A reliable option for building wealth and saving for retirement.
Featured articleCreating future retirement income by buying investment properties is a time-honoured way to build your wealth, so you can achieve freedom from work. And we’re not just talking about retirement in your mid-60s. There’s a global movement called FIRE (financial independence, retire early) that attracts younger followers. So whether you’re an empty-nester looking forward to
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Featured articleProperty investment has been big news over recent years. Low interest rates and soaring demand for property increased FOMO to record levels, so properties suitable for investment were being snapped up as quickly as they appeared. In response, the government moved the bright line for capital gains tax and is gradually phasing out property investors’
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Are you considering a land purchase to build on straight away or to hold for future plans? Or maybe you want to build an investment property from the ground up? This guide will help you get started on the road to your ideal section, lifestyle block, or land and house package. Where is the best
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The yield on any investment usually refers to how much money it makes each year as a percentage of the amount invested. This percentage sometimes includes any increase in value, as well as the interest or other income generated by the investment. But when it comes to a property investment, yield usually considers the rental
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If you’ve owned a property for a few years you could have a good amount of equity tied up in it, particularly after the increase in property values during the Covid years. It may be possible to use this equity for the deposit on another investment property. This other property could be your next family
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Commercial property has provided investment opportunities for generations of New Zealanders. Options range from direct property ownership to investing in shares of commercial property companies. While most Kiwis are more familiar with residential property investment, there has been increasing interest in commercial property investments over the years. Most recently, market commentators have reported a surge
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For some years now, New Zealand’s main banks and other mortgage lenders have been known to offer a cashback reward to eligible customers when they draw down (start) a new mortgage. It’s typically a lump sum cash payment of $1,000 to $3,000 – or even significantly more, depending on how much you’re borrowing. In this
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Whether you’re a sole trader, a freelancer, in a partnership with someone or a director of a limited company, being your own boss comes with a lot of satisfaction. However, when you want to get a mortgage – for your home or an investment property – mainstream bank lenders will ask you to jump a
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Whether you’re buying your first home, next home or an investment property, you might need to get a registered valuation to finalise your home loan. What happens if that valuation isn’t high enough? If you’ve purchased a property at auction and there’s a shortfall between the amount you need to borrow and the amount supported
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When you have a mortgage ticking away with regular repayments happening automatically, it can be easy to simply let things continue as they are. But finding little ways to repay your mortgage faster will have an ever-accelerating effect. Every little extra you pay off will immediately reduce the interest you have to pay each time.
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When you’re borrowing to buy a home or an investment property there are several different types of mortgages to choose from. Once you understand how they work, and the pros and cons of each, it’s easier to pick the types that might suit you best. Most people choose a combination of two or more. It can
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As its name suggests, an interest-only mortgage means your regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments only include the interest charged. So you don’t repay any of the money you borrowed (known as the principal) until the end. The agreed length, or term, of an interest-only loan is usually a year or two, but it can
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When it comes to getting a new home loan or refinancing a property, many high-income households face a choice of working with a personal banker through private banking or engaging a mortgage broker. If you have a personal banker (also known as a private banker), your initial instinct may be to contact them regarding your
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A property is one of the most expensive things you’ll ever buy. The amount you borrow and the interest you’ll pay over decades can be huge. So, whether you’re looking for a new mortgage or reviewing the one you have, it’s worth investing some time into getting the best arrangement for your current circumstances and
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You’ve probably heard there’s usually no charge to use a mortgage broker (mortgage adviser). That’s because they’re paid a commission by the lender you end up deciding to go with. So, if the lender’s paying them and you’re getting their services for free, are they going to put your interests first? The short answer is
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When it comes to choosing a mortgage broker or mortgage adviser, there are quite a few things to check out and carefully consider. This article will help you to ask the right questions, so that you can choose a broker that suits you. For example, you’ll need to know whether a broker will charge you
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Moving from one mortgage provider to another involves applying for and getting a new loan, then using that loan to repay your old one, so it can be discharged. People switch lenders a lot more often these days, whether they’re buying a new home or refinancing an existing property. If you think your current mortgage
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Getting a mortgage is a big deal. Where do you go to find the best lender for your circumstances? What criteria will you have to meet? When and how do you apply? There are so many questions to navigate. Fortunately, mortgage brokers have many of the answers. A mortgage broker is an expert when it
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If you’ve been looking for a home for a while, you’ve probably put some thought into the option of building a new house or buying a new-build property. Committing a whole heap of money to something that doesn’t exist yet is a big step, but the rewards can be big too. There are many potential
Read More »Are you considering a land purchase to build on straight away or to hold for future plans? Or maybe you want to build an investment property from the ground up? This guide will help you get started on the road to your ideal section, lifestyle block, or land and house package. Where is the best
Read More »
Choosing whether to build from scratch or buy an existing home is a question that many Kiwis struggle with. The decision outcome is highly individual. It depends on where in New Zealand you live, how much you want to spend and your ability to be approved for a home loan of the required size. Personal
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Buying a house off the plans that hasn’t been built yet can seem pretty scary. You’re usually signing up to a massive new-build loan for something with thousands of components that doesn’t even exist yet. How do you know what the finished home will be worth and whether you’ll end up getting what you expected? The good news
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Understanding how lenders calculate your mortgage interest is the first step to finding ways to pay less interest over the life of your loan. To help you along, here’s a summary of where the interest goes, what affects interest rates, how your regular interest payment is calculated and ways to reduce the interest you pay.
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Whether you’re applying for your first mortgage, restructuring an existing loan or refinancing to a new lender, it helps to understand why people choose different fix-float strategies. This guide is designed to get you thinking before talking with a mortgage adviser and choosing the best arrangement for your circumstances. Basically, you can choose a fixed
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There are two main types of mortgage insurance – mortgage repayment protection insurance and lenders’ mortgage insurance. The first is similar to the other types of personal insurance, like life cover and income protection, so this article is mainly focused on lenders’ mortgage insurance. What is mortgage protection insurance? This is a form of income
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Also known as a ‘variable mortgage’ or ‘floating home loan’, a floating rate mortgage has an interest rate that can increase or decrease at any time. That means your regular repayments can also change. The other downside is that floating interest rates are usually higher than fixed rates. The main advantage of a floating mortgage
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