Legal & Finance

Luke Havler

Why Sunset Clauses are important for purchasers

On 26 October 2020, Stuff.co.nz published an article (link below) concerning first home buyer, Bailey Ross. Ross had signed a contract to purchase a house, but according to the article, “was left heartbroken when the developer of the house she’d

Luke Havler

The Bank of Mum & Dad

Do you know someone who is thinking of lending money to their children (or borrowing from their parents) to help with the purchase of their first home? Our partners at ARL Lawyers have helped many families over the years and

Timmy Brown

Banks move LVR rules. Should you buy an investment property?

If LVR rules were restricting you, ie you didn’t have enough cash or equity to use for a deposit, you now have more options.  Factors working in your favour right now if you are thinking about property investment: LVR restrictions

settled.govt.nz

How do you fund your first home?

Buying a home is the biggest financial commitment most people ever make, so it’s no surprise that saving for one can feel like an impossible task. Buying your first home takes commitment and hard work, but you may also be

Luke Havler

Purchasing “off the plans” – what you should know

On 20 April 2020, we posted our conversation with Luke Havler of ARL Lawyers entitled “COVID-19 & Property Settlements” This week, we asked Luke to comment on purchasing a new property “off-the-plans” as part of a development. Since purchasers may

Timmy Brown

LVR changes – what do they mean?

The Reserve Bank has recently removed LVR restrictions for 12 months, which they will review on 1 May 2021. LVR stands for loan to value ratio and it is the amount of lending you have secured against the value of

Timmy Brown

Huge OCR cut and a potential recessionary period

Should you panic? No, absolutely not. Panic means: sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behaviour. At times like this, it is crucial to think before acting and prepare in a way that minimises your anxiety. Sometimes recessionary

Luke Havler

Covid-19 & Property Settlements

On 25 March 2020, New Zealand was placed under a Level 4 Alert lockdown for COVID-19 which has left many sellers and buyers of residential property facing uncertainty. So we asked Luke Havler, Property Solicitor from ARL Lawyers, to share

Timmy Brown

Restructuring your mortgage without changing banks

#2 of a 3-part series about mortgage structures and how to restructure your mortgage. In a previous blog post we discussed how mortgages can seem complex but how with the right advice, they can be made simple to understand and

Timmy Brown

Rentvesting – Your First Property

To climb the property ladder the first step is always the hardest. Most people buy their own homes first, but you can start with an investment property. This is often referred to as rentvesting (ie you’re renting the home you

Timmy Brown

Mortgage Structure – rates are just the beginning

#1 of a 3 part series about mortgage structures and how to restructure your mortgage. Mortgages can seem complex but with the right advice, they can be made simple to understand. There are two options you can consider: Reduce repayments:

Timmy Brown

What does your deposit get you?

Most of us can’t buy a property with a bag full of cash, you will need a deposit and a home loan, but how much of a deposit do you need? There is no hard and fast rule in terms

Timmy Brown

Is that equity yours to use? Most homeowners get this wrong

Homeowners take great joy in tracking the estimated value of their property on homes.co.nz, when you subtract the amount owing on your mortgage you get an idea of your equity position – this is critical if you are thinking of