The Official Cash Rate (OCR) Explained
Date Published: 2 April 2024
As of 2nd April 2024, the Official Cash Rate (OCR) for New Zealand is set at 5.5%. What is the Official Cash Rate? The Official Cash Rate (OCR) is an…
The Real Cost of Credit Cards on Your Mortgage Capacity
Date Published: 28 March 2024
New Zealanders are no strangers to credit cards, but while these cards are a mainstay in many wallets, they can also be a stumbling block on the path to home…
Pay Down Your Mortgage Or Save Into Your KiwiSaver?
Date Published: 27 March 2024
It’s a question we get asked a lot. If we have an extra amount of money in our salary, should we use the money to pay down our mortgage or…
Why Leveraged Property Investment Can Mean Higher Returns
Date Published: 26 March 2024
If you’re not in finance, you probably most often hear and see the word “leverage” discussed negatively. News articles about failed investors and companies will no doubt (accurately) list overleverage…
What Could NZ Mortgage Rates Be In 2025?
Date Published: 25 March 2024
As we approach the end of the first quarter in 2024, many New Zealanders with mortgages are contemplating their financial futures amidst a dynamic and unpredictable economic landscape. Understandably, one…
4 tips to making an offer by Tender
Date Published: 10 January 2024
Recently we looked at some tips for bidding at an auction. But what if the house you love is for sale by tender? Tenders are much less time-pressured than auctions…
Purchasing at Auction – A Step by Step Guide
Date Published: 9 January 2024
Buying at auction can be exciting but also intimidating. Much like your year 5 school production, knowing what to do and when to do it will help you feel more…
Small Steps – Update Your KiwiSaver Contact Details
Date Published: 8 January 2024
If you have ever tried to tidy up your financial affairs, it can be overwhelming to try and do everything at once. Like most big projects, the best way to…
The worst financial decision you can make
Date Published: 7 January 2024
Saving is a long, slow process. That’s why so many of us are so bad at it. You could put $20 aside every week and after a year, you’ll have…
Mortgage Deposit: Can I take out a loan to increase my deposit?
Date Published: 6 January 2024
As you may know from our other blogs, there are some key levels of deposit that you need to get to in order to buy a new home. The main…
The One Bank Trap and The Several Bank Nightmare
Date Published: 5 January 2024
A common phrase in mortgage world is the “one bank trap”. It’s when you have all your lending with one bank which gives the policy makers at the bank all…
5 Things To Know About Your Mortgage Pre-Approval Letter of Offer
Date Published: 4 January 2024
Good news! You’ve completed your application, handed over a mountain of paperwork (just kidding, our system is paperless) and now you’re pre-approved for your mortgage! After a phone call from…
Where Am I Going To Find My Mortgage Deposit?
Date Published: 3 January 2024
One of the simplest ways to grow your deposit is KiwiSaver. Below, we take a quick look at how quickly your deposit could grow and the numbers around this. Let’s…
3 Things You Can Do to Get Ready for Your Mortgage (No Matter When You’re Buying)
Date Published: 2 January 2024
Whether you’re getting serious about buying a house or are thinking you’d like to buy sometime in the future, doing these three things today will help you get ready for…
How Do I Calculate Yield on an Investment Property?
Date Published: 2 November 2023
When buying your own home, you need to be good at negotiating with your partner over issues such as whether an outdoor pizza oven is a must-have or a nice-to-have.…
Fixing or Refixing Your Mortgage: Three Questions to Ask
Date Published: 2 November 2023
Fixing/refixing your mortgage isn’t as exciting as buying a new house. Or, for that matter, as exciting as getting a pizza coupon in the mail. But gives you a valuable…
What does LVR mean?
Date Published: 26 October 2023
Think of the loan-to-value ratio (LVR) like this: What percentage of the house is covered by the mortgage… Or, in other words, what percentage of the house does the bank…
The Mindset You Need to Get into Your First Home
Date Published: 25 October 2023
When you start thinking of owning your first home and considering the steps and challenges involved, it can feel like an impossible goal. There’s no getting around the fact that…