Your mortgage questions, answered.

You can go straight to a bank, but they only know their own products. We look across multiple lenders to find the one most likely to approve you and suit your situation, and we handle the legwork and the paperwork. For first home buyers especially, that can be the difference between a yes and a no.

No. Our advice is free to you because the lender pays us, not you. You get the same rates you would going direct, with someone in your corner.

The usual benchmark is 20%, but you can often get in with less: as little as 5% through the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan if you qualify, or around 10% on a new build. What's realistic depends on your situation and the lender, which is exactly what we work out with you.

It comes down to your income, your regular expenses, any existing debts, and your deposit. There's no one-size answer, so the quickest way to know is a short chat where we run your real numbers rather than a rough online guess.

Pre-approval is a lender's conditional confirmation of how much you can borrow, before you start house-hunting. It usually lasts around three months and can be renewed. It also makes your offer stronger, because the agent and seller can see you're a serious buyer.

A fixed rate locks your interest rate, and your repayments, for a set term, which gives you certainty. A floating rate moves with the market, so it's more flexible but less predictable. Many people split their loan across both. We'll help you structure it so it works for you, not just the bank.

Not necessarily. It's a common myth that your accounts need to be spotless. Some debts and the odd blemish don't automatically rule you out, lenders look at your whole picture. We can tell you where you stand and how to prepare.

Yes. The most common reason people refinance is to pick up a fresh cash contribution from a new bank, often worth thousands. People also do it for a better rate, to restructure their loan to pay it off faster, or to access equity. It's well worth a review when your fixed term is coming up, and we can check whether a move actually stacks up for you before you do anything.

It varies with your situation, but once we have your information, pre-approval can often come together within a week or two. We guide you through each step so you always know what's happening and what's next.