Debt to Income Ratios: What Are They and How Are They Measured?
Date Published: 22 June 2021
On 16 June 2021, the Government announced that the Reserve Bank has been given the authority to use debt-to-income lending restrictions as another tool in the toolbox to help settle…
What Happens When You Buy a House?
Date Published: 1 June 2021
Living for the moment. Carefree long wavy hair and lots of paisley clothes. Sounds blissful, but in reality you might feel better having read the menu online before going to…
Better Budget – All About Your Heat Pump
Date Published: 24 May 2021
Heat pumps are great. They are efficient and quick to work. In fact, GenLess says that a heat pump is the most energy-efficient way of using electricity to heat your home.…
Everything you need to know about debt
Date Published: 29 April 2021
Debt can be a bit of a scary word, but don’t worry, this is a safe space! This article covers what it is, how it affects your mortgage application and…
Changes to the Property Investment Rules
Date Published: 7 April 2021
On 23 March the government announced policy changes to the rules governing the property market. The intention behind these new rules is to reduce access to finance for property investors…
Buying a Better Home in a Hot Property Market
Date Published: 5 March 2021
If you’re lucky enough to have owned a house for at least a couple of years, you’ve almost certainly gotten richer through capital growth. With a hot property market nationwide,…
The Revolving Credit Tax Trap for Investors – Guest Blog
Date Published: 22 February 2021
Revolving Credit can be an excellent tool for both homeowners and property investors to reduce interest costs and speed up the repayment of their mortgages while keeping the availability of…
How the 2020/2021 LVR Changes Affects You
Date Published: 16 February 2021
Updated 16th February 2021 It might feel like decades ago, but on 30th April 2020, the Reserve Bank announced the removal of LVR restrictions on banks in New Zealand. In…
Apartments: The Low-Down On High Rises
Date Published: 10 December 2020
Apartments are a very tempting purchase, especially for first-home buyers. They tend to cost less and therefore be much more within reach. And you can pretend you’re living in Manhattan,…
Construction Mortgages – Turn-Key vs Progress Payment Contracts
Date Published: 9 December 2020
For some time now the Reserve Bank has tried to encourage mortgage lending on newly constructed properties. In other words, getting finance is slightly easier if you are purchasing a…
How to Move Cities When You Have a Mortgage
Date Published: 23 November 2020
With more employers than ever allowing staff to work remotely, you may be thinking of buying outside the city limits. Without the long commute to work limiting your thinking, suddenly…
Renovate your home or pay down your mortgage?
Date Published: 27 October 2020
The question of whether to renovate or pay down your mortgage is not an easy one to answer. It depends on your situation, the state of the property, and what…
Weekly Mortgage Payments Vs Monthly Payments
Date Published: 7 October 2020
The thinking behind weekly payments saving you money is this; If you pay $2,000 in monthly payments there are 30/31 days of interest charged before your next payment reduces your…
A glossary of common mortgage terms
Date Published: 7 October 2020
Below is a list of standard mortgage terms to help buyers and investors understand the finance journey. This list is taken from “The Successful First Home Buyer” book. Asking price…
What is an offset account?
Date Published: 2 October 2020
An offset mortgage is when you have one or multiple bank accounts allocated to your mortgage The money in these accounts lower the amount owed. Instead of earning interest on…
What happens if a Registered Valuation isn’t high enough?
Date Published: 28 September 2020
There are several reasons why you might need a Registered Valuation when purchasing a property: if you are purchasing a property privately (not through a Real Estate Agent) and are…
Ready To Buy: 3 Things Investment Property Buyers Can Do To Get Ready
Date Published: 30 August 2020
So you’ve decided to purchase an investment property, here are first 3 things you can do to get the ball rolling.
What does $1,000,000 buy you in the major NZ cities?
Date Published: 13 August 2020
With Covid-19 lockdowns, working from home has become the new norm. It’s highly probable that buyers who were previously looking to purchase in the larger cities will now be looking…