If you already own a home and want an investment property, start by working out your borrowing capacity. That depends on your income, the equity in your current home, and how much and where you want to buy. Then decide on the ownership structure (your own names, a trust or another entity) with your accountant before you apply, because it affects tax and is hard to change later.

In this short video, McKern mortgage broker Mark Jones walks through the first steps: checking equity and income, getting structuring advice from McKern's accountants, then getting a pre-approval so you know exactly what you can spend before you start looking.

General information only, not personal advice.