That Home Loan Hub

• How The Right Insurance Turned A Crisis Into A Lifeline For A Young Family;

  A single night out changed everything for a self-employed dad-to-be—until a well-structured plan kicked in. We sit down with adviser Blake Sutton to unpack how income protection, trauma cover, and private health insurance work in the real world, not just on paper. Blake’s three-generation insurance story takes us from hospitality floors to claim forms, and from corporate constraints to building Ridgeline Insurance around people, not policies.You’ll hear the anatomy of a claim that mattered: a king-hit concussion, a four-week wait, six months paid upfront, and a surprise 56k trauma payout that kept a young family steady. We contrast ACC’s limits with private income protection, explaining partial disability benefits and why the incentives around rehab and return-to-work actually help recovery. Then we get practical about health insurance in New Zealand’s stretched system—why faster diagnostics, specialist access, and reduced wait times can mean earlier treatment, fewer complications, and a calmer headspace.We also tackle the myth of self-insuring and the quiet danger of set-and-forget policies. High earners with big mortgages are often most exposed, and claim stats don’t lie: cancer leads payouts, and mental health frequently compounds other conditions. The message is clear and actionable—review regularly, disclose fully, and match cover to your real life so cash flow holds when health doesn’t. If you’ve wondered how to balance premiums with protection, or what actually happens when you claim, this conversation gives you a grounded framework to protect income, choices, and the people who rely on you.If this helped clarify your cover, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review to help others find it. Your questions and stories shape future episodes—what’s the one insurance myth you want us to test 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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• Clear Medical Disclosure Today Prevents Heartache Tomorrow

  One small omission on an insurance form can snowball into a denied claim when you need help most. We dive into the real meaning of disclosure for health-related risk cover, why non-disclosure shows up at claim time, and how to build a simple, future-proof record of your medical history so underwriters see a clear and credible story.We start by stripping away the jargon: disclosure is just your answers to medical and occupation questions, and those answers must align with what’s in your medical notes. You’ll hear a striking case where a specific injury claim for a broken leg ran into trouble due to undisclosed high cholesterol. The Ombudsman ultimately helped get the payout, but the stress was avoidable—and that’s the point. Insurers operate in a competitive market and want to pay credible claims; your job is to make credibility easy by over-disclosing and letting underwriting weigh the risk.From there, we get practical. We share how advisers coach applicants through tricky “ever had” questions, why online DIY forms can miss critical nuance, and what good disclosure looks like from birth to the application date. Parents will pick up simple, time-saving systems: labelled folders for ACC letters and reports, annotated notes on vague form letters, cloud photo archives with searchable tags, and even dedicated email addresses for each child so a complete health timeline is ready at 18. Migrants will learn how to handle overseas medical notes, what immigration medicals do and don’t cover, and how to document gaps honestly when records are hard to retrieve.We wrap with exclusions and loadings—the rules for when they’re applied, and how to get them reviewed or removed. Think practical timelines: twelve months post-surgery with no complications, maintained weight loss with blood pressure and cholesterol evidence, and written criteria from the underwriter so you know exactly what to aim for. Some conditions remain excluded, but many improve with structured follow-up. If you want your future claim paid without drama, start with complete answers now, keep clean records, and plan periodic reviews. Enjoy the conversation, and if it helps, share it with someone who’s filling out a form today. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us the best record-keeping tip you swear by.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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• Should You Buy A Home Privately? Clear Pros, Hidden Risks, And Smarter Steps

  Hate open homes and bidding wars? We take a clear-eyed look at private home purchases and map out when they shine and when they sting. From tenant-to-owner deals to family sales and investor shortcuts, we unpack the real-world pros, the bank rules that matter, and the due diligence that keeps your budget and sanity intact.We start with the upside: less competition, first access, and the unbeatable win of not packing boxes when you already live in the property. Then we add the guardrails. Banks often require a registered valuation for private sales, even with 20% deposit, because there’s no market-tested price. That’s your cue to ground decisions in evidence rather than emotion. We walk through what a valuation can and can’t tell you, why a builder’s report and a LIM report are non-negotiable, and how small issues you learned to live with can become big problems at sale time.Emotions run hottest with family and friend transactions. We share cautionary stories about buying at the peak to “keep the house,” only to face losses later, and outline the boundaries that protect relationships: independent valuations, standard clauses, and separate legal advice. Investors also get a reality check: a private deal is not a substitute for a rent appraisal, capex plan, and compliance review. If the numbers only work under perfect assumptions, they don’t work.By the end, you’ll know how to judge long-term fit versus short-term convenience, where hidden costs hide, and when to call in a professional. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s eyeing a private deal, and leave a quick review to tell us the one check you’d never skip.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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• Flood Risk, Insurance Pullbacks, And First-Home Lending On New Zealand’s West Coast

  Buying a home on New Zealand’s West Coast sounds simple until you try to secure insurance, line up a valuation, and satisfy your finance clause—all while lenders and underwriters grow cautious about flood risk. We open the door on what’s really happening across Westport, Greymouth, and Hokatika, and share a first-home buyer’s story that shows why due diligence can make or break your purchase.A builder’s report became the turning point: after struggling to find anyone local, our buyer paid extra to bring in an out-of-town inspector. The findings were stark—foundation cracks, a 50 mm drop in part of the house, and seized windows. That report protected her deposit and her future budget. We break down how private sales still need full checks, why a LIM and builder’s report are non-negotiable, and how to time each step so your offer stays alive.We also tackle valuation delays and what they mean for finance conditions. In smaller centres, a valuer can take weeks, not days—far longer than standard 10–15 day clauses. We talk through practical workarounds: request longer timeframes up front, escalate with panel firms, or choose lenders who accept alternative valuation methods when appropriate. Then we move to insurance, where Section 72 flags and flood-zone mapping (including across Kapiti) can trigger declines even without a history of flooding. The path forward is targeted: shop the market, lean on specialist brokers, present risk evidence, and secure terms your bank will accept.If you’re planning to buy in a hazard-marked area, this guide arms you with a plan: book reports early, negotiate realistic conditions, and secure insurance options before you commit. Share this with a friend on the hunt, and subscribe for more smart, grounded advice on navigating New Zealand property. Got a West Coast story or tip we should hear? Message us and join the conversation.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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• From First Keys To Forever Home: Choosing Practicality Over Perks

  The dream of a glossy first home is powerful—until the repayments start calling the shots. We take an honest look at the fork every first-home buyer faces: chase convenience and lifestyle now, or choose common sense and practicality that sets you up for bigger wins later. Through candid stories from our own first purchases—tiny floor plans, borders to boost cash flow, and unapologetically modest choices—we show how a smaller start can become the foundation for a future build or a forever home.Across the conversation, we unpack the true cost of ownership beyond the bank’s pre-approval. Rates rise, insurance climbs, and everyday expenses don’t stop when you get the keys. We share a simple framework: test your budget with real numbers, not optimism. Use calculators to model repayments, add buffers for the unknown, and decide what lifestyle changes you’ll accept before you sign. Overstretching doesn’t just hit your wallet; it strains relationships, steals time, and can turn a home into a source of pressure rather than pride.We also explore strategy: when a “forever home” makes sense, how to use stepping stones to build equity, and where regional towns can offer affordable entries without sacrificing your future options. The thread running through it all is sequencing—buy what you can comfortably hold today so you can move with confidence tomorrow. Whether you’re eyeing your first set of keys or recalibrating after a tough search, you’ll leave with a clear plan to buy smarter, sleep better, and keep your goals in sight.Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend who’s house hunting, and leave a quick review—what’s the one trade-off you’re willing to make to get on the ladder?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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