Mortgage Strategist Brisbane | Stratega Finance. Dion Fernandes
EST. 2026 · 17 YRS IN FINANCE
BRISBANE · QUEENSLAND · AUSTRALIA
Finance Strategist · Brisbane

Three rules that decide whether a portfolio scales.

01
Structure first
Loans designed to support the next ten purchases, not only this one.
non-negotiable
02
Sequence wins
Each acquisition planned to support the next, not constrain it.
order matters
03
Right lender, right asset
Specialist assets placed where policy understands them. Personal lending kept clean and simple.
aligned
Book a Call → Read the Method
Dion Fernandes, Finance Strategist
DION FERNANDES
Finance Strategist
Broker of the Year, 2025 AMA · BankWest
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2025 AMA Broker of the Year · Productivity
2025 BankWest Broker of the Year
MFAA Member · Connective ACL 389328
17+ Years in Finance
250+ Property Investors Advised
2025 AMA Broker of the Year · Productivity
2025 BankWest Broker of the Year
MFAA Member · Connective ACL 389328
17+ Years in Finance
250+ Property Investors Advised
i
17+
Years in Finance
ii
250+
Investors Advised
iii
100+
Podcast Episodes
Dion Fernandes, Finance Strategist
About Dion

Not a broker. A strategist.

After seventeen years in finance and 250+ investor clients, I built the Legacy Framework. A repeatable process for structuring debt and planning acquisitions with a long term view.

I do not compete on rate. I compete on outcomes. Most brokers solve for the next loan. I solve for the next ten.

A portfolio is not built by stacking one purchase on top of another. It is built by sequencing each move so the one before earns the next. Dion Fernandes
Read My Story →
Advisory in Action

Strategy is a conversation.

Every portfolio starts the same way. A conversation about where you are, where you want to go and the structure that carries you there.

Dion Fernandes in a client strategy session
Dion Fernandes meeting a client over coffee
The Approach

Most investors stall after property two.

The reason is rarely the market. It is the structure.
Here is what I see and how I solve it.

Without strategy
One lender. Four titles. Locked.
Capacity pools
1
Equity portable
No
Ceiling
~3
With strategy
Three pools. Four titles. Portable.
Capacity pools
3
Equity portable
Yes
Ceiling
10+
Three properties, maybe different lenders. Each step in the right sequence with the right lender for the strategy. The Stratega Method · Principle 02
Real Strategy · Real Numbers

From one home to a $5.5M portfolio plan.

A Brisbane couple came to us with one home and a goal that would not fit a single loan. Here is the structure we built around them.

01
The situation

One home. Strong income. And a hard ceiling. They had stalled after property two, with every option running back to the same lender and the equity locked inside it.

02
What we built

Structure first. We separated the titles, released the trapped equity and sequenced three moves across three lenders, each purchase funding the next.

03
Where they are now

Two properties settled. One under contract. A financed path from $1.5M today to a projected $5.5M portfolio.

Projected Portfolio Value
$1.5M ⟶ $5.5M
Target Portfolio LVR
65%
Sequenced Steps
3
PROPERTY · 01
Settled
Owner Occupied
+ Investment Facility
$1,500,000
Settled Value
PROPERTY · 02
Settled
Rooming House Investment
$1,435,000
Settled · Sub 70% LVR
PROPERTY · 03
Under Contract
Purchase + Additional Dwelling
(two titles, two properties at the end)
$880,000 + $450,000
Acquisition + Build
PROPERTY · 01
Lender Pool
Major Bank · Tier 1
Strong owner-occupied policy and offset features. Investment facility split on the same lender to keep settlement simple.
Standard residential · cash-out approved
PROPERTY · 02
Lender Pool
Major Bank · Commercial
Rooming houses are policy-excluded by most majors. Specialist lender priced and policied for the asset.
Commercial credit · lease income recognised
PROPERTY · 03
Lender Pool
Major Bank · Purchase & Construction
Second dwelling on one title requires a construction product with progressive draws and end debt rollover.
Construction + dual occupancy permitted
PROPERTY · 01
Refinance + Release
FacilityInvestment · IO
Funds UseHeld in offset
Settled Value$1,500,000
StatusComplete
PROPERTY · 02
Rooming House
Settled$1,435,000
LVRSub 70%
OBJECTIVECashflow
StatusComplete
PROPERTY · 03
Build + Hold
Acquisition$880,000
Build$450,000
Modelled Uplift$500,000
StatusUnder Contract
"Three properties, maybe different lenders. Each step in the right sequence with the right lender for the strategy."
Read the Full Case Study → Structure File 02: Stuck at two, six in 15 months →
The Stratega Approach

Finance first. Property second. Portfolio compounds.

Every client follows the same five stages. The order is the methodology.

