The Property Couch

How much can you really borrow?
In this Friday Fundamentals episode, Ben Kingsley sits down with mortgage broker Luke Oxenham to unpack one of the most common questions property buyers ask:
"How much can I borrow?"
The answer isn't always straightforward.
Luke explains how lenders assess income, expenses, HELP debt, credit cards, business income, car loans and more, plus why different banks can produce dramatically different borrowing outcomes for the exact same borrower.
They also discuss why borrowing capacity shouldn't be confused with borrowing comfort, and why the largest loan available may not always be the right one for your goals.
You'll learn:
✅ How lenders assess your income
✅ What HEM (Household Expenditure Measure) means
✅ Why credit cards can impact borrowing power
✅ How HELP debt is assessed differently today
✅ Why self-employed borrowers receive different outcomes
✅ The difference between lender tiers
✅ Why borrowing capacity is only a starting point
Because the real question isn't always how much can I borrow?
Sometimes it's how much should I borrow?
How to Retire On $3k A Week Case Studies: https://thepropertycouch.com.au/playbook-case-studies/
Moorr: https://www.moorr.com.au/
Got a question or a "hill" you'd like us to unpack? Send it through here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/
⏱️ Timestamps
00:17 Welcome to Friday Fundamentals
00:22 The borrowing power question everyone asks
01:13 How lenders assess income
01:30 What is HEM?
02:06 The 3% serviceability buffer explained
02:27 Why lenders calculate income differently
03:15 First-tier, second-tier and third-tier lenders
04:08 How self-employed income is assessed
05:35 Credit cards and borrowing capacity
06:41 How HELP debt affects borrowing power
08:10 New lender approaches to HELP debt
09:02 Car loans vs novated leases
10:09 Online borrowing calculators explained
10:46 Using Moorr to estimate borrowing power
11:19 When to speak to a mortgage broker
12:44 Just because you can borrow more...
13:08 Updated $3,000 Per Week case studies

#PropertyInvesting #BorrowingPower #MortgageBroker #PropertyFinance #HomeLoans #HELPDebt #MoneyManagement #PropertyInvestor #FinancialFreedom #ThePropertyCouch #FUNdamentalFridays
LISTEN TO THE FIRST 20 EPISODES HERE >>

MOORR MONEY MANAGEMENT APP:
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3ioICGW
👉 Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OT86bW
👉 Web platform:  https://www.moorr.com.au/     

FREE MASTERCLASS:
- How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $2,000 a week >>

FREE BEST-SELLING BOOKS:
- The Armchair Guide to Property Investing
- Make Money Simple Again

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Australia’s property market has turned, but how far could prices fall? 📉 
In one of our most anticipated episodes of the year, Bryce Holdaway is BACK on the couch with Ben for our 2026 Mid-Year Property Market Outlook! 
Together, they unpack what’s changed since February, where the data is pointing now and what could happen next. 
🏠 Which markets are holding up — and which are starting to crack? 
📉 Could some markets fall 10–15% — or even further? 
⚠️ Which regional areas face the greatest risk? 
👀 What could turn sentiment and the market around? 
💰 Could this correction actually create a rare buying opportunity? 
From falling buyer sentiment and slowing lending to rising listings, changing government policy and higher-for-longer interest rates, Ben and Bryce go around the grounds to reveal what’s really happening across Australia. 
Find out now!  
 
FREE STUFF MENTIONED
🎥 Updated Case Studies: Now LIVE! 
The updated How to Retire on $3,000 a Week case studies are officially live! If you joined the waitlist, you now have access for the next 2 weeks. 🎉 
Want free early access too? (PLUS a supplementary Case Study PDF) 
Leave a review (The good, bad and everything in between! We want to hear what you really think 😊) on either The Property Couch or Moorr, take a screenshot and email it to info@thepropertycouch.com.au 😊 
Review us at... 
The Property Couch  🍎 Apple  
🎧 Spotify 

