD, in the City of Moreton Bay. It had 23,030 people in the…
Read the North Lakes guideRedcliffe is the main centre of the Redcliffe Peninsula, on the western shore of Moreton Bay about 28 km from the Brisbane CBD. It's a seaside…
Read the Redcliffe guideAtherton is the main town on the Atherton Tableland, about 80 km south-west of Cairns and 752 m above sea level. It had 7,724 people in…
Read the Atherton guideCairns is the main city of Far North Queensland, set between the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforest ranges. The Cairns urban area was home to…
Read the Cairns guideHervey Bay faces K'gari across the water, about 290 km north of Brisbane. The Hervey Bay urban area had 57,722 people in the 2021 Census with…
Read the Hervey Bay guideMackay sits on the Pioneer River on Queensland's central coast, about 800 km north of Brisbane. It's the service city for sugar country and the Bowen…
Read the Mackay guideMareeba sits where the Barron River meets Granite Creek, about 63 km west of Cairns by road. It had 11,825 people in the 2021 Census and…
Read the Mareeba guideRockhampton sits on the Fitzroy River just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, about 630 km north-north-west of Brisbane. The Rockhampton urban area had 79,293 people…
Read the Rockhampton guideToowoomba sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, about 127 km west of Brisbane and around 700 metres above sea level. Its urban area…
Read the Toowoomba guideMaroochydore is the commercial heart of the Sunshine Coast, about 104 km north of Brisbane where the Maroochy River meets the sea. It's a mixed market.…
Read the Maroochydore guideNoosa Shire takes in Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Tewantin and the beach towns to the south, plus hinterland towns like Cooroy and Pomona. It was home to…
Read the Noosa guideThe Sunshine Coast runs from Caloundra in the south to the edge of Noosa, with hinterland towns like Nambour and Maleny behind it. The Sunshine Coast…
Read the Sunshine Coast guideMore areas are being added. If the one you're looking at isn't here yet, we're happy to talk it through.
Lenders look at your income, expenses, debts and deposit. Getting pre-approval before you start inspecting gives you a working budget.
Unit size, building type, heritage controls and flood or bushfire overlays can all affect which lenders will lend and how much. The local council's planning scheme is a good place to start.
Besides your deposit, allow for stamp duty, conveyancing, building and pest inspections and lenders mortgage insurance if you're borrowing more than 80% of the value. Stamp duty and first home buyer concessions differ between states.
Most lenders apply the same credit policy across Australia, so a Brisbane broker can compare options for a purchase anywhere in the country. Location still matters for valuations and some postcodes.
Talk it through with us before you sign a contract. We work with buyers by phone and video and can check the property you're looking at against lender policy.
General information only. This page provides general information and doesn't take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether it's appropriate for you and seek advice before making a decision.
Time Home Loans Pty Ltd ACN 161 695 012, Credit Representative 529395 is authorised under Australian Credit Licence 384324.
