Situation
Downsizer or near retirement
Approaching or in retirement, often selling a larger home and buying a smaller one.
What changes for you
- Lenders ask for a credible exit strategy when the term runs past retirement age
- Superannuation and pension income are assessed differently from wages
- Downsizer superannuation contributions have their own eligibility rules
The one that derails this profile most often: Selling and buying in the same market. A bridge is a tool, not a plan; the plan is the sale.
Lanes that usually apply
Most likely first. Read the lane page before the first conversation, not after.
Bridging finance
Short-term borrowing that covers the gap when you buy before you sell, priced on the assumption the gap closes quickly.
What decides it ›Refinance
Moving an existing loan to a different lender or a different product, where the switching cost decides whether it was worth it.
What decides it ›First home loan
Your first owner-occupied purchase, where deposit size and government schemes usually decide more than the headline rate.
What decides it ›Other situations
General information. How Australian lenders generally assess this profile. General information about how Australian lending is organised. Rules, thresholds and eligibility are set by government agencies and change; each lane links to the source so you can check the current position.