Stage 01
Discovery
A 30-minute Discovery Call with Dion. No numbers. No rates.
Stage 02
Finance Strategy
Debt structure, borrowing capacity, written strategy.
Stage 03
Property Plan
The Stratega Property Strategy, built on the finance foundation.
Stage 04
Execute
Loan implementation. Settlement. Coordination.
Stage 05
Repeat
Each acquisition compounds. The portfolio scales.
Structure first. Strategy second.
Leverage third. The way legacies are built.
Read our full approach →
The Podcast
Finance This, Property That podcast lockup
100+ Episodes
The Podcast

Conversations that build portfolios.

Weekly conversations with property investors, business owners and industry experts on how to build, structure and protect wealth through property and finance.

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube
93
Why investors stall after property two
Portfolio structure
→
92
Cross-securing, the silent capacity killer
Lending strategy
→
91
Self-employed lending, beyond a basic approval
Serviceability
→
View All 100+ Episodes →
Insights

Strategy, structure and real world thinking.

Educational articles drawn from the Finance This, Property That podcast. Practical insight for serious investors and business owners.

01
Strategy
6 min read Capacity

Why most investors stall after property two

The reason is rarely the market. It is the structure. How the first loan quietly caps the third purchase and what to do about it.

Read Article →
02
Structure
8 min read Lenders

Cross-securing. The silent capacity killer.

One lender holding multiple titles feels efficient. It is the single biggest reason serious investors cannot scale past three properties.

Read Article →
03
Self-Employed
7 min read Business Owners

Self-employed lending. Beyond a basic approval.

How business owners get treated by banks, why most brokers fail them and what a real self-employed finance strategy looks like.

Read Article →
All Articles →
Client Results

Words from investors who have been through it.

Real client reviews on Google Read them on Google

As much as we wanted to move forward with a $1.45 million co-living property, Dion made it clear that we were not in the right financial position at that time. It was hard to hear, but it was exactly what we needed.

J
Jobé S.
Property investors · Brisbane

In the strategy session, Dion outlined exactly what types of assets would be required, the structure and the sequencing in which the acquisitions were to occur. We now had a clear strategy.

G
Grace O.
Investor family · Four children

He and Ferry sat with me and took the time to understand my situation. There was no pressure and I felt they genuinely wanted to help me. They gave me a strategy that was tailored to my needs.

W
Wade G.
Referred by family

He took the time to genuinely understand our financial situation before recommending anything… What stood out most was how thorough and attentive he was throughout the entire process, from initial advice through to implementation.

D
Diwakara H.
Debt restructure · Family home

He was able to quickly review our current debt structure then advise on a new structure… Dion and the team have been great at communication during the process. Even going over things we needed clarifying a few times.

B
Brett M.
Rooming house build

Dion helped us get a home loan when our income was causing difficulty due to casual work/switching roles. He was kind, listened to our needs and communicated clearly.

J
Jean
First home · Changing income

He also took the time to explain the best approach to paying off my investment property and made sure I understood my options.

J
Jasmine E.
Investment property

Dion & Ferry have been an immense help and have made our house sale, purchase and refinance straightforward and stress free.

S
Sophie F.
Sale, purchase and refinance

So keen to see what the next 5 years look like with our plan we’ve put together! Let’s go!

T
T.K.
Residential and commercial
Vision

To empower financial legacies. For generations.

Common Questions

What investors ask us.

What is a Finance Strategist?

A Finance Strategist designs the financial structure underneath a property portfolio before any single loan or purchase. The focus is the architecture that lets you keep buying, not the rate on one deal. Dion Fernandes built the Legacy Framework over seventeen years and more than 200 investor clients to do exactly that.

Who does Stratega work with?

Property investors, business owners and self-employed professionals building multi-property portfolios. The clients who get the most from us are thinking three or more properties ahead, not just the next purchase.

How is Stratega different?

Most finance advice solves for the next loan. We solve for the next ten. We do not compete on interest rate. We compete on the structure that decides how far your portfolio can actually go.

How is Stratega different from a mortgage broker in Brisbane?

A mortgage broker finds you a loan. Dion is a finance strategist: he designs the lending structure a portfolio needs before any single loan is chosen. Stratega holds the same licensing as a brokerage (Credit Representative 579270, Australian Credit Licence 389328) and won two national broking awards in 2025, but the work starts with strategy, not the rate.

What does it cost to get started?

Nothing to start. The Discovery Call is free, and that is where we decide together whether we can help. From there we move to a Finance Strategy, and that work is guaranteed. If it does not give you clarity on where you stand and what to do next, your fee is refunded in full.

Where is Stratega based?

Brisbane based and servicing clients nationally. The work happens over call and screen wherever you are in Australia.

How do I start?

Book a 15-minute fit call with our team. We learn where you are and where you want to go, and if it is a fit we book you a free 30-minute Discovery Call with Dion. No pitch and no obligation.

Have a question that is not here? Book a Call and ask.

Begin the Conversation

Ready to build your portfolio with intent?

A 15-minute fit call with our team. No pitch, no obligation. A conversation about where you are, where you want to be and whether we are a fit.

Book a Call → Read Our Approach
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