Rural or hobby farm home loans

Dreaming about clean air, peaceful mornings and night skies blanketed in stars? Whether you want to raise your kids in the great outdoors, enjoy your retirement in tranquility, or you're just frustrated with the hustle and bustle of city life, you might be considering moving somewhere more rural.

But in order to do that, you may need to look at specialised rural home loans.

How do rural home loans work?

A rural home loan is used when you want to buy a rural property, also called a hobby farm. This is different to the loan you would need if you wanted to buy a commercial farm. For that you would need a commercial loan.

A home loan for a rural property can be used for both business and personal purposes, but they can be a little difficult to gain approval for.

This is because they are generally considered higher risk than more suburban homes. It's harder for a bank to resell a rural property in the event that you can't pay your mortgage and it needs to recoup the costs. A city-based property would be far easier and quicker to sell the property and settle your debt.

It is possible to get a loan though, so don't despair. If you are looking at a hobby farm or a residential rural property and you don't plan to turn your new property into your primary source of income, a rural home loan might be just right.

How much deposit do I need for a rural property?

The deposit you'll need for a rural property will depend on the size of the property.

Lenders may allow you to borrow with a deposit as small as 5-10%, or as much as 30%, depending on the size and location of the property.

With land below 10 hectares, your loan is likely to be treated like any other residential home loan, and you may be able to borrow up to 95% of the value of the property you're purchasing.

For land up to 50 hectares you may need up to a 10% deposit. However, if you're buying land larger than this, you're likely to need a 20–30% deposit.

Properties above 100 hectares in size are unlikely to find residential home loan financing. Lenders often consider these properties to be commercial farms, even if you don't intend to produce income from farming.

What do lenders look at when you apply for a rural home loan?

Each lender will have its own set of criteria it uses to assess whether it will offer a home loan for the purpose of purchasing a rural property. Aside from land size and how you will use the land, many lenders consider:

• Land size. Lenders can be hesitant when it comes to the size of the land you're purchasing. This is because larger lots are often used for commercial farming purposes, which requires a commercial home loan. Your application is more likely to succeed if your property is under 10 hectares. The larger your rural property, the less likely you are to be approved.
• Location. Some lenders have postcode restrictions in place for rural home loans. This means if the property you are looking at purchasing is outside of the lender's approved postcodes, you may need to reconsider the property or look at another lender.
• Property Access. The property must be easily accessible for different reasons. A dirt road is appropriate and often common with rural properties, but it must be well maintained so that any vehicle that needs to can access the property.
• Public Services. The property must have access to public services such as electricity, water and sewage, if you opt to have your property completely self-sustaining it may also be useful to have all the regular services accessible at the property just to make the process of lending easier.
• Area Zoning. In order to be classified as a hobby farm rather than a commercial farm the land will need to be zoned as rural, rural residential or the equivalent depending on which state it is in. If it is zoned as industrial, commercial or for farm use this may impede your ability to get a rural home loan as it may be a commercial farm.

How to apply for a rural home loan

If you have made the decision to take out a rural home loan to buy a home outside of the city, start by doing your research to find the best conditions, terms and borrowing rates.

It’s advisable to speak with a mortgage broker who understands your needs and can help steer you in the right direction.

First and foremost, plan for the future and research your possibilities. If you are set on a tree change and can feasibly afford to make the move, put the extra time into finding the rural home loan that’s right for you.

Specialist rural and agricultural lenders

Here are some companies in Australia that may be able to help you with specialist finance for different types of acreage and rural property purchases:

• Aglend. Aglend is an agricultural mortgage broker. It finds finance solutions for farmers and agricultural businesses. This includes rural land loans.
• Australian Lending Centre. This specialist lender can help with rural loans.
• Redilend. This bad credit lender also works with rural properties and hobby farms.
• Building Loans Australia. This brokerage is focused on land purchases.

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