A $2.59M Guarantor Loan After Divorce

The Borrower

Client — “David”

Commercial airline pilot, late 40s

Position

Recently divorced, ~$250,000 cash

Goal

~$2.7M Brisbane home ($2.59M loan)

The Objective

Buy a ~$2.7M five-bedroom Brisbane home and relocate to be closer to family. After his divorce he was effectively starting again.

The Challenge

• $250,000 wasn’t enough for a conventional purchase once costs (~$150,000 duty) were counted.
• Base pay looked ~$400,000 on payslips — the loan didn’t work at that level.
• Much of a pilot’s income is overtime and allowances, often shaded to 80%, and lenders generally want ~3 months of year-to-date non-base income before relying on it.

What He’d Tried

He first told us he earned ~$600,000; the visible base on early payslips was closer to ~$400,000, at which point the required lending simply didn’t stack up.

What We Identified

After analysing the full income profile, usable income came to ~$590,000. His mother’s Cronulla property could serve as guarantor security to bridge the deposit and cost gap.

The Solution

• Placed with Bankwest — guarantor structure, large loan amount and the required income profile.
• Secured an exception to use 100% of the non-base income and the current income-history timing, supported by mitigants.
• Guided an elderly guarantor through independent legal advice and documentation.

The Result

A new home after divorce, closer to family — settled despite a guarantor structure, complex income, a lender exception and overseas work.

Timeline

• 18 Aug: first contact, no property yet.
• 25 Aug: pre-approval (included a valuation of the guarantor’s property).
• 3 Sep: found the Clayfield property.
• 11 Sep: full approval, with settlement following shortly after.

What Happens Next

He owns a new owner-occupied home to build from post-divorce, closer to family in Queensland.

Why It Matters

With complex income and a family guarantee, lender choice and a well-argued exception are what unlock a large purchase — and on a tight timeline.