Understand construction loans to bring your plans to life.
Featured articleBuying 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
Read More »
Featured articleIf 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 »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
Read More »
Buying your first home has become more and more challenging, particularly for Kiwis who may not have the option of significant financial support from family. To help address this, the New Zealand government provides several schemes designed to help people into home ownership for the first time. This guide provides a helpful overview of the
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
Read More »
Bridging finance can help when buying or building a new house before selling your old one. In other words bridging finance lets you get from property A to property B, before you get the money for property A. However, a bridging loan is just a temporary structure. You need to repay it as soon as
Read More »Buying your first home has become more and more challenging, particularly for Kiwis who may not have the option of significant financial support from family. To help address this, the New Zealand government provides several schemes designed to help people into home ownership for the first time. This guide provides a helpful overview of the
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
Read More »Bridging finance can help when buying or building a new house before selling your old one. In other words bridging finance lets you get from property A to property B, before you get the money for property A. However, a bridging loan is just a temporary structure. You need to repay it as soon as
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
With so many mortgage lenders, interest rates and terms to choose from, finding the best solution for your circumstances can be hard work. Whether you’re about to buy a home or are exploring refinancing options for a property you already own, you’ll find our rates page incredibly useful. It shows the lowest interest rates available
Read More »
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.
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
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
Read More »
A fixed rate mortgage has an interest rate that doesn’t change over an agreed period of time – six months, or one, two, three, four or five years. Fixed rates are typically lower than a floating rate. Also known as a ‘fixed mortgage’ or ‘fixed home loan’, this type of mortgage is popular with New
Read More »
When you start planning to buy a home, there’s a lot of jargon to get your head around. But most of it is easily understood, so you’ll soon be talking like a seasoned home owner. If a lender or mortgage broker ever uses a term you don’t understand, be sure to ask what it means.
Read More »
The question ‘how long should I fix my mortgage for’ has much in common with questions like ‘what are interest rates going to do?’, ‘how much can I save in a year’ and ‘what should I name my first born’? The best answer depends on crystal ball gazing, personal circumstances and market analysis. While we
Read More »
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.
Read More »
An offset mortgage lets you use money in a separate account (savings or everyday) to effectively reduce the balance of your mortgage when it comes to calculating the interest charged. The money stays in its own account and is available as usual, but simply offsets your home loan balance – hence the name. How does
Read More »
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
Read More »
Once you have a mortgage, it’s a good idea to keep a regular eye on how it’s performing for you. You should revisit things every six months or so, just to ensure you’ve still got the best arrangements in place. However, with everything set up on auto-payments and your budget fine-tuned for home ownership, it’s
Read More »
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
Read More »
A revolving credit mortgage is like an all-in-one bank account with a large overdraft facility. It lets you draw down a loan, put money in and take it out whenever you choose, provided you don’t borrow more than your limit. The interest is calculated daily, so you can use your income to reduce the loan
Read More »Our newsletter covers the latest market news including content from Tony Alexander, as well as tips for getting, managing and reviewing a mortgage.
By clicking 'Subscribe' you agree to our Privacy Policy
