A police salary looks unstable on paper and is anything but. The base is secure, the roster is contractual and the overtime is structural — yet an automated assessment reads the variation and discounts it. Add a transfer between districts mid-application, or a change in allowances, and a lender unfamiliar with policing will treat a completely normal career as a risk factor.
Most buyers need a 20% deposit to avoid lender's mortgage insurance. Essential worker waivers remove it entirely — often tens of thousands of dollars that stays in your pocket.
Standard assessments count as little as 80 cents in every dollar of secondary income. Specialist policies count all of it, which directly raises what you can borrow.
Packaged income is routinely mishandled or ignored. Presented correctly to the right lender, it works in your favour rather than disappearing from the assessment.
Yes. Sworn police officers can access lender's mortgage insurance waivers with a deposit as low as 5–10% plus costs. Waiver eligibility and maximum loan size vary by lender.
Under a specialist essential worker policy, overtime, shift penalties and court attendance payments are counted at 100%. Standard assessments commonly count 80%.
Often yes. Probationary and recently sworn officers can qualify, though some lenders apply a minimum service period. This is worth checking before you make an offer on a property.
A transfer does not affect an approved loan. If it happens mid-application it needs to be disclosed and explained, which is straightforward with a lender that understands policing.