St. George Investment Loan Review | Home Loan Experts
St. George received full bank status in 1992 and since then has provided comprehensive banking services and solutions. Its offerings include investment home loan packages tailored specifically for property investors, which we will examine in this article.
Investment Loan Packages With St. George
St. George offers investment loans in three packages. Here are the basic features of each one:
| Basic Home Loan | Fixed Rate Investment Home Loan *(as part of the Advantage Package) | Standard Variable Rate Investment Home Loan *(as part of the Advantage Package) |
|---|---|---|
| $0 monthly fee | $395 annual package fee | $395 annual package fee OR $600 establishment fee and $8 monthly fee |
| Refinance cashback available | Refinance cashback available | Refinance cashback available |
| - |
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| No extra features, such as an offset account | Lock in your interest rate for 1-5 years | A full-featured loan with an offset account, redraw capabilities and unlimited additional repayments |
St George’s Advantage Package also includes offers on credit cards and insurance. Read more about the benefits, features, terms and conditions of the Advantage Package here.
Should You Choose St. George?
St. George offers some great benefits but has some shortcomings as well. Here are the pros and cons of St. George investment loans, as determined by Home Loan Experts’ mortgage brokers:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Competitive rates | Difficulty in dealing with assessors |
| Upfront bank valuations available | LMI can be expensive if you borrow over 90% of the property value |
| Large bank network in Sydney and NSW | Can be slow to assess your application |
| Split account option | Higher than average upfront fee |
| Market-leading refinance rebates and cashback offers | Discharge fee at the end of the loan |
Read more about St. George home loans in our review of the lender as a whole, here.
St.George Investment Loan – Client Story
Diana, NSW
Goal
Refinancing And Releasing Equity For Purchase Of Investment Property
Background
Diana had been working as a paramedic for the ambulance service for over five years. She wanted to refinance the home loan with her current lender and release equity from her existing owner-occupied home to purchase an investment property.
Scouring through multiple lenders can be a tedious process. The main issue was finding a lender willing to provide the highest valuation, enabling her to release more equity. Another factor was the nature of her job and the pay. Since she was a paramedic, she had considerable overtime pay and shift allowance. Finding a lender willing to accept all of her pay was particularly challenging.
Solution
Looking for expert help, Diana found us and we quickly put forward our expert broker Vivienne Than. Vivienne had to work on two fronts. Firstly, she had to refinance the existing home loan with Diane’s current lender. Secondly, she had to find a suitable lender for an investment loan. After comparing multiple lenders, including the current one, Vivienne decided to pursue St.George, as it provided very competitive rates.
Vivienne was able to provide the following for Diana:
- Loan amount of $500,000
- Release of equity amounting to $70,000
- Highest valuation with St. George
- 100% non-base income accepted
- 80% LVR
- No LMI
- $4000 cashback
In the end, Diana was very pleased with the outcome, especially with Vivienne and her team’s unwavering effort. It was important for Diana to have 100% of her non-base income accepted and to receive a high valuation for her equity release. This was all achieved swiftly, which set up Diana for success with her goal of purchasing an investment property.
Build Your Investment Portfolio Now!
Get started on building your investment portfolio by contacting our specialist mortgage brokers at 1300 889 743 or fill in our online assessment form and we will contact you.