Planning a summer break this holiday and heading to the beach, the mountains or overseas?
Empty houses are an easy target for burglars so it pays to be a little more cautious to ensure the security of your home and save you unnecessary stress while you’re away. Stop unwelcome visitors in their tracks and keep your home safe this holiday with these handy tips.
Topics: NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Home Insurance, Home and Contents Insurance
With the rising cost of property across New Zealand, it’s not surprising that so many parents are having to help their grown-up children buy property. In fact, it’s estimated that the “Bank of Mum and Dad” is the sixth largest lender when it comes to mortgage lending in New Zealand. While bank lending requirements have made it harder for first-home buyers to use their parent’s help to get onto the property ladder, there are still a few ways you as a parent can help.
Topics: Pre-approvals, NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Bank of mum and dad, Guarantor, Home Loan Advice, Buying property in New Zealand
A home loan pre-approval gives you peace of mind when you first start house-hunting, by letting you know exactly how much money the bank is prepared to lend you. Although your pre-approval is conditional, it puts you in a position to move quickly when you find your ideal home, and it’s also an essential step if you want to bid at auctions. Here’s what you need to know about the home loan pre-approval process.
Topics: Pre-approvals, NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Buying at auction, Buying property in New Zealand, Home loan pre-approval
In late October 2018, the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill came into effect. While the changes to the bill restrict certain overseas people from buying residential land and existing properties in New Zealand, there are still opportunities for overseas investors who want to buy residential land to build on, as well as for residence-class visa holders who don’t currently live in New Zealand but want to buy a home here.
Topics: NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Non-resident buyers, Buying property in New Zealand, Non-resident lending
It’s not uncommon for couples to contribute different amounts when buying their first family home. Under New Zealand law, once a couple has been living together for three years or more, they are subject to the Property (Relationships) Act, which states that assets are shared equally regardless of how much each person initially contributed. A “pre-nup”– or a Contracting Out Agreement – is a way to preserve respective contributions in the event of a separation or divorce.
Topics: NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Buying property in New Zealand, Contracting Out Agreement, Pre-nuptial
Recent changes to KiwiBuild could help more first home buyers into the property market. Early in September 2019, Government announced a reset of the affordable housing policy including a drop in the deposit requirements for Welcome Home Loans, progressive home ownership schemes, and the removal of the earnings limit so multiple buyers could be eligible for combined HomeStart Grants.
Topics: First Home, NZ Finance, first home buyer, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Low Deposit, Home Loan Advice
Buying a first home is a big decision; quite possibly, the biggest one you’ll ever make. Which is why it pays to understand exactly what you’re getting yourself into. To ensure you’re armed with the right information so you can make good decisions about your financial future, here is a step by step guide to buying your first home.
Topics: NZ Finance, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice
New Zealand is one of the least insured nations in the developed world according to research by the Financial Services Council, with many Kiwis relying on a “she’ll be right” attitude when things do go wrong. The reality is that tragedy can affect anyone at any time and being unable to work for a period of time has a significant financial impact on you and your family. If you’ve been putting off getting insured, now’s a good time to remedy that.
Topics: Home Loan, nz mortgage, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Mortgage Advice, Mortgage Protection Insurance, Home Loan Insurance, Life Insurance
From 01 July 2019, ceiling and underfloor insulation is compulsory in all New Zealand rental properties, where suitable. In addition to this, landlords have just over two years to ensure rental properties meet the Government's healthy homes standards, the minimum requirements for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, and draught stopping in rental properties. Here’s what you need to know about insulation requirements and healthy homes standards.
Topics: Kiwisaver, Rental Property, Rental Market, Home Loan, nz mortgage, NZ Mortgage Adviser, NZ Property Manager, Harcourts Property Manager
There are some changes being made to KiwiSaver in 2019 and 2020, most of which have already come into effect. The proposed changes to the structure of KiwiSaver could see a greater number of New Zealander’s saving for retirement and the risk of a retirement savings shortfall decreasing over time. These changes will allow more people to join the scheme and also allow members to better tailor their KiwiSaver account to fit their needs.
Topics: Kiwisaver, Home Loan, nz mortgage, NZ Mortgage Adviser, Home Loan Advice, Mortgage Advice, Kiwisaver withdrawal
