First home buyer loans

Your first one is the hardest.
We've done thousands.

KiwiSaver, low deposits, parental help, LVR rules — we'll explain it once and never make you feel stupid for asking again.

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Who this is for

Probably you, if any of this sounds familiar.

You're renting in Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, or somewhere else in the Waikato and the maths is starting to add up.
You and a partner both work, you've got KiwiSaver running, and you're wondering whether you have enough deposit yet.
You've looked at the bank's website, got more confused, and now want a real person to walk you through it.
You don't know what's possible. That's the most common starting point we see.

How it works

Five steps. We do most of them.

01
A 20-minute chat
Tell us where you're at. We'll tell you what's possible — and what's not — without making you feel stupid for asking.
02
KiwiSaver and deposit check
We work out exactly what you've got to work with — KiwiSaver, savings, the First Home Grant, parental help — and what that means for the price you can buy at.
03
Lender packaging
We package your application properly. Bank statements, payslips, the story — laid out so the bank says yes the first time, not after a back-and-forth.
04
Conditional approval
You go house-hunting with a real number, not a guess. Make offers with confidence.
05
Settlement and beyond
We see you through to settlement, then check in when your fixed term is coming up. We don't disappear once the commission lands.

