Locations / Gold Coast
Licensed mortgage broker operating across the Gold Coast under Connective aggregation. Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta, Burleigh Heads to Helensvale. Most files settled in person; the rest by secure video. Every recommendation is documented through a best-interests-duty file note and supported by the same panel data the calculators on this site run on.
$920k
GC median house
Domain Q1 2026, LGA-wide
$675k
GC median unit
Domain Q1 2026, LGA-wide
$700k
FHBG price cap (QLD)
Housing Australia, mid-2024 refresh
60+
Connective panel lenders
Active home-loan panel, May 2026
The First Home Guarantee price cap for Queensland is $700,000. Domain's Q1 2026 median Gold Coast house value is $920,000. The FHBG no longer reaches the typical Gold Coast house — it last did in mid-2023.
That makes the non-LMI alternatives matter more here than anywhere else in QLD. The right route depends on the file: Bankwest's 98% LVR product with parental gift funds, Bank of Melbourne's 95% LVR investor product, family-pledge guarantor structures using a parent's equity, or a 5%-deposit non-FHBG product with LMI capitalised. On a $920k Gold Coast purchase the cheapest of these four routes saves the borrower 17 months of waiting for a 20% deposit — which at 4% growth is ~$52,000 of property growth captured, against ~$18-26k of LMI/structure cost. Net position favours buy-now by ~$30k. The LMI break-even calculator runs that math against your specific deposit and growth assumptions.
The Gold Coast median sits in the band where the four levers (FHBG cap, LMI break-even, stamp duty concession, borrowing capacity at LVR tier) interact most. Run the first one before booking a session — by the time we talk, the panel sweep is already done.
LMI break-even → Borrowing capacity → Stamp duty →These are the six file shapes that account for the bulk of settlements written here. Each one routes naturally to a specific calculator and a specific subset of the Connective panel. Identify the closest match, run the calculator, then book the session if the answer warrants it.
$800k–$1.05M house · Robina · Pimpama · Helensvale · Worongary · Coomera
Above the $700k FHBG cap so the federal scheme is out, but with 5–10% savings + a parental gift it's still doable through the non-LMI alternative routes. Bankwest's 98% LVR product with the gift-funds rule is the most common door; family-pledge guarantor is the second.
Runs first: LMI break-even · then stamp duty.
$1.2M–$1.8M house · Burleigh Heads · Mermaid Beach · Palm Beach · Tallebudgera
Tourism, hospitality and healthcare executives with 30–50% of total comp in annual bonus. Lender shading on the bonus component varies from 60% (most Big 4) to 80% (NAB Tailored, Macquarie) — same comp, different borrowing capacity by ~15–25%. Lender selection on bonus shading matters more than rate here.
Runs first: Borrowing capacity.
$450k–$700k unit · Surfers Paradise · Broadbeach · Main Beach · Southport
Apartment policy is the place lender choice diverges most. Big 4 cap high-density Surfers towers at 70% LVR or decline; Suncorp, Macquarie, ING write apartments at 80% comfortably. For investor purchases above 90% LVR Bank of Melbourne is structurally the only mainstream door. Unit-size minimum (40-50sqm threshold) is a hidden gate.
Runs first: Investment capacity.
$700k–$1.1M house · Coolangatta · Bilinga · Currumbin · cross-border Tweed Heads
Selling a larger family home post-65 to a coastal smaller home with no mortgage required, OR with a small bridging gap between sale of one and settlement of the other. Aged- care-flexibility considerations on the structure. Bridging finance assessment runs against the bridging-cost calculator first.
Runs first: Bridging cost.
$900k–$1.4M house · Burleigh · Miami · Palm Beach · Currumbin · Tallebudgera
Cafe/restaurant operators, tradies, consultants, creatives. Gold Coast self-employed concentration is materially above the QLD average — the borrower mix here is structurally more SE-weighted than Brisbane or Sydney. The four levers on the self-employed page (averaging methodology, add- backs, ABN minimum, entity structure) decide where this file goes.
Runs first: Self-employed capacity · context: the SE service brief.
Surfers Paradise · Broadbeach · Burleigh Heads · Coolangatta · Palm Beach
Gold Coast investor stock is disproportionately short-stay exposed — Airbnb, Stayz, holiday-let. Most panel lenders shade short-stay rent to 60–70% (vs 80% standard long-term lease); a few refuse short-stay income entirely. Same gross rent, $77k borrowing-capacity swing depending on which lender writes the file. Pair that with the 95% investor LVR cliff — Bank of Melbourne is the only mainstream door above 90% — and lender selection on a Gold Coast investor file moves the borrowable number more than the rate ever will.
Runs first: Investor capacity · context: the investor brief.
Any Gold Coast suburb · existing loan ≥12 months · current rate above 6.20%
Most Gold Coast borrowers who settled mid-2022 to mid-2024 are sitting on rates 0.30–0.80% above today's panel best. The cashback honest version applies — most cashback offers are reabsorbed inside 12–20 months by the rate differential. Run the break-even number before booking.
Runs first: Refinance break-even · context: the refinance brief.
In-person meetings across the Gold Coast and northern Tweed. Below are the suburbs I've settled deals in over the last 18 months — listed by deal frequency, not aspirational coverage.
Every file from discovery to settlement follows the same sequence — published here so you know what's coming before booking the first appointment.
Run the calculator that matches your file shape (see the six archetypes above), or book a 30-minute discovery directly. Either way costs nothing — broker is paid by the lender on settlement only.
Run a calculator first → Book a discovery →Is Esteb & Co a Gold Coast local mortgage broker?
Yes. Esteb & Co operates from the Gold Coast under Connective aggregation. Richard Esteb is an ASIC-registered Credit Representative (#574071) and MFAA member (#937494). Meetings in person across the GC or via secure video.
What's the median home loan size on the Gold Coast in 2026?
Domain's Q1 2026 reading: median dwelling value $920k for houses, $675k for units. Typical owner-occupier mortgage at 80% LVR = $736k on a house, $540k on a unit. Median investor mortgage $850k–$1.05M, driven by the Burleigh/Mermaid/Broadbeach band.
Does the First Home Guarantee work for Gold Coast properties?
QLD FHBG cap is $700k (mid-2024 refresh). GC median house is $920k — FHBG no longer reaches the typical GC house. Still works for units $400-$675k and outer-suburb houses. Above the cap, alternatives: Bankwest 98% LVR gift funds, Bank of Melbourne 95% LVR investor, family-pledge guarantor, 5%- deposit non-FHBG with LMI. The LMI break-even calculator quantifies the cheapest route.
Which lenders are best for Gold Coast apartment loans?
Apartment policy varies more by lender than house policy. Big 4 cap high-density Surfers towers at 70% LVR or decline. Suncorp, Macquarie, ING write 80% LVR comfortably. For investor apartments above 90% LVR, Bank of Melbourne is structurally the only mainstream door. CUSA writes 97% LVR investor with tighter unit-spec rules. Unit-size minimum is a hidden gate.
Do you help with Queensland first home buyer grants?
Yes. Three concessions: QLD First Home Owner Grant ($30k for new-build under $750k), federal FHBG (5% deposit, no LMI, capped at $700k), QLD stamp duty concession (full exemption under $700k, scaled relief $700-$800k). Lock contract eligibility before signing — the order matters.
Can I meet Richard in person on the Gold Coast?
Yes. In-person across the GC or secure video at meet.estebandco.com. Typical first appointment 60 minutes — discovery, calculator walkthrough, panel scoring, documented next step. No fee — broker paid by the lender on settlement.