Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
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Common questions about commercial and personal finance, our broker process, and loan types.
Talk to usWhat does Settled With Joe do?
Settled With Joe is a specialist commercial and personal finance broker based in Sydney, operating Australia-wide, including construction and development finance. We represent borrowers, including self-employed people, business owners, families, builders, and developers, and arrange finance across a panel of 90+ bank, non-bank, and specialist lenders.
We are a broker, not a lender. We do not provide the funds ourselves. We assess your scenario, match it to the most suitable lender, and manage the process through to settlement. For unique scenarios, we can also introduce you to private finance options.
How much can I borrow?
We arrange finance from $5,000 to $20 million. Personal lending generally runs from $5,000 to $100,000 unsecured, up to $250,000 for vehicles and leisure assets, and up to $2 million where property secures the loan. Commercial lending generally runs from $20,000 to $10 million, and construction and development from $200,000 to $20 million.
The amount available depends on the loan, the security, your financial position, and the lender. Development finance is assessed on feasibility, gross realisation value (GRV), what the finished project is expected to sell for, and presales rather than a simple loan-to-value ratio (LVR), the loan as a share of the property’s value.
If you have a scenario ready, contact us and Joseph Farhat and his team will give you an indicative assessment.
What types of finance do you arrange?
We arrange commercial, personal, and construction finance. The most common types include:
- •Business loans, working capital, and equipment finance
- •ATO tax debt, bridging, and caveat loans
- •Home loans, refinancing, and equity release
- •Car and vehicle loans, personal loans, and debt consolidation
- •Construction loans and development finance for residential and commercial projects
- •Low-doc or alt-doc options (BAS, bank statements or an accountant's letter instead of tax returns) for self-employed borrowers
Browse the full range under commercial finance and personal finance.
How long does it take to arrange finance?
It depends on the product. Short-term facilities such as caveat loans and unsecured business or personal lending can often fund within 2 business days. Property-secured lending takes longer because a valuation is required, commonly two to six weeks. Construction and development finance runs to the project timeline, as lenders review feasibility, development approval (DA) status, and presales.
Where speed is critical, we identify the fastest appropriate lender on the panel. Tell us your deadline at the first conversation and Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you honestly what is achievable.
What information do you need from me?
To start, roughly what you need, what it is for, and when you need it. Beyond that, identification and recent bank statements or payslips cover most personal scenarios, and recent business bank statements cover most commercial ones. For a construction loan, we typically need the build contract, plans, council approval, and your income position. For development finance, we need the feasibility, DA status, builder contract, and presales position. Our team guides you through exactly what each lender requires. If you have a scenario ready, contact us and we will walk you through it.
Can you help if my scenario sits outside standard lending policy?
Yes. Lenders differ on loan type, income documentation, ownership structure and asset class. Our panel spans bank, non-bank and specialist lenders with different credit models, and for unique scenarios we can introduce you to private finance options. Joseph Farhat and his team will tell you early which part of the panel your scenario suits.
Do you help with finance outside Sydney?
Yes. Settled With Joe is based in Sydney and arranges finance Australia-wide, across both metro and regional areas, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra. Lender appetite can vary by location, particularly for regional and rural property, so we match each scenario to lenders active in your area.
Access to over 90+ bank, non-bank, and private lenders
