That Home Loan Hub

• How A Blended Kiwi Family Bought A First Home In Their 60s

  What happens when your rent looks a lot like a mortgage, but lenders keep saying no? We sit down with Mark to unpack how he and Shelly went from casual work, rising rents, and thin savings to owning a low maintenance beachside unit in their 60s—without pretending the numbers were easy.We walk through the moments that changed their trajectory: both securing full time roles, setting clear non-negotiables (no renovations, stable cash flow), and using KiwiSaver to close the deposit gap. After passing on a hot market buy, they waited, saved, and negotiated hard on a property that fit their life stage. We dig into why they fixed their mortgage for three years when rates were volatile, and how a simple spreadsheet helped them stress test payments, factor in body corp and rates, and even model one-income months. The theme is simple: certainty beats guesswork when your budget has to hold.Age and mindset take centre stage. Mark shares what it felt like to apply in his 60s, balance fears about depleting KiwiSaver, and still choose “no regrets.” We talk lending realities, the importance of health and income stability, and how a 20-year approval can still make sense with a credible plan. We also map out the trade offs—fewer dinners out, more free days at the beach—and the discipline of rebuilding a $25k emergency fund while keeping KiwiSaver contributions growing. There’s practical advice here for every stage: automate savings early, diversify sensibly, and treat property as simple but serious work.If you’re weighing rent risk against ownership stability, or wondering whether to refix or refinance as rates shift, this conversation gives you a grounded way to decide. It’s not about perfect timing; it’s about aligning the loan with your life. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a review with the one trade off you’re willing to make next.Send us a text Support the showBuy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

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• Healthy Habits On A Budget

  A black belt in progress, a shared birthday, and a mission to help families thrive—this conversation with Lucy Edwards of Lucy Nutrition blends heart, humour, and hard-won tactics for eating well when prices feel impossible. We start with the human stuff: finding strength through taekwondo, turning a hard space into a happy one, and choosing health as a daily practice. Then we roll up our sleeves and get specific about what actually works in a busy Kiwi household.We map out a simple system for affordable nourishment—plan a few anchor dinners, stay flexible for supermarket specials, and cook bigger batches so the freezer has your back. Garden tips keep costs down and nutrients up, whether it’s silverbeet that never quits or herbs on a sunny sill. We share secondhand hacks for gear, smart ways to manage seasonal gluts (hello, tomato sauce stash), and tricks like freezing feijoas for crumble and slicing lemons individually for easy use. Lunchboxes get a reset with two veg, a protein, and less sugar, while homemade sauces quietly deliver herbs, onion, and garlic. Kids step into the kitchen early to build skills, pride, and an eye for real ingredients.Gut health powers a big chunk of our chat. Kombucha becomes a bargain with a SCOBY, sauerkraut is budget-friendly fermentation, and bone broth turns cheap carcasses into collagen-rich fuel. We explain where freshness matters—like vitamin C in lemons—and how to balance convenience with nutrition. The serious note: we’re seeing more cancers and heart issues at younger ages. Our call is clear—act early. Move your body, hydrate, eat more plants, and seek help before problems harden. Health insurance and checkups belong in prevention, not panic.If you’re ready for practical steps that make your body stronger and your budget calmer, this one’s for you. Subscribe for more real-world health and money smarts, share this with a mate who needs a boost, and leave a review with your best under-$10 dinner idea—we’ll try it next week.Send us a text Support the showBuy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

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• Council Rates Can’t Be Fixed, But Your Mortgage Can

