Quick answer
Outside Victoria, we don't write caveat loans. For property in NSW, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT, the same job is done with a short-term registered second mortgage. It sits behind your bank loan, is recorded on the title in its proper place, and is usually arranged just as quickly — with $20k to $250k possible the same day where everything lines up.
Key points
- Caveat loans are written for Victorian property; everywhere else we use a registered second mortgage.
- Same purpose, same outcome: business funds against your equity with your bank loan left alone.
- A registered mortgage is the standard form every conveyancer, bank and registry already handles.
- Mortgages are lodged electronically in NSW, Queensland and WA, so registration doesn't slow the deal.
- Loans from $20k to $5m, business purposes only, on residential or commercial property.
- Structure
- Registered second mortgage
- Speed
- Usually as quick as a caveat
- Your bank
- Stays in first place
Plenty of business owners in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide search for a “caveat loan” because it’s the term they’ve heard for fast money behind the bank. That’s a fair search. What you actually want is speed, a loan that doesn’t disturb your existing mortgage, and an easy way out when the cash arrives. Outside Victoria, we deliver all three with a short-term registered second mortgage — and in most cases it’s the better deal for you.
Why don’t we write caveat loans outside Victoria?
We write caveat loans for Victorian property, where that structure is long established for short-term business lending. For property in every other state and territory, our standard is a registered second mortgage. It’s not a downgrade or a workaround; it’s simply the form that gives the cleanest result on those titles.
If your property is in Victoria, see caveat loans in Victoria. If you want the background on how a caveat, an unregistered mortgage and a registered one differ, our unregistered second mortgage page has a side-by-side table.
What does a registered second mortgage do for you?
It does the same job a caveat loan would: it lets you borrow against the equity in your property for a business purpose, for a short time, while your bank’s first mortgage stays exactly where it is. The difference is in how the security is recorded — and that difference works in your favour.
- It’s the form everyone knows. Banks, conveyancers, valuers and registries handle registered mortgages every working day. When your property is sold or refinanced, nobody on the other side has to ask what the second interest is or how to deal with it.
- The title reads cleanly. A registered mortgage is listed on the title by registration number. Western Australia’s titles office spells out the rule that interests affecting the same land rank according to the time of registration, so your bank stays first and the short-term lender sits second. Titles Queensland’s current title search, for example, lists mortgages and caveats among the registered interests on a lot.
- Getting out is routine. When you repay, we sign a release and it’s lodged with the registry. The mortgage comes off and the title is back to how it was.
- It’s quick. Registration is electronic in the major states, so it doesn’t add days to the process.
Is a registered second mortgage slower than a caveat?
Not in practice. The registries in the biggest interstate markets are digital:
| State | What the registry says about electronic lodgement |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | All land dealings, caveats and priority notices have had to be lodged electronically since 11 October 2021 (NSW Registrar General) |
| Queensland | Mortgages, releases of mortgage and caveats are listed as mandated instruments for eConveyancing (Titles Queensland) |
| Western Australia | Eligible stand-alone mortgages have been lodged electronically since 1 December 2018 (Landgate) |
So the clock runs on the same things it would for a caveat loan: the valuation, every owner signing and being identified, payout figures from your bank, and evidence of your exit. When those are ready, $20k to $250k is possible the same day and loans up to $5m are possible within 24–48 hours. SA, Tasmania, the ACT and the NT are handled the same way; tell us early if your property is in one of them so we can plan the timing.
Ready to see what your interstate property can do? Start a short enquiry and tell us which state it’s in.
Which situations suit a short-term second mortgage?
The same ones that send Victorian owners to a caveat loan:
- An ATO debt that needs clearing before firmer action — see loans to pay ATO debt.
- A settlement or deposit deadline on premises or a business purchase.
- A big order or contract that needs materials or staff before the client pays.
- A property sale that’s agreed but not settled, when the cash is needed now.
- A bank that said no, or said “yes, in six weeks” when you need it this week.
If the property has no loan at all, a short-term first mortgage may suit better and can support a larger amount. The second mortgage page explains how the loan is sized against what’s already owing.
A worked example: a Perth owner who searched for a caveat loan
Illustrative only — round numbers, no real people.
A Perth logistics operator has a two-truck expansion lined up with a new freight contract. The trucks are being financed separately, but he needs $150,000 now for driver wages, insurance and fuel cards for the first eight weeks before the customer’s first monthly payment.
He searches “caveat loan Perth” and enquires. His house in the northern suburbs is worth about $850,000 with $420,000 owing to the bank. A $150,000 short-term registered second mortgage, plus costs, takes the combined lending to a little over two-thirds of the value.
The valuation is done, both owners sign electronically, the mortgage is lodged with Landgate behind the bank, and the funds go out. Four months later the contract payments have built a buffer, he refinances the second mortgage into his bank facility, the release is lodged, and the title is back to a single mortgage. Short-term loans like this are measured in months, not decades.
What if I own property in Victoria and another state?
Then you have options, and we’ll pick the cleaner one. Sometimes the Victorian title with a caveat loan is best; sometimes the interstate property has more equity, simpler ownership or a faster valuation, and a registered second mortgage over it wins. Owners who hold property through a trust or company in one state and personally in another often find the personal title is quicker. Tell us about both in your enquiry.
Property outside Victoria? Let’s see what it can do
You came looking for a caveat loan because you need money behind your bank, quickly and without fuss. That’s precisely what a short-term registered second mortgage gives you on property outside Victoria.
The enquiry takes around a minute, and making it won’t put a credit check on your file. We keep your details in-house instead of passing them along to a crowd of other lenders, and a real person reviews what you’ve sent and calls you back. Accuracy helps us move faster: tell us the property, the state it’s in, what’s owing on it and the date the money is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a caveat loan on a property in Sydney or Brisbane?
Not from us. For property outside Victoria we use a short-term registered second mortgage, which does the same job for your business and is usually arranged just as quickly.
Is a registered second mortgage slower than a caveat?
Usually not in any way that matters. Mortgages are lodged electronically in the major states, so the time goes into the same things as a caveat loan: valuation, signing and exit evidence.
Why is a registered second mortgage better for me as the borrower?
It's the standard form every bank, conveyancer and registry deals with daily, it shows clearly on the title, and paying it out at sale or refinance is a routine release. There's less room for confusion at the moment you most want things simple.
Will my bank find out about the second mortgage?
It will appear on your title, and some bank loan contracts require consent before further security is granted. Check your loan terms and tell us who your bank is so we can plan for it.
I own property in Victoria and another state — which do you use?
Whichever gives the cleanest result. That might be a caveat loan over the Victorian property, or a registered second mortgage over the interstate one, depending on equity, ownership and how fast you need the money.