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Home loans in Airlie Beach, Cannonvale and Proserpine.

Units, holiday areas, tourism wages and FIFO rosters: lending in the Whitsundays has its own wrinkles. We look for a lender whose policy fits the property and how you earn.

  • Units and apartments: lender rules checked
  • Tourism, casual and FIFO income
  • Phone, video and e-sign
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2-minute home loan check

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No credit check. No broker fee for most home loans. We're usually paid commission by the lender, and we disclose it in our Credit Guide before we help you with a loan.

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5.023 Google reviews, Oct 2026
Banks & specialist lendersOne conversation, many options
68 Sydney St, MackayLocal office, local knowledge
Life-of-loan serviceAnnual rate reviews included
Updated 26 October 2026

The Whitsunday coast has three distinct housing markets within a short drive. Proserpine, north of Mackay, is the inland sugar town and home of the region's airport, which opened in the early 1950s. Airlie Beach is about 20 minutes from Proserpine, and Cannonvale is about three minutes west of Airlie.

Housing: apartments by the water, houses inland

The 2021 Census shows the difference. In Airlie Beach, 41.9% of occupied homes were flats or apartments and only 30.0% were separate houses. Cannonvale was 57.0% houses and 27.9% flats or apartments. Proserpine was 78.9% houses. Renting was common across all three: 49.0% of homes in Airlie Beach, 45.0% in Cannonvale and 36.4% in Proserpine. Census median rents were $380 a week in Airlie Beach, $360 in Cannonvale and $260 in Proserpine (2021 figures, not today's prices).

Buying a unit or apartment

Some lenders have extra rules for small units, serviced apartments and properties used for holiday letting, such as a minimum floor area, a bigger deposit or no lending at all on some buildings. If you're looking at an apartment in Airlie Beach or Cannonvale, check the lender's policy for that building before you sign, not after.

Work in the Whitsundays

Tourism dominates by the water. In 2021, accommodation employed 15.3% of working residents in Airlie Beach and 7.3% in Cannonvale. In Proserpine, the largest industries were supermarkets (4.9%) and sugar manufacturing (4.4%). Coal mining employed 5.4% of Cannonvale's workers and 4.0% of Airlie Beach's, so FIFO and DIDO rosters are part of the picture too. Casual hospitality and tourism income, like roster income, is treated differently from lender to lender.

Roster income

Base pay is the easy part. Overtime, shift penalties, site and travel allowances, bonuses, labour hire and contracting are where lenders differ, and two lenders can count quite different amounts from the same payslips. Our free Mining & FIFO Borrower Pack has a printable document checklist and a plain-English guide to how lenders usually look at each part of your pay.

First home buyers in the Whitsundays

  • Queensland First Home Owner Grant: $30,000 for first home buyers who buy or build a new home valued under $750,000 (including land), for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. It doesn't apply to established homes.
  • Transfer duty (stamp duty): first home buyers pay no duty on a new home, or on vacant land to build one, for contracts from 1 May 2025, with no value cap. On an established home there's no duty up to $700,000, and partial relief for homes valued under $800,000.
  • Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme: buy with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance, through a participating lender. The price cap for the Whitsundays is $700,000. The higher $1,000,000 cap in Queensland applies only to Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
  • Residency: for contracts from 1 August 2026, Queensland's home and first home duty concessions are generally limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and specified foreign retirees.

Each program has its own rules, set by the Queensland Revenue Office or the Australian Government, and the rules can change. In the Whitsundays, the grant's $750,000 limit and the 5% Deposit Scheme's $700,000 cap both apply to apartments as well as houses. Our first home buyer check shows which ones you may be able to use.

How we work with Whitsundays clients

Our office is at 68 Sydney Street in Mackay. We work by phone, video and electronic signing, so most clients never need to come in. On roster? Text or WhatsApp 0458 773 002 and we'll call when you're off shift.

Common questions about Whitsundays

Can I get a home loan for an apartment in Airlie Beach?

Often, yes, but check the building first. Some lenders have minimum floor areas or extra conditions for small units, serviced apartments and holiday-let properties. General information only – speak to a broker about your situation.

I work in tourism on casual hours. Can I borrow?

It depends on how long you've been in the job and how regular your hours are. Some lenders want a minimum time in casual work; others average your income over a longer period.

What is the 5% Deposit Scheme price cap in the Whitsundays?

$700,000. The higher $1,000,000 cap applies only to Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

I live in Cannonvale and fly in and out to a mine. Can you help?

Yes. We help FIFO and DIDO workers with overtime, allowances and roster income, and work around your swing with texts, calls and electronic signing.

General information only – speak to a broker about your situation. Census figures are from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing and describe the area in August 2021, not today's prices.

Sources

More areas: all the towns we help with.

Talk to a local broker

Call, text or WhatsApp our broker team. On roster? Text and we'll call when you're off shift.

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First home buyersQLD grants, $0 stamp duty on new homes and 5% deposit options.Construction loansLand and build, progress payments managed.Mining & FIFO loansRoster pay, overtime and allowances, matched to the right lender.