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🤖 Google Play 

🧰 Tuesday Toolkit: Cycle Amplifiers
Before diving into the outlook, understand the 7 Cycle Amplifiers influencing property prices in the short term. 
👉 Listen to the Bonus Episode  
🧾 Moorr Property Tax
Make tax time easier. Upload your rental statements and let Opti analyse and categorise your property expenses into the relevant ATO categories, ready for your tax report. 
👉 Try It Free on Moorr 
🎓 Buyers Agent Mastery
Bryce Holdaway and Veronica Morgan have launched the Buyers Agent Mastery program, helping buyers agents build better, more sustainable businesses while keeping client outcomes at the centre.
👉 Learn more! 
👉 Or, listen to their podcast: Buyers Agent Mastery 
 
📊 Data & Resources Mentioned 
Westpac Consumer Sentiment Survey: February 2026 vs July 2026  
Cotality / ABS: June Quarter 
AFR: Cumulative Decline in Home Prices From Start of Downturn 
📕 BOOK: Freakonomics by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner  
🎧 PODCAST EPS: 597 | Federal Budget 2026: Are YOU a Winner or Loser? (Property Edition) 
LISTEN TO THE FIRST 20 EPISODES HERE >>

MOORR MONEY MANAGEMENT APP:
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3ioICGW
👉 Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OT86bW
👉 Web platform:  https://www.moorr.com.au/     

FREE MASTERCLASS:
- How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $2,000 a week >>

FREE BEST-SELLING BOOKS:
- The Armchair Guide to Property Investing
- Make Money Simple Again

FIND US HERE:
- Website
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Youtube

Introducing Tuesday Toolkit 🧰: a new series designed to help you make sense of what’s happening in property right now.
From the latest data and market trends to the frameworks and key indicators we use to understand what’s really driving the market, each episode will give you practical knowledge to cut through the noise, see the bigger picture and make more informed property decisions.
Think of it as your toolkit for understanding where the market is, why it’s moving and what to watch next.
And we’re kicking things off with Cycle Amplifiers.
Property prices are moving — but do you know what’s actually driving them?
Ahead of Thursday’s much-anticipated Mid-Year Property Outlook, Ben breaks down the seven Cycle Amplifiers shaping Australia’s property market right now — from interest rates and credit to government policy, employment, sentiment, supply and global shocks.
Some are pushing prices down. Others could change the direction of the market again. But crucially, the forces moving prices today aren’t necessarily the ones that determine long-term performance.
Before we unpack where Australia’s property markets could be heading next, this is the framework you need to understand what we’re seeing today.
 
Got a Question or Take on the Cycle Amplifiers? 
How are these forces playing out in your market, and what are you seeing on the ground. Send us your questions, comments or observations and we might unpack them on an upcoming episode of The Property Couch. 
👉 Send us your question or leave us a comment! 
LISTEN TO THE FIRST 20 EPISODES HERE >>

MOORR MONEY MANAGEMENT APP:
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3ioICGW
👉 Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OT86bW
👉 Web platform:  https://www.moorr.com.au/     

FREE MASTERCLASS:
- How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $2,000 a week >>

FREE BEST-SELLING BOOKS:
- The Armchair Guide to Property Investing
- Make Money Simple Again

FIND US HERE:
- Website
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Youtube

