Settled Scenarios
PART BUILT PROPERTY

Completing a part built home on non standard income

A couple in their sixties needing funds to finish a home already built to lock-up stage, with income made up of disablement payments, carer payments and Centrelink pensions.

$375k

LOAN AMOUNT

Owner Occ

SECURITY

Under 30%

LVR ON COMPLETION

THE STORY

The file, in three parts

What the broker brought, how the credit analyst read it, and what settled

01 · The challenge

A husband of 62 and wife of 63 needed funding to complete construction of their owner occupied home. They had paid for the build to lock-up stage from their own cash resources, having been advised by their builder to start before finance was arranged. A partially completed property is harder to finance than either a vacant block or a finished home, and their allowable income initially serviced at only 0.82 times. The income itself was unusual on every line: the husband had been left paralysed by a stroke in 2014 and received disablement payments, the wife received carer payments as his primary carer, and both received Centrelink pensions.

02 · How VMG assessed it

Human underwriting started by understanding what each payment actually was. The disablement payments were reviewed to establish which portions were taxable and which were not, and the carer payments and both pensions were assessed on the same basis. Evidence was obtained confirming that each payment was ongoing rather than temporary, which is the point that determines whether income of this kind can be used. The security position supported the file, with an LVR on completion of under 30 per cent. Credit also took into account that the couple’s pension entitlements were due to increase as their cash reserves had been drawn down by construction costs, and that approximately $430,000 in superannuation was available to extinguish the debt in future. Because the same builder who had completed the work to date was continuing, there was no break in the project.

03 · The outcome

VMG settled a $375,000 construction completion loan and the couple finished their home. A file that had been declined into a corner by its own progress was resolved by reading the income properly and recognising the strength of the security position.

THE TURNAROUND

Before and after

The same file, before the refinance and at settlement.

BEFORE VMG

Home built to lock-up stage using the couple’s own cash, with no finance in place.
Servicing shortfall at 0.82 times on allowable income.
Income made up entirely of disablement payments, carer payments and Centrelink pensions.
Partially completed security, harder to finance than land or a finished home.

AFTER SETTLEMENT

Each payment type assessed for taxable and non taxable components.
Ongoing nature of all income evidenced and accepted.
LVR on completion under 30 per cent recognised as a mitigant.
Same builder continuing, giving continuity through to completion.

💡THE VMG COMMON-SENSE ADVANTAGE

A part built home is not an unfinanceable one. Continuity of builder, a strong security position, and income that can be evidenced as ongoing will carry a file a long way.

HOW IT WAS ASSESSED

Human underwriting

Every file is read by a credit analyst, not scored by a system. There is no credit scoring, and no DTI or DSR ratio applied. The product and the terms depend on the individual file, so talk to your BDM about where a similar scenario fits.

Have a similar file?

Test the scenario with VMG credit before you lodge. VMG lends only through accredited mortgage brokers.

Related

More settled scenarios

FUTURE INCOME STREAM
Owner occupied purchase supported by PAYG salary and the remaining tranches of a business sale being paid out over five years.

$1.8m

LOAN AMOUNT

Owner Occ

SECURITY

5 years

SALE TRANCHES
LOW CREDIT SCORE
Seven loans consolidated for a borrower with a low credit score, all repayments current, after the file had been declined elsewhere.

$508k

LOAN AMOUNT

7 Loans

CONSOLIDATED

$525

MONTHLY REDUCTION
DEBT CONSOLIDATION
A tradesperson left solely responsible for eight loans after a separation, with repayments slipping as rates rose.

$552k

LOAN AMOUNT

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CONSOLIDATED

$1,290

MONTHLY REDUCTION

QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

Construction is assessed case by case. A part built property raises questions a completed one does not, including the stage reached, the cost to finish, whether the original builder is continuing, and the valuation position on completion. Bring the builder's contract, evidence of what has been paid and a costing for the remaining works to your BDM before lodging.
They can be considered. Credit will look at what each payment is, which portions are taxable, and above all whether there is evidence the payment is ongoing rather than time limited. Payments with a defined end date are treated differently to permanent entitlements, so documentation confirming continuity matters more here than in most files.
It is a genuine mitigant, though not a substitute for servicing. A strong security position reduces risk on the file overall and gives credit room to take a considered view on other elements. It is one of the factors that can turn a marginal file into a workable one under human underwriting, where there is no score to override it.

All applications are subject to Victorian Mortgage Group’s standard credit assessment and lending criteria. Terms, conditions, costs and charges apply. This article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

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