Using KiwiSaver for your first home
You can withdraw almost all of your KiwiSaver towards a first home if you have been a member for three years and will live in the property. You must leave 1,000 dollars behind. Here is what the money can pay for, when it arrives, and the ownership situations that quietly disqualify people.
Home loan declined in NZ? Here is what actually blocked your application
Declined for a mortgage in New Zealand? A decline usually comes down to one part of the assessment rather than the whole application. What the common blockers are, how to work out which one applied to you, and what tends to move each.
New Granny Flat Rules
We’re sure that there are a lot of Kiwis that are happy to know that new granny flat rules will mean that you will be able to build a granny flat up to 70m² without needing a building or resource consent. That means: The Government have announced that work is underway to enable small standalone […]
How To Choose The Best Bank For Your Home Loan
From experience, I know that for most first home buyers the excitement of just getting a home loan approved feels like a win, but often it means that you do not end up getting the best bank for your home loan. Yes, you might be happy now just to get an approval but if you […]
Buying Your First Home?
Are you thinking about buying your First Home? Do you know there are ways you can buy a suitable home? When we started the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group over 10-years ago, house prices were a lot lower and the group was relatively smaller. Over the years we have grown this group to about 60,000 […]
Stop Renting and Buy Your First Home
Stop renting and buy your first home this year. It’s not always easy to buy your first home but it’s not much fun renting either, especially if you believe that you will remain renting forever. As a mortgage adviser in Auckland I know that it’s not always easy to buy a home. House prices are […]
What To Do If The Bank Says “NO”
Unfortunately hearing the bank say “NO” to a mortgage application is becoming more common these days, particularly for First Home Buyers and Self Employed borrowers. They can decline your application which will make no sense to you, especially if you were expecting an approval. So what to do if the bank does say “NO”? We […]
Can A Single Woman Buy A Home?
So you might be wondered can a single woman buy a home by herself these days. As a mortgage adviser I’ve had many single woman looking to buy a first home on their own and I can tell you that it’s definitely possible. Unfortunately I’ve also spoken to many that have been told by their […]
My Top FIVE Tips For First Home Buyers
As a mortgage adviser I get to see a lot of people in varying situations that want to get their first home, and with that I have created a list of tips for first home buyers that I’m happy to share. These are my 5 top tips for first home buyers. Let’s have a look […]
Low Deposit Options For Your First Home
What low deposit options are there? Most first home buyers do not have a 20% deposit and so ask if it’s worth making the effort to buy with a low deposit now or wait and save more. For first home buyers, the deposit is generally one of the biggest issues, and especially in the larger […]