CRAIG POPE BLOG

As home finance experts, we love keeping Kiwis like you up to speed on finance news, home advice and tips to grow your wealth.

  1. Buying your first home, how does it all work?

    So, you’re ready to buy your first home - great. But, where do you start? Pre-approval, mortgage brokers, auctions, it can all be a tad overwhelming. Take a deep breath, things are about to get clearer.

  2. Talking insurance is painful, but it’s more painful not to

    Insurance is one of those topics no one wants to talk about, but ignoring it can be much more painful in the long run. Buying a home will be one of the biggest purchases you ever make and while it’s a great asset, it can also be a big financial risk if something goes wrong.

  3. Buying your first home with the government HomeStart grant

    As a first home buyer, you want to get all the help you can get to maximise your borrowing potential. If you’ve been contributing to a Kiwisaver for at least three years, you may be eligible for ifor the government’s HomeStart grant.

  4. How big a deposit do I really need?

    You’ve decided to buy a home. So, how much do you actually need to save up?

  5. Getting approved for a home loan

    Taking out a mortgage is probably one of the biggest and most important financial decisions you’ll make in your life.. But lenders won’t give out a loan to just anyone.

  6. Six tips for saving your deposit

    One of the biggest hurdles on the path to homeownership is saving your deposit, but talking about it isn’t going to fill up your bank account any faster, so let’s look at what you can do.

  7. Are you mortgage ready?

    You’ve fallen in love with a home or section, but are you mortgage ready? Having all your ducks in a row will help maximise your borrowing ability - and a better borrowing ability means a better financial situation for you.

  8. KiwiSaver: How can it help me get into my first home?

    With property values rising significantly across New Zealand in the last few years, saving a deposit for a home has never been harder, but there is assistance available in some scenarios that can help.