Could the next two years be one of the best times to buy property?
In this Friday Fundamentals episode, Ben Kingsley is joined by Stuart Wemyss to unpack what's really driving property prices and why the current market could present opportunities for buyers willing to think differently.
While many Australians are waiting for greater certainty, Stuart explains why lending volumes, not headlines, are often the biggest driver of property price growth.
Together, they discuss why lower confidence can actually create better buying conditions, how credit availability influences markets, and why supply could be the biggest challenge facing buyers over the coming years.
They also explore:
✅ Why lending volumes are a leading indicator of property prices
✅ The impact of interest rates, credit policy and buyer confidence
✅ Why investors may be stepping back from the market
✅ How supply constraints could support prices
✅ Whether buyers should wait for the "perfect" time
✅ Lessons from purchasing during the GFC
Because when everyone is waiting for certainty, opportunities can often emerge for those prepared to act.
Got a question or a "hill" you'd like us to unpack? Send it through here 👉 https://thepropertycouch.com.au/topics/
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 Could now be the perfect buying window?
00:45 What drives property prices?
01:31 Why lending volumes matter most
02:08 The three biggest drivers of credit growth
02:52 Why the next 24 months could favour buyers
03:14 Stuart's GFC buying story
03:37 The best time to buy property
04:46 Investor lending and market activity
05:06 Why supply could be the biggest challenge
06:10 Why prices may remain in equilibrium
07:20 Could APRA change lending settings?
08:08 What falling loan volumes could mean
09:15 Who benefits most from uncertain markets?
10:18 The danger of waiting for perfect conditions
11:05 Looking back from 2036
11:30 Supply, demand and market timing
11:42 Why it doesn't take much to move a market

#PropertyInvesting #PropertyMarket #PropertyPrices #LendingVolumes #MarketInsights #RealEstate #PropertyStrategy #FinancialFreedom #ThePropertyCouch #FUNdamentalFridays #PropertyInvestor #InvestingAustralia
LISTEN TO THE FIRST 20 EPISODES HERE >>

MOORR MONEY MANAGEMENT APP:
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3ioICGW
👉 Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OT86bW
👉 Web platform:  https://www.moorr.com.au/     

FREE MASTERCLASS:
- How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $2,000 a week >>

FREE BEST-SELLING BOOKS:
- The Armchair Guide to Property Investing
- Make Money Simple Again

FIND US HERE:
- Website
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Youtube

What if the “safe” property decision you make today is the one you regret in 20 years? 🤔 
With the rules around property investing changing, these are the decisions investors are being forced to rethink. 
Joining Ben Kingsley and Luke Oxenham is Stuart Wemyss, founder of ProSolution Private Clients, host of the Investopoly podcast and author of Wealth by Design. 
Together, they challenge some long-held assumptions about building wealth: Is diversification always a good thing? Has the family home become the ultimate tax haven? Can property still stack up without negative gearing? And was your first property ever really meant to be held forever? 
Plus, Stuart reveals what investors should be focusing on if negative gearing never returns, and why the best financial decision might not be the one that feels safest today. 
Because when you’re building wealth, Stuart argues there’s one perspective that changes everything: 
⏳ Think decades, not days. 
 
Free Stuff Mentioned 
Updated Property Case Studies 📊
See how the latest tax changes impact all seven case studies from How to Retire on $3,000 a Week, plus a brand-new bonus case study.
👉 Join the Waitlist for early access - for FREE!   
 
PIPA Annual Investor Sentiment Survey 🏡
Have your say on investor confidence, market trends and the impact of policy changes, helping PIPA advocate for balanced, evidence-based property policy.
👉 Take the Survey  
Wealth by Design by Stuart Wemyss 📖
Discover Stuart’s eight rules for smarter investing and building financial freedom.
👉 Check Out the Book  
🎧 Investopoly Podcast 
Hear more of Stuart Wemyss’ insights on property, investing and long-term wealth creation.
👉 Listen to Investopoly 
🔄 Listen to our other great episodes with Stuart here >>  
🔄 Listen to our Tax Extraordinaire Julia Hartman’s episodes here >> 

LISTEN TO THE FIRST 20 EPISODES HERE >>

MOORR MONEY MANAGEMENT APP:
👉 Apple: https://apple.co/3ioICGW
👉 Google Play: https://bit.ly/3OT86bW
👉 Web platform:  https://www.moorr.com.au/     

FREE MASTERCLASS:
- How to Build a Property Portfolio and Retire on $2,000 a week >>

FREE BEST-SELLING BOOKS:
- The Armchair Guide to Property Investing
- Make Money Simple Again

FIND US HERE:
- Website
- Instagram
- Facebook
- Youtube