  A 50 basis point cut just landed, floating rates slid, and yet those four and five-year fixes barely blinked. We unpack the why behind that mismatch, translating market dynamics into clear choices for homeowners who need more than headlines to make the next fix decision.We walk through how banks price long-term rates off wholesale markets and inflation expectations—often “pre-pricing” central bank moves—so the long end can bottom before retail rates catch up. From there, we weigh certainty versus opportunism: whether to lock just over 5 percent for stability, ride a short-term dip toward 3.99, or split your lending to hedge both paths. You’ll hear practical rules of thumb for sellers aiming to avoid break fees, families planning for a single income, and anyone deciding between floating, six to twelve-month fixes, and multi-year anchors.We also look ahead. With another OCR review due late November and a new Reserve Bank Governor stepping in December, expectations can shift quickly. Green shoots in activity could cap further cuts and turn the cycle, while lingering softness may keep short terms competitive for a spell. Our goal is to help you set a plan before markets move: know your time horizon, decide what certainty is worth, and choose a structure that fits your life rather than chasing the lowest possible number for a fleeting moment.If this helped clarify your next step, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s refixing soon, and leave a quick review so more New Zealanders can find smart, calm guidance on their home loans.Send us a text Support the showBuy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

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• My Shares Doubled And All I Got Was A New Kitchen

  Markets don’t wait for permission slips. We open with a candid look at why agriculture and some NZX names are surprising on the upside, and how those signals can help everyday buyers read what’s next for property. One quick portfolio check turns into a useful takeaway: listed property stocks often move months before the housing headlines catch up, giving first-home hopefuls and investors a way to learn the cycle in real time.From there, we dive into the construction landscape. It’s been bruising, but green shoots are real: enquiry for new builds is lifting as job confidence steadies, and the main roadblock is often selling the current place to free up capital. We talk through what actually gets banks to yes, starting with a myth-buster: first-home buyers can build with as little as 10% deposit when using a fixed-price contract from a recognised group builder. Labour-only projects, where you swing the hammer yourself, tend to require 30 to 40% because lenders assume income disruption. Investors get a powerful edge too, with new-build exemptions that can bring minimum deposits down to 10% under RBNZ settings.We get practical about cost: the base price rarely tells the full story. Site works, landscaping, driveways, curtains, and energy upgrades add up fast, so pushing for a complete inclusion schedule matters. Then comes the lender fit. Not all banks assess variable income the same way, and a tidy deal presentation can compress timelines dramatically. A real client story brings it to life: weeks of friction with a home bank turned into approvals within two days once the file was reframed and sent to the right lenders. The takeaway is simple and empowering—if the numbers stack, the solution may be choosing the right contract, clarifying the total cost, and knocking on the door that already wants your deal.Ready to turn interest into action? Follow the show, share this with a friend who’s eyeing a new build, and leave a review with your top question about deposits, contracts, or lender choice so we can cover it next.Send us a text Support the showBuy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

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• How NZ Retirement Villages Signal The Next Housing Cycle

  Markets have a way of whispering before the economy speaks. We zoom into New Zealand’s most telling tickers—retirement village operators and a key challenger bank—to read what might be next for housing, credit, and confidence. If you live and breathe property, these listed signals can become your early-warning system and your roadmap.We unpack why Somerset’s steadier execution and Ryman’s rebound matter far beyond their share prices, touching everything from build pipelines to downsizing demand in Auckland, Melbourne, and beyond. Then we turn to Heartland Bank and its lending to vehicles, agriculture, and reverse mortgages, explaining how a lift in this one stock can hint at improving sentiment months before it shows up in auction rooms or clearance rates. Along the way, we talk listed property trusts, cap rates, and the quiet interplay between funding costs and valuations that shapes investment returns.The conversation gets candid too. We own up to “midnight share shopping,” celebrate an accidental Fonterra win, and stress the one rule that outperforms most hot tips: spend less than you earn so you never have to sell good assets to pay for life. From small Sharesies top-ups to teaching kids about compounding, the theme is the same—invest where you hold an edge, keep risk small while you learn, and let market indicators guide your timing rather than your identity. Keen to turn property knowledge into smarter market reads without the jargon?Subscribe, share this episode with a mate who loves a good chart, and leave a review telling us which NZ ticker you watch first when the cycle turns.Send us a text Support the showBuy your first home in NZ Weekly Webinars You thought it's not possible or the dream is too far away? Come to my webinar and I will show you, you are much closer to your dream, than you think you are! Join Here - https://bit.ly/4m9SL72

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