Founder & CEO, MyBrix
Brian Stevens is the Founder and CEO of MyBrix, with decades of experience in finance and property. His understanding of the property market and financial services landscape shapes MyBrix's approach to fractional property funding and investment.
LinkedIn profileBrian writes general information only — not personal financial advice.
Off-the-plan contract prices are fixed at exchange; lender valuations aren't. Here's what a settlement shortfall means for your loan and your options.
Your serviceability ceiling is the point a lender's income-and-expense test says you can't borrow more. Here's how it's assessed and what can shift it.
Borrowing power, not ambition, caps most property portfolios. What shapes it across multiple properties, and where fractional exposure fits in.
Buying under your own name or through a company changes your CGT discount, negative gearing and land tax position. Compare the options — then get advice.
A family trust changes who's taxed, how losses and land tax work, and CGT — the trade-offs for an investment property, as at July 2026.
How SMSFs can borrow to buy property under a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) — the rules, the structure, and a 2026 law change, explained.
Debt recycling turns non-deductible home debt into deductible investment debt. How the strategy, loan structure and tax rules work, as at July 2026.
Rent-increase limits and notice periods are set by state tenancy law, not one national rule. Here's what decides the answer, and where to check it.
Landlord insurance is an optional cover for rental properties. Its legal scope, what a good policy includes, and how it differs from building cover.
How property managers screen tenants: applications, income checks, references, tenancy databases, and the privacy/anti-discrimination limits that apply.
NSW land tax threshold explained: the current tax-free amount, how the scale above it works, and why it matters if you hold investment property.
Yes, investment properties attract standard stamp duty in every state. Most concessions are for owner-occupiers, not investors. Here's how it works.
Council rates and strata levies are recurring owner costs that reduce rental cash flow year-round. How each works, tax treatment, and how land tax differs.
Both a broker and a direct lender can arrange an investment property loan. Here's how the two paths differ, and the factors that actually matter.
Yes, but lenders shade rental income and add a buffer for investment loans. Here's how investment loan pre-approval actually works.
Deposit, LMI, stamp duty, conveyancing and inspections all land before settlement — the full list, sourced to Moneysmart and state revenue offices.
A split loan divides one facility into fixed, variable, IO or P&I portions. How portfolio investors use splits, what they cost, and the factors to weigh.
A stand-alone loan is secured only by the investment property, not your home. How cross-collateralisation works, and the trade-offs of separating loans.
Cross-collateralisation links two or more properties as one loan's security. Here's what it means, when it's used, and why brokers often flag the risks.
Lenders don't count 100% of expected rent. Here's the rental income shading, HEM benchmarks and rate buffer that shape your borrowing power.
Lenders combine shaded rental income, a 3+ point rate buffer and benchmarked expenses to test investment-loan serviceability. The verified framework.
Interest-only lowers investment loan repayments now but doesn't reduce your balance. How it compares with principal and interest, and what changes later.
Yes — RBA data shows investor home loan rates run about 0.2 percentage points above owner-occupier rates, on average. Here's the gap and why it exists.
There's no legislated minimum deposit for an investment property loan. Here's how LVR, LMI and lender policy set the amount you need.
How equity in a residential property is worked out, what limits how much you can borrow against it, and the main ways investors access it.
Yes, many lenders let you use equity in your home toward an investment property deposit. How usable equity, LVR and the risks actually work.
Deposits, LVR and LMI, loan serviceability, loan structures, negative gearing and ownership options for financing a first investment property.
An owner-occupier buys a home to live in; an investor buys for cash flow, tax and exit strategy. How the two mindsets differ, in five practical areas.
No indicator can reliably call a property hotspot in advance. Here are the leading signals, data sources, and why timing them is harder than it looks.
There's no safe single figure for this. Here's why property-vs-shares comparisons mislead, what really differs, and where to check verified data.
Regional property investing carries different risks to metro markets — thinner buyer and tenant pools, cost swings, and financing checks to run first.
Public transport access and school catchments are widely-cited demand factors, not price guarantees. The data sources to check, and where advice fits.
No one can responsibly tell you which of Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne is the better investment. Here's the data and state-based factors to check instead.
No one can tell you a suburb is gentrifying while it happens. Here are the observable signs and the ABS, planning and vacancy data to check for yourself.
A local vacancy rate shows how much rental stock sits empty. Here's what it means for cash flow and rent, and where to check the data yourself.
Days on market measures how long listings take to sell in an area. Here's what a rising or falling DOM can — and can't — tell an investor.
No property type is universally better. Compare houses, townhouses and apartments on land, strata costs, maintenance, tenant demand and depreciation.
No source can tell you which suburb will grow. Here's the data — ABS, state planning, vacancy rates — and the method investors and buyer's agents use.
Cash flow positive means rental income exceeds costs; negative gearing means costs exceed income. As at July 2026, here's how each is taxed.
Gross rental yield = annual rent ÷ property value × 100. Net subtracts expenses first. Here are both formulas, sourced, with a worked example.
Capital growth and rental yield pull in different directions. Here's how to weigh the trade-off for a first investment property — factors, not a verdict.
Property investment is buying real estate for rental income and capital growth. How the mechanics, costs and risks work in Australia.
