We have settled in excess of $40,000,000 so far this year at Scene through commercial lending activities – a sizeable proportion of this has been achieved through our relationship with Prime Capital, resulting in our platinum recognition.

Chris commented that “Tactically evolving our business to include commercial & development lending substantially complements our traditional resi programs for our broker partners. We enjoy the flexibility & choice that Prime enables, and this recognition highlights how important it is to continuously evolve our multi-mission organisation.”

The post “Welcome to the Platinum circle.” 🥂 appeared first on Scene Finance.

And, for anyone who knows Chris, giving him a microphone and an hour to talk about lending was unlikely to be a problem…

Instead of talking products and policy with brokers, the conversation explored what happens on the other side of the loan. What happens when someone has built a substantial property portfolio, but borrowing suddenly isn’t as straightforward as it used to be? When does getting another mortgage become a broader funding strategy? And what is a lender actually looking at when an experienced investor wants to keep moving?

Gareth and Chris get into borrowing capacity, debt-to-income ratios, debt recycling, owner-occupied versus investment debt, specialist property lending, construction, commercial property and small development, along with where property investment itself is heading.

It was a welcome chance for Chris to think about some very familiar territory through a slightly different lens, and share his extraordinary knowledge and experience on what really happens behind the scenes in lending.

And of course, he just had to test exactly how much he can say that we would keep, and how many ‘jokes’ we would leave in the editing room. You’re welcome

Watch the full episode: How Sophisticated Investors Structure Debt Across a Property Portfolio

The post Chris Wisbey on The Buy-In in Sydney appeared first on Scene Finance.

The post Quality Humans appeared first on Scene Finance.

The post Hiring Now: Credit Analyst appeared first on Scene Finance.

So in the near future we’ll be making changes to published rates on the Scene Fin website.

While we await these updates, there have been some recent policy enhancements across our Vibe products which hopefully gives you some cool advantages out there in the field.

Want to know more then read on below for the snapshot:

Easier Documentation Requirements | April One 2026
From 1 April 2026, all borrowers to provide only the most recent financials in line with standard documentation requirements, across all products including SMSF.

Please note that 2024 tax returns and financial statements will no longer be accepted after 31 March 2026.

New SMSF’s | Accountant’s Letter Not Required
For newly established SMSFs, an Accountant’s Letters confirming annual running costs are no longer required.

Instead, we will apply a standard servicing allowance of $2,500 per annum.

For established funds, the actual running costs will be used, based on the latest financials and tax returns.

Proposed Superannuation Declaration | New Policy
Downloadable form the Scene Fin Vibe SMSF spec site, the Proposed Superannuation Declaration Form will now be required on all applications where proposed or additional contributions are used for servicing.

This requirement does not apply to historical or actual contributions supported by evidence such as payslips, income statements, or industry fund statements.

What you need to know:
-> a 0.25% loading will apply to all SMSF variable deals using proposed contributions.
-> a 0.20% loading will apply to SMSF 1, 2, and 3 Year Fixed Rate Specials using proposed contributions.

SMSF Fixed Rate | Specials Available
Scene Fin has available an SMSF 1, 2 & 3 Year Fixed Rate Special (although that’ll probably get reviewed very soon too).

What you should know:
-> Rates from 6.79%
-> Maximum loan size of $3.5m
-> Maximum LVR of 80%
-> Available for both Residential and Commercial SMSF securities

For applications using proposed contributions there is a 0.20% loading applicable for this fixed rate product.

Please note that with standard purchase or standard refinance a 0.25% loading applied to SMSF variable loans if using proposed contributions.

Let’s Settle Faster | Try Rapid Refinance
Scene Fin’s Rapid Refinance function is now available on all refinance settlements if opted for at loan lodgement.

Using Rapid Refinance leaves little room for the outgoing lender’s retention activities to kick in.

Hot tip….when using this process, the loan amount must include a buffer calculated as per below:
=> One monthly repayment, plus;
=> Three months’ interest, plus;
=> OFI discharge fee ($1,500 if unknown), plus;
=> Additional $1,500 buffer (just to be sure)

Alright, the news is what it is & we have what we have to sell & make a difference out there.

If you have any questions or want to run new scenarios then please email or give me a call.

Cheers,

CW

The post Post-RBA Indecision Edition – So You Think You Can Finance… appeared first on Scene Finance.

There is no time to be salty about the Governments agenda, our priority (and I’m sure among Brokers as well), is arranging approvals for SMSF Borrowers to comply with the recent legislative changes for these residential loan strategies.

We’re here to assist you with 4 diverse & different SMSF funding options available through our platform of lenders. 

We’ll let you know if anything changes but for now the urgency of insurgency is on assisting your Borrowers meet the deadlines imposed by the legislation. 

Cheers

CW

The post New Financial Year – Time to HUSTLE appeared first on Scene Finance.

The Governments announced LRBA changes have raised questions from all of us in the industry, scratching to understand the implications in the short term for matters on foot and into the future.

We are providing here information from multiple sources we believe adds some insight to clarify (and summarise) some of the considerations for future SMSF lending during the market transition (and to CYA).

