Home Loans

How Low Will Mortgage Rates Go in 2025?

Between November 2021 and May 2023, the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) lifted the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from its all-time low of 0.25% to 5.50% – a level not seen since before the GFC, in 2008. As …

First Home Buyers - April 10th

What is the Official Cash Rate and How Does it Affect Mortgage Rates?

KEY POINTS: The RBNZ's Monetary Policy Committee meets seven times annually. At these meetings, the committee sets the OCR as part of the bank's job to keep inflation in check. The OCR is the rate …

First Home Buyers - April 3rd

What is Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance and How Does it Work?

Over the past two years, as house prices have cooled, the number of first home buyers (FHBs) entering the market has increased considerably. According to RBNZ mortgage figures, there were 28,774 new mortgages issued to …

First Home Buyers - April 1st

Mortgage Cashbacks: What’s On Offer?

Canstar explores the current mortgage cashbacks on offer from the banks, and checks to see how the deals stack up. Mortgage Cashbacks While some banks make a big show of their first home buyer deals, it's worth …

First Home Buyers - April 1st

How Much Can I Borrow to Buy a House?

KEY POINTS: The size of your deposit and your income are key factors in determining how much you can borrow to buy a house. Personal expenditure, your saving history and debt levels are important, too. …

Home Loans - March 6th

Can You Buy a House With No Deposit?

Can you get a home loan with no deposit? The good news is, yes, you probably can. However, for a lender to give you a mortgage with no deposit, you'll need somebody with pockets as …

Home Loans - March 3rd

How Much to Build a New House in NZ?

How Much to Build a New House in NZ? In this article we cover: Median cost of buying an existing house in NZ Rising cost of building a new house We're building more, smaller homes …

Home Loans - February 4th

What is the Average Home Loan in New Zealand?

There's no disputing that, like the wider economy, the housing market is in the doldrums. There are more houses on the market, they're taking longer to sell and prices are stagnant. According to REINZ, the …

Home Loans - February 3rd

Paying Mortgage Weekly vs Monthly: Which Is Better?

How often can you make repayments on home loans? Many home loans have monthly repayments by default. But most lenders offer the option to make repayments weekly, fortnightly or monthly. However, if you use most mortgage calculators, including …