Property finance for serving ADF & veterans
We help serving ADF members and veterans get into the property market. We understand Defence income, housing benefits and allowances — and build the finance around them, whether you're buying your first home or an investment portfolio.
90 seconds · No credit check · No obligation
Ever felt like banks and brokers don't understand your situation — because they've never been there?
While you're serving, you get little to no guidance on how to set yourself up and put your money to work. We know Defence and civilian income inside out — allowances, DVA payments, pensions, posting cycles — and we've been there ourselves.
Income assessment
The difference comes down to which lender assesses your file. Whether you're buying a home or an investment, that's the gap that decides your number — and knowing which lenders read Defence income properly is the whole job.
Illustrative only. Lender policy and individual outcomes vary. Your position is assessed and confirmed directly.
Built for Defence. Backed by veterans.
Your next move
Use cash, equity, DVA lump sums or a combination — and structure the debt so the next purchase remains possible.
Start here → 02 — HomeGet your allowances and entitlements assessed properly so the number comes back right — and the home you buy today doesn't box in what you do later.
Start here →What we fix
The problemA bank assessed only the income it understood. Your allowances, pension or other ongoing income were discounted, and the number came back lower than it should have — so you assumed you couldn't afford it, and you waited.
What we doWe compare how lenders assess each income source before choosing where the application goes. Same financial position, different policy, and potentially a different result.
The problemYou already own property, but you are treating the next deposit as a fresh-savings problem. Growth and loan reduction may have created equity that has never been properly tested.
What we doWe calculate usable equity, test valuations across suitable lenders and show whether the next purchase is available now — or the exact gap that needs to close first.
The problemYou are posted somewhere expensive, receiving housing support or considering DHOAS, but nobody has shown how those decisions affect where you live, where you invest and what you can borrow later.
What we doWe assess the lending impact of the benefits and entitlements relevant to your position, then build them into the finance structure instead of treating them as an afterthought.
The problemThe lender, security structure and loan splits were chosen to get one deal approved. Now equity is trapped, deductible and non-deductible debt are mixed, or the next lender has nowhere useful to go.
What we doWhere appropriate, we separate securities and loan purposes, plan lender order and structure each purchase with the next one in mind.
How it works
We assess Defence income, ongoing commitments, rental income, living costs and the real usable equity in what you already own. Not a generic calculator estimate — the position a suitable lender is prepared to work with, and why.
We map lender order, loan purpose, security structure and ownership before the application is submitted. The aim is to fund this purchase without needlessly reducing the options available for the next one. Then we run the application through to settlement.
Each year we review rates, valuations, usable equity and borrowing capacity. When your position has materially changed, we show you the next finance move rather than waiting for you to remember to ask.
The difference
Client outcomes
Serving member
Wanted South-East Queensland growth, posted to Sydney, and didn't want to give up his housing benefits in order to buy.
Investment 6km from the Brisbane CBD, with a rent increase on existing tenants from settlement.
Rentvesting
Had a DVA payout and wanted in, but couldn't afford the suburb he wanted to live in. So we didn't buy there.
Kept renting where he wanted to live, bought in an affordable growth market instead.
Complex income
A Sergeant with nearly 20 years' service, medically discharged, unsure whether a bank would lend at all. We built the position around his CSC pension, DVA incapacity payments and a payout.
Townhouse settled on the Sunshine Coast for him and his daughter, with the position built around income most lenders struggle to assess.
Individual client outcomes shared with permission as examples of approach. Not a prediction or guarantee of your result. Past property performance does not indicate future performance.
Who you'll deal with
Recognised by MPA as one of the leading mortgage brokers in Australia under 35 and backed by one of Australia's leading brokerages, MortgageWorks, Lewis heads Australia's leading Defence & Veteran mortgage broking team and is a trusted advisor to the serving ADF and veteran finance and investment community.
Team Wigington specialises in helping clients navigate the unique world of property finance, offering unparalleled insights and knowledge of Defence benefits combined with a deep understanding of ADF income structures, allowances, pensions and DVA payments.
With nearly a decade of service in the Army, predominantly in the 2nd Commando Regiment, and as an avid property investor himself, Lewis is passionate about helping the Defence community educate themselves on the property investing process and build wealth through smart financing and investment decisions.
Reviews
"Buying an investment property was made extremely easy with the help of these guys. I have used other brokers before but can confirm these guys are the best. Would give 10 stars if I could."
"He is a pleasure to deal with and will go beyond what anyone looks for in a broker. His communication is excellent, he is incredibly responsive, and he always takes the time to explain things clearly."
"Excellent communication every step of the way, and took the time to explain everything clearly so we always understood what was happening. His knowledge on all things defence was a huge win for us."
Questions
Nothing. The lender pays us when your loan settles, the same as every mortgage broker in Australia. No fee for the call, no obligation.
Because every lender writes its own policy on how service allowances are assessed. Some count them in full. Some discount them. Some disregard certain allowances entirely. None of them publish a comparison. Which lender assesses your file is the single biggest variable in what you can borrow.
Usually not. A decline tells you about that lender's policy, not about your ability to borrow. It's worth understanding why before you accept it as the answer.
Often, yes — though it depends on the lender and on how the income is presented. CSC pensions are assessed inconsistently across lenders. We work out which ones will recognise it properly instead of applying and hoping.
There are schemes and entitlements available to Defence members and veterans, and they don't all apply to every purchase type. Rather than guess, we go through which ones apply to your situation and confirm it with you directly.
It's the time when getting the sequencing right matters most, because how a lender reads your income can change through a discharge. Worth a conversation before anything is locked in.
Often, yes. Many serving members continue renting or using applicable housing assistance where they are posted while buying in a different market. The right structure depends on your service circumstances, the purchase type and lender policy.
Potentially. If an existing property has grown in value or the loan has reduced, usable equity may contribute toward the deposit and purchase costs. The result depends on valuation, current debt, the lender's maximum LVR and your borrowing capacity.
We consider lender order, security structure, loan purpose and future borrowing capacity before the application is submitted. After settlement, we review rates, valuations, usable equity and capacity each year so the structure can be reassessed as your position changes.
Free tools
Six questions on your service, income and position. Get a score out of 100 and the three things holding your next purchase up.
Take the quiz CalculatorEnter your income and expenses for an indicative estimate of what you could borrow — then find out why the real number needs a broker who reads Defence income.
Run the numbersStart here
Six questions, ninety seconds, and a straight answer on borrowing capacity, usable equity and loan structure. Or skip it and call me.
No credit check · No obligation