There's no cost to you on a standard home loan. The lender pays us a commission when the loan settles, and it's the same rate whichever lender you pick. We put that amount in writing before you apply.

How long does pre-approval take?

Most clients get pre-approval in 3 to 5 business days once we have your documents. PAYG files can be quicker; self-employed or messier situations usually take a bit longer.

Does applying affect my credit score?

A formal application leaves a credit enquiry. Before that, we look at your options without touching your credit file, so you only apply once, to a lender that's likely to say yes.

What documents do I need?

Photo ID, recent payslips (or two years of tax returns if you're self-employed), three months of bank and loan statements, and deposit details. We send a personalised checklist so nothing gets asked for twice.

Northern Beaches

120,362 properties.Six suburbs we know street by street.

59,590 houses and 46,191 units across the peninsula, plus townhouses, warehouses and mixed-use. Approved Property Finance works from Brookvale and specialises in Dee Why, Manly, Frenchs Forest, Mona Vale, Avalon Beach and Brookvale.

Last updated Monday 7 September 2026

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Northern Beaches at a glance

Last updated Monday 7 September 2026

120,362: properties across the Northern Beaches
59,590: houses
46,191: units
14,581: townhouses, commercial and mixed

The peninsula is not one market

Lender postcode policy, unit size caps and valuation quirks change street by street. A Dee Why two-bed, a Frenchs Forest rebuild and a Brookvale warehouse are three different credit files. We know which lenders are comfortable with each, and we prepare the file so the assessor does not have to guess.

Houses vs units

Houses still slightly outnumber units across the peninsula, but that average hides six completely different markets. Dee Why and Manly are apartment suburbs. Frenchs Forest and Avalon are house suburbs. Mona Vale sits in the middle. Brookvale is where the commercial stock lives.

Houses 59,590 · 50%
Family streets from Frenchs Forest to Avalon. These are the files that look like a typical Northern Beaches home loan.
Units 46,191 · 38%
Most of the volume sits in Dee Why and Manly. Lender postcode and unit-size policy matter more here than a glossy brochure.
Other 14,581 · 12%
Townhouses, warehouses, light industrial and mixed-use, concentrated around Brookvale and the employment precincts.

Where we specialise

Six Northern Beaches suburbs

These are the pockets we write about in detail: stock counts, owners versus renters, what property costs, and which top-100 schools sit in or next to the suburb.

Dee Why

13,785: properties in the suburb
10,341: units vs 1,680 houses
47%: of homes are rented

13,785 properties, 10,341 of them units. About half the suburb rents, the typical buyer is in their thirties, and St Luke's Grammar is in the NSW top 100.

Open Dee Why

Manly

11,495: properties in the suburb
8,073: units vs 1,616 houses
51%: of homes are rented

11,495 properties, 8,073 of them units. More than half the suburb rents, houses trade around $5 million, and Stella Maris is in the NSW top 100.

Open Manly

Frenchs Forest

5,257: properties in the suburb
4,226: houses vs 344 units
83%: of homes are owner-occupied

5,257 properties, 4,226 of them houses. 83% owner-occupied, typical sales around $2.5 million, and families buying for the hospital precinct and school catchments.

Open Frenchs Forest

Mona Vale

5,821: properties in the suburb
2,490: houses and 2,191 units
75%: of homes are owner-occupied

5,821 properties, almost evenly split between 2,490 houses and 2,191 units. 75% owner-occupied, a $2.7m house market next to a $1.6m unit market, and a lot of locals doing both.

Open Mona Vale

Avalon Beach

4,606: properties in the suburb
3,265: houses vs 910 units
83%: of homes are owner-occupied

4,606 properties, 3,265 of them houses. 83% owner-occupied, typical sales around $2.8 million, and a lot of character homes on sloping blocks.

Open Avalon Beach

Brookvale

3,919: properties in the suburb
1,555: units vs 311 houses
44%: of homes are rented

3,919 properties: 1,555 units, 311 houses, and more than half commercial or mixed. 44% of homes are rented, typical units around $1 million, and this is where the beaches go to work.

Open Brookvale

A local mortgage broker who actually lives here

James Haywood and the team work from Brookvale and help buyers, refinancers and investors from Manly to Palm Beach, and across Australia by phone and video. We compare more than 70 lenders, prepare the application properly and stay on it through to settlement, then review it every year afterwards.

The six suburb pages are where the numbers live. If you are buying or refinancing somewhere else on the beaches — Freshwater, Curl Curl, Narrabeen, Newport, Palm Beach — we still do that work. The lending questions are the same. The street-level policy is not.

Book a local chat.

Same-day call back. No obligation. We work from Brookvale and Australia-wide.

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Answer a few quick questions and we'll match you with the right lender for your situation.

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