Private business lender in Newcastle and the Hunter

A region of contractors and makers

The Hunter has one of the most industrial economies in the country. Mining in the Upper Hunter around Muswellbrook and Singleton supports a deep network of maintenance contractors, engineering workshops, equipment hire firms, labour hire and transport businesses. RAAF Base Williamtown anchors a defence and aerospace precinct with its own supply chain. The Port of Newcastle, manufacturing at Tomago, Beresfield and Cardiff, and the region's energy projects add more. Then there is the wine and tourism trade in Pokolbin and the Hunter Valley, the coastal towns of Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie, and a strong trades and construction base across the whole region.

Contracting businesses in the Hunter share a familiar problem. Big clients pay on long terms, shutdowns and new contracts need crews and equipment up front, and banks want to see years of financials before they lend against growth. Meanwhile hospitality and tourism businesses ride the weekend and holiday cycle.

Equity Tap Pty Ltd is a direct, independent private business lender. We lend our own money from $50k to $5m, for one to twelve months, secured by a first mortgage, second mortgage or caveat over residential or commercial property anywhere in Australia, including Newcastle and the Hunter. Our office is in North Sydney and Hunter loans are arranged by phone and email. Settlement happens electronically and no valuer needs to visit, so a property in Maitland or Singleton is no slower than one in the city.

Hunter scenarios

1. Mining services contractor on long terms. For example, a maintenance contractor completes a major shutdown and invoices the mine, but payment is weeks away. A short-term loan over the owner's home in Lake Macquarie pays the crew and suppliers, and the invoice repays it.
2. Defence supply chain. An engineering firm supplying the defence precinct may need to buy materials or certify new equipment before milestone payments. The contract and payment schedule form the exit.
3. Diversifying beyond coal. Businesses repositioning for energy, infrastructure or other industries may need to fund new equipment, training or premises before the new work pays. Banks can be cautious about a business in transition; we look at the property and the exit.
4. Wine and hospitality. A cellar door, restaurant or accommodation business in the Hunter Valley might need to refurbish before peak weekends and events. Trade repays the loan.
5. Buying out a partner or a business. A short-term loan can settle quickly, with a bank refinance as the exit. See buying a business fast.

Hunter property used as security

With a second mortgage, an existing home loan stays where it is (the first lender's consent may be needed). An unencumbered workshop or investment property can secure a first mortgage instead.

Where we lend across the Hunter

We lend against property in Newcastle and its suburbs from Merewether and Adamstown to Wallsend and Jesmond; across Lake Macquarie from Charlestown to Morisset; through Maitland, Cessnock and Kurri Kurri; around Port Stephens and Raymond Terrace; in Singleton, Muswellbrook, Scone and the Upper Hunter; and through the Hunter Valley wine country. We also lend on the Central Coast, the Mid North Coast and in Sydney.

Why a short-term loan works for Hunter contractors

A bank refinance commonly takes up to three months or more, and you may not be approved for the amount you need. Banks and trade credit providers usually want years of financials and check credit history closely, which doesn't suit a contractor whose income moves with project cycles. A short-term loan secured over property gets the money in place now, and you only have it as long as you need it. If the shutdown invoice pays in eight weeks, the loan can be for eight weeks.

Interest can be paid monthly, or interest for up to the first six months can be prepaid or added to the loan, so there are no scheduled payments while the business waits to be paid.

What we need

• ID for each borrower and guarantor
• Property address, ownership and existing mortgage details
• The purpose of the loan
• Exit evidence, such as invoices, contracts, a purchase order or a refinance application

No tax returns, BAS, profit and loss, accountant's letter or bank statements are needed for a property-secured loan. There is no credit check at initial assessment, and defaults, ATO debt or a past decline are not automatically a problem. We don't order a valuation before approval, so nobody has to leave a site in the Upper Hunter to meet a valuer.

From call to funds

Call 1300 123 024 and you'll talk to the people who make the decision. There is no credit committee. Conditional approval can often be given on the phone, and a term sheet follows in about 30 minutes once we have the scenario, showing the full cost. Eligible loans can settle in as little as 24 hours. Each loan is priced on your individual circumstances, aiming for the sharpest rate available for your situation. Read more about how an independent private lender works.

Get started

Call 1300 123 024 or apply online. Hunter brokers can send scenarios through our broker page.

Business-purpose lending only. Approval, timing and terms depend on the scenario.

Frequently asked questions

Brokers: send the scenario through the Equity Tap broker channel and you will deal with the same lending team.