When it comes to credit scores, the general rule is the better your credit score, the better your chances of success with credit applications. That’s why it’s so important to regularly track your credit score and fix anything that could negatively impact it – such as late payments, defaults, or errors on your credit report. And if you do find yourself with a poor credit score, there are ways to fix it. Here are five simple steps to follow.

Following an announcement by Consumer Affairs Minister David Clark earlier in March 2022, lending restrictions, which were introduced in December 2021 under the CCCFA, will be changing. In response to feedback from the sector, consumers and mortgage advisers, a number of changes will be introduced to ease the controversial lending rules that have impacted creditworthy borrowers and first home buyers in particular. The announcement has received support from lenders and advisers.

Many New Zealanders worry about what would happen to the family home if they were unable to pay their mortgage due to illness, an accident or death. Mortgage protection insurance helps reduce this worry, by taking care of the mortgage repayments and other expenses for a short time in the event you’re unable to cover these costs due to injury or health reasons. If you’re considering adding a mortgage protection insurance policy to your existing insurance policy, read on to find out more.

Saving a deposit is just one of the many hoops that first home buyers need to jump through when buying a first home. With recent changes to lending regulations, requiring borrowers provide more detail and evidence around income and expenses when applying for a home loan, it’s more important than ever to ensure your personal finances are in good order. So to help you get started, here are our tips for preparing your finances to buy a first home.

Stricter lending conditions have put the brakes on mortgage applications, with many more first home buyers struggling to meet the latest lender requirements. Along with tightened bank lending caps to low deposit borrowers, and a far greater scrutiny on expenditure, some lenders have introduced a minimum committed income for approvals over 80 per cent loan to value ratio (LVR), making it even harder to get home loan approval. Find out what it means for you if the bank declines your home loan application, and what the next steps are in this situation.

Buying a first home starts with saving a deposit. But for most Kiwi first home buyers, already struggling with rising rents and food costs, setting good savings habits can feel like an impossible task. To help put first home buyers in the best possible position to buy a first home, we asked some of the Mortgage Express team to share their top tips for first home buyers saving a deposit.

On December 1, 2021, the laws around lending money to consumers in New Zealand were changed. Under the new regulations, all lenders are required to follow robust processes to determine a borrower’s income and expenses, in an effort to ensure lending is both affordable and suitable. If you are considering borrowing money – whether a new loan or topping up - it’s important you know how these changes affect you and what to expect as a borrower.

There are many reasons why home buyers choose to build new instead of buying an existing property. For some, being able to tailor-make a home that exactly fits requirements, built to specific design and layout preferences is important. While for others, a low maintenance home with the latest innovations in home ventilation, heating and eco-friendly features is a must. Whatever your reasons for building new, it’s important you’re clear on how construction finance will impact your lending ability.

When you buy a new home, there are a few extra costs that you’ll have to think about over and above your mortgage, insurance, maintenance and repairs. Often these less-obvious costs of moving home take some homeowners by surprise. Planning a moving budget is a good way of determining how much you need to spend and where you could cut costs. To help you get started, here are some of the costs to consider when buying a new home and selling your existing home.

Buying off the plan is an appealing option for many first home buyers. As well as a fixed price, homes are built to modern standards with heating and insulation, and typically require far less maintenance once completed. But buying off the plan is not without risk and there are a few potential pitfalls to look out for. Here’s an outline of some of the things to check before you buy a home off the plan.