Assess the fund
We look at the financial position, available deposit, contributions, liquidity and other information relevant to lender assessment.
SMSF LENDING
Borrowing through a self-managed super fund involves more than finding a property and applying for finance. The fund, proposed property, borrowing structure and lender policy all need to work together.
We help Brisbane trustees considering SMSF property finance understand the lending requirements, compare relevant lender policies and manage the finance application through to settlement. As a mortgage broker in Caloundra, we support Brisbane clients by phone and online while drawing on more than 30 years of Queensland lending experience.

We look at the financial position, available deposit, contributions, liquidity and other information relevant to lender assessment.
Property type, intended use, valuation and lender security policy can all affect the available finance.
SMSF policies can differ considerably, so we look for lenders whose current requirements may fit the proposal.
You do not need an Ausfirst office in Brisbane to work directly with our lending team. Brisbane SMSF trustees, professionals and business owners can discuss their proposed purchase or refinance with us by phone or online, with documentation and lender communication handled remotely where appropriate.
Our role is the finance. We can assess how a lender may view the fund, property and proposed borrowing, explain the documents likely to be requested, compare relevant loan options and manage the loan application. Decisions about establishing an SMSF, its investment strategy, tax position or legal structure should be made with appropriately qualified financial, taxation and legal professionals.
This distinction can be particularly useful for Brisbane business owners considering premises through their SMSF. If the property is being acquired outside super instead, we also assist with commercial property loans. Other ownership structures may involve different lending requirements, including property trust loans.
For us, Brisbane localisation is about how the finance is actually handled rather than making claims about particular suburbs or property growth. The important questions are whether the transaction fits the current borrowing rules, whether the property is acceptable to the lender and whether the fund can meet that lender's assessment requirements.
SMSFs are restricted in the circumstances in which they can borrow. Where the legislative requirements are met, borrowing may take place through a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement, commonly called an LRBA.
Under an LRBA, the acquired asset is held through a separate holding arrangement while the borrowing remains in place, subject to the LRBA requirements. The lender's recourse in relation to the borrowing is limited in the manner required by the legislation rather than extending freely across the fund's other assets.
ASIC Moneysmart's SMSFs and property guidance explains that borrowing to acquire property through an SMSF involves strict rules and additional complexity, including cash-flow, cost and investment-risk considerations. It also recommends obtaining appropriately licensed financial advice when considering whether SMSF property borrowing suits the fund.
From a finance perspective, a lender may look at how much of the purchase and costs the fund can contribute, how much liquidity remains after settlement and what income it will recognise for servicing. Rental income and super contributions may be relevant, but the treatment of each can differ between lenders.
The legal and trust documentation also needs to be considered at the appropriate stage. Ausfirst can explain what the lender requires and coordinate with your solicitor, accountant, financial adviser or SMSF administrator, but those professionals should advise on matters within their respective legal, tax, superannuation and financial-advice scopes.
CURRENT BORROWING RULES
Accurate as of September 2026. The rules for new LRBAs involving real property changed on 10 August 2026.
Schedule 5 of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026 amended section 67A so that real property acquired under an affected new borrowing arrangement must be business real property. The legislation commenced on 10 August 2026 and includes transitional treatment for specified earlier arrangements and certain refinancing arrangements.
For affected arrangements entered into from 10 August 2026, the property must satisfy the statutory business real property requirement. A standard residential investment property will not meet the new business real property requirement for an affected LRBA entered into from 10 August 2026.
The legislation preserves specified arrangements entered into before commencement. It also preserves specified refinancing arrangements and certain acquisitions occurring under arrangements entered into before the change, subject to the legislative conditions.
For some Brisbane business owners, eligible business premises may remain relevant to SMSF borrowing. Whether a property meets the legal definition of business real property depends on the facts and should be checked with the appropriate SMSF, legal and tax professionals. Ausfirst can then assess the lending side of the proposed transaction.
An SMSF lender may consider the proposal as a whole rather than relying on one figure. The fund, property, members, available funds and supporting documentation can all affect the lender's decision.
Ausfirst works with more than 40 lenders across its broader panel, including banks and non-bank lenders. Not every lender on that panel offers SMSF finance, so the useful number is not the size of the panel by itself. It is the number of lenders whose current SMSF policy is relevant to your particular proposal.
Those policies can differ on acceptable property, maximum LVR, minimum fund position, post-settlement liquidity, contribution treatment, rental-income assessment, guarantees, loan terms, rates, fees and documentation.
That can matter where a Brisbane business owner is purchasing commercial premises or a trustee is refinancing an existing SMSF borrowing. One lender may accept a security type or servicing position that another does not, while another lender may impose documentation or liquidity requirements that change the practical borrowing options.
We can compare relevant lender policies and explain why a particular lender may or may not fit the proposed transaction. When choosing an SMSF lender, factors such as property type, servicing, liquidity, loan terms and documentation can all affect which options are worth considering.
A Brisbane business owner may be considering premises such as an office, warehouse or other commercial property through an established SMSF. We can assess lender appetite, servicing, valuation and finance documentation while your other advisers deal with the superannuation, legal and taxation aspects.
If an existing lender's rate, product or policy no longer suits the fund, refinancing may be worth investigating where it is legally available. We can compare relevant refinancing loan options and check the requirements of the proposed replacement lender.