Major clarification to absorb

– The legislation does not explicitly ban all residential property. 

– It instead restricts LRBAs to “business real property”.

What happens before 10th August 2026

– Residential LRBA allowed.

– Must exchange contract before 10 August 2026, which is the date the legislation comes into effect. This is 45 days after Royal Assent was granted by the Governor General on 26 June 2026.

What happens on and after 10 August 2026

– Only “business real property” allowed for funding of property purchasing within SMSF.

– Must be wholly and exclusively used in one or more businesses.

It appears some residential properties may be allowed, but only where it meets the “business real property” rule. That means it must be:

– 100% business use.

– No residential or private use component.

– Some commercial properties may not be allowed, for example mixed use cases.

Why?

The test is the use of the property, not asset type or zoning.Internal use

It kind of appears that Zoning is irrelevant post the 10th

– Being commercially zoned does not guarantee eligibility.

– Being residentially zoned does not automatically exclude it.

Actual use in a business is the TEST that matters

– A residential property used in a business may qualify as “business real property”.

– A commercial property not fully used for business may not qualify as “business real property”.

Your key takeaways

Eligibility for SMSF lending post-legislative change is subject to the asset meeting the definition of “business real property”, which requires the property to be wholly and exclusively used in one or more businesses. Heads ups, this assessment may require independent legal or SMSF advice.

Disclaimer & DYOR (Do Your Own Research)

This is general information only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. SMSF Trustees should obtain specific advice to ensure the property they are acquiring meets the definition of “business real property” and ensure that they obtain pre-approval from their lender before entering into any purchase contracts.

Ok, that’s enough for now. If you have any questions please contact us via hello@scenefin.au or call your BDM.

Cheers

Chris W

The post Be Informed Now & Beyond – Time To Get A Wiggle On… appeared first on Scene Finance.

The Homepay program is epic for borrowers wanting to build their dream home for owner occupier’s or even if looking at construction for investment purposes. 

So many features & flexibilities that provide the buying power to the borrower has been intelligently thought through to make this very high LVR product incredibly appealing for clients.

Owner Occupied

• Residential House & Land up to 102% LVR
• Variable rates from 5.50% 
• Fixed rate options from 1 -5 years from 5.50%

Investment 

• Residential House & land up to 100% LVR
• Rates from 5.80% 
• Fixed rate options from 1 -5 years from 5.80%

Key Points:

• Owner Occupied to 102% LVR
• Investment to 100% LVR
• NO REPAYMENTS during the construction period (12 months max)
• 5 Year Fixed available with no break costs after year 3 
• Improved serviceability using Fixed Rate for assessment rate (5 Year)
• Super competitive variable rates 
• Builders must be approved for Homepay program
• More information available at Homepay website embedded HERE

Stay tuned for release in December 2025.

The post HomePay Construction appeared first on Scene Finance.

We’ve chopped the rates on our most popular  SMSF Program, Vibe SMSF, for both Residential and Commercial lending.

Effective immediately for new residential purchases of up to 80% LVR, a flat variable rate of just 6.99% for Residential and 7.59% for Commercial SMSF submissions is applicable for new lending until 31st August 2026.

But Wait….There’s More!

The usual Interest Only loading of 0.40% is also waived (if needed) for Residential Purchases AND Full Refinances until the 31st of August 2026.

With the Government inspired deadline approaching, we’re all hands-on deck  to get every application assessed for approval. 

Recap | What happens before 10th August 2026

– Residential LRBA allowed.

– Must exchange contract before 10 August 2026, which is the date the legislation comes into effect. This is 45 days after Royal Assent was granted by the Governor General on 26 June 2026.

Recap | What happens on and after 10 August 2026

– Only “business real property” allowed for funding of property purchasing within SMSF.

– Must be wholly and exclusively used in one or more businesses.

It appears some residential properties may be allowed, but only where it meets the “business real property” rule. That means it must be:

– 100% business use.

– No residential or private use component.

– Some commercial properties may not be allowed, for example mixed use cases.

Ok, that’s enough for now, you guys have work to do, but if you have any questions please contact us via hello@scenefin.au or call your BDM for a quicker response.

Cheers

Chris W

The post Vibe SMSF Rate Reduction – Time to Bust Out! appeared first on Scene Finance.

What this means for Scene Brokers, the best damn mortgage lenders in the the business, is that you will have far more control of your submission eco-system in a full journey environment that will let us get your loans settled even faster.

New loan lodgement through existing LoanApp V1 will be decommissioned on the 28th November & be reborn for new business on the 1st of December.

Any loans in the V1 system will be processed and settled as normal, in other words there is nothing you’ll need to do like relodge anything.

V2 will supercharge submissions by providing full reach across our loan products through our Vibe and Zoom programs in a secure, online environment.

In the coming days we will begin to issue new login credentials to you all so you will be able to easily switch over to the V2 architecture.

We’ll be available to assist if you have any questions on the next exciting chapter in our information age evolution.
Cheers

Chris W

The post SceneSational Simpology Update! appeared first on Scene Finance.