A mortgage broker based in Essendon.

Essendon is one of Melbourne's established inner north-west suburbs, about 8.7 kilometres from the CBD, built around the shopping strips of Rose Street, Napier Street and Keilor Road and anchored by large period homes, including the heritage Mar Lodge Estate, good schools and the Maribyrnong River to its west. The Craigieburn train line and the tram down Mount Alexander Road keep it well connected to the city.

This is home ground for us. We work from Essendon and Carlton North, so we deal with this market every week. Essendon is more established than fast-growing, its population up about 3 per cent over five years, with a strong owner-occupier base and a good deal of family housing alongside a large apartment market near the stations and strips. That gives us a steady stream of upgraders, refinancers and first home buyers looking at units.

What property costs here

These are the median prices of homes that actually sold in Essendon over the twelve months to July 2026, with the middle of the market shown by the lower and upper quartiles so you can see the spread rather than a single number.

Here is how the Essendon medians translate into deposit and borrowing numbers, as a starting point rather than a quote.

Deposits and LMI

• A 20 per cent deposit on the median house is roughly $365,000, and around $119,000 on the median unit, which avoids Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
• You can buy with less. Below 20 per cent, LMI usually applies and can be added to the loan rather than paid up front.
• We calculate the exact deposit, LMI and repayments for the price you are targeting, across our lender panel.

First home buyers and the scheme cap

The First Home Guarantee, the 5 per cent deposit scheme, uses a $950,000 Melbourne price cap. In Essendon a typical house sits well above that, while a typical unit around $597,000 sits comfortably under it. So in practice the scheme is a unit and apartment tool in this suburb. Our First Home Buyer Hub sets out the current caps and rules in full.

Essendon brings a consistent mix of buyers and owners, and the finance for each is different.

Upgraders and families

Essendon's larger period homes and school catchments draw families trading up. We look at buy-first or sell-first, bridging where it fits, and how to structure the new loan.

First home buyers

Mostly into apartments and units, often under the First Home Guarantee cap. We match you to a participating lender and manage the timing.

Owners reviewing a loan

With typical repayments above $4,000 a month, a drifted rate is expensive here. Our refinancing review tells you plainly whether your loan is still competitive.

Investors

Essendon's transport, schools and rental demand make it a steady investment market. We model the borrowing and structure for a specific property, and hand anything tax-related to your accountant.