Some SMSF transactions become difficult because the first lender approached does not accept the security or applies an unsuitable policy. Looking at the property and fund together before lodging the application can help narrow the field to more relevant lenders.
A Brisbane borrower may have an accountant, solicitor and SMSF administrator in different locations. We can keep the lending component moving online and communicate the lender's requirements so each professional can deal with their own part of the transaction.
HOW WE WORK
We start with what you are looking to finance, the proposed property and where the SMSF currently stands.
We identify the fund, financial, property and supporting information that relevant lenders are likely to request.
We review relevant lender policies and compare SMSF lending options that may fit the fund, security and borrowing requirement.
Where appropriate, we communicate with your accountant, solicitor, financial adviser or SMSF administrator about lender requirements while they advise on matters within their own professional scope.
Once you choose to proceed, we prepare the finance application, liaise with the lender and assist through approval and settlement, subject to the lender's assessment and conditions.
After settlement, the loan can be reviewed where appropriate as lender products, policies or the fund's circumstances change.
Richard Luke, Director of Ausfirst Lending Group, has more than 30 years of finance and lending experience. Brisbane clients can work with an experienced broker who understands Queensland lending without being passed through a large call-centre structure.
Our physical office is in Caloundra at Suite 3/74 Bulcock Street, Caloundra QLD 4551. Brisbane clients can work with us remotely by phone and online, allowing the finance process to move without repeated travel to an office.
Ausfirst also works across commercial, investment and trust lending. That broader structured-finance experience can be useful where an SMSF transaction involves a business property, multiple entities or documentation that needs to be considered in the correct sequence.
Our panel includes more than 40 lenders, but we do not suggest that every one offers SMSF finance. We focus on lenders whose current policy may be relevant to the fund, property and proposed structure.
We handle the lending work rather than blurring mortgage broking with investment, tax or legal advice. Where those areas matter, we can work alongside the professionals you have chosen so everyone understands the lender's requirements.
YOUR BROKER
Richard Luke is Director of Ausfirst Lending Group and has more than 30 years of experience across finance and lending. His professional background includes working as a Lending Manager with Commonwealth Bank and holding senior finance roles in Brisbane before becoming a Director of Ausfirst Lending Group in 2016.
Richard has a Graduate Diploma in Business from the University of Queensland and a Diploma of Financial Planning (RG146), alongside earlier university studies in law. His experience extends to SMSF and structured property lending, where understanding lender policy and coordinating the finance requirements can be particularly important.
Brisbane SMSF clients can work directly with Richard and the Ausfirst team by phone and online. Richard can help assess the finance proposal, compare relevant lender policies and oversee the lending process through to settlement, while coordinating with the client's other SMSF professionals where appropriate.
Ausfirst's published client stories are not represented as SMSF case studies, but they provide useful evidence of how clients describe the broader service experience.
“The flexibility, the service, and the painless process gave me peace of mind.”
“If you don't have someone like Rich in your life, it can be quite a daunting task.”
Published Ausfirst client case study concerning broader lending services, not an SMSF loan.
SMSF LENDING BRISBANE
If you have a Brisbane SMSF property or refinancing proposal in mind, we can look at how relevant lenders may assess the fund, property and borrowing requirement before you decide how to proceed.
From there, we can compare relevant lender policies and manage the finance process alongside your other SMSF professionals, subject to lender assessment and the applicable borrowing rules.
SMSF LOANS BRISBANE FAQs
SMSF borrowing remains possible through qualifying limited recourse borrowing arrangements, but the real-property rules changed from 10 August 2026. For affected new arrangements, the property must meet the current business real property requirement, subject to the legislation and any applicable transitional provisions.
For affected LRBAs entered into from 10 August 2026, real property must be business real property. A standard residential investment property will not meet the business real property requirement for an affected new LRBA, although transitional provisions may apply to some earlier arrangements.
There is no universal deposit requirement across all SMSF lenders. The amount needed can depend on the lender's maximum LVR, the property, valuation, available fund assets and any post-settlement liquidity requirement.
No. SMSF lending is a specialist area and lender participation and policy can change. Ausfirst's broader panel contains more than 40 lenders, but we assess which of those lenders may offer relevant SMSF options for the proposal.
Refinancing may be possible depending on the arrangement, current legislation and the replacement lender's requirements. The 2026 legislative amendments preserve specified refinancing arrangements relating to pre-commencement borrowing arrangements, subject to the statutory conditions.
A lender may request documents including the SMSF trust deed, financial statements, tax information, bank or investment statements, contribution evidence, holding-trust documents and property information. Requirements vary between lenders and transactions.
Our verified physical office is at Suite 3/74 Bulcock Street, Caloundra QLD 4551. Brisbane clients can work with Ausfirst by phone and online, allowing the lending process to be managed remotely where appropriate.
The information above is general in nature and is accurate as of September 2026. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and does not constitute personal financial, investment, tax or legal advice. SMSF rules, lender policies, rates, fees and assessment requirements can change, and outcomes are subject to lender assessment. Consider obtaining independent financial, taxation and legal advice appropriate to your circumstances. This content is subject to Ausfirst Lending Group/broker review before publication.

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