Sometimes you just need a little external motivation to stick to your goal of home ownership.
As Mortgage Advisers we’ve seen many first home buyers come “up against it” and end up achieving their goal despite what they might have initially thought. We find these cases motivating for us, and we hope they might just help you too.
Buying a home means playing the long-game. Plugging away with your savings, keeping your eyes on the prize, and not letting any set-backs get the better of you.
Here are a couple of our real first home buyer stories that we hope will inspire you to keep at it. Remember, you’re doing great!
The Grandparents who made it happen
With 30 grandkids in the mix and two children still at home, our clients got on the property ladder just in time. They weren’t getting any younger, and for them it was all about protecting the family and providing a base for the future.
“If anything happened to us our children and grandchildren didn’t have a papakaianga – they didn’t have a home.” they explained.
Cole Murray’s Advisers were already helping them with their insurances, and had also been encouraging them to buy their first house. Using their KiwiSaver, which they’d been contributing to for over the 3 year eligibility threshold, we were able to assemble a deposit and secure them a pre-approved home loan so they could make an offer.
The family were lucky enough to get on the property ladder before prices took a big jump, and with just enough time to commit to the mortgage before retirement knocked on the door.
They now have a home large enough to gather the extended whanau, and at the same time have made a solid investment in everyone’s future.
A few past hiccups didn’t hold these guys back
Not sure if they were in a position to look at buying their first home, a couple who were renting with two other friends reached out to us. After the first meeting with Cole Murray we identified a number of things that could cause issue with any mortgage approval – a new job with irregular hours, a few personal loans already in play, a small amount of arrears with their everyday bank account, and one of the clients even had a collection registered against them for unpaid car finance in the past.
Some might assume they weren’t in with a shot (and in many cases they’d be right). However with mortgage advice from Cole Murray and help in emphasising the positives in the clients’ application to the bank (including using their KiwiSaver and the First Home Grant towards the deposit), we ended up getting approvals offered from not one but three banks.
The clients were able to select a loan that stood out from the rest, with a favorable interest rate plus one of the clients already banked with them. Everybody was delighted.
These guys now own their own home and are already putting their mark on it with some improvements; what’s more their two friends remained with them and now pay rent which helps with reducing the mortgage even quicker.
Ready to look at getting your first home?
That’s great. Come and see one of Cole Murray’s Mortgage Advisers and you can go forward knowing you are prepared for the real costs and responsibilities that go with home ownership! And don’t worry, being a homeowner isn’t all boring responsibilities – it can be a lot of fun and very rewarding.
If you have any questions about getting a mortgage, any one of our Mortgage Advisers will be happy to help make the process easy for you, and point out anything you might not know you don’t know. For a no-obligation chat, contact us today.
It’s a service that comes at no cost to you*, and puts your interests first – learn more here.
