EP 19 · Borrowing power

How Much Can I Borrow? What Every First Home Buyer Should Know

John Kefalianos Finance broker & property developer · Nicola's dad
Nicola Kefalianos Host
12 Feb 2025 · 18 min
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overview.

How much can you actually borrow? Dad breaks down borrowing power: why it swings so much person to person, how a credit card or car loan drags it down, and what living at home or a parental guarantee can do for it.

On the mic is Dad, John Kefalianos, a finance broker who calculates borrowing power for a living. He shows me how much it really swings, person to person.

"Your borrowing power is not one number. It changes the day you cancel a credit card you never use."

John Kefalianos

what you'll learn.

  • What borrowing power is and why it varies so much
  • How a credit card and a car loan each cut your capacity
  • What rentvesting and living at home do to the numbers
  • How a parental security guarantee can help you in
free guide tied to this episode

The Borrowing Power Truth-Sheet

Roughly what the bank will lend you on $60k / $80k / $120k / $180k income — single and couple, before-kids and with-kids. The actual numbers Dad runs in his office.

chapters.

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more on Borrowing power.

Same topic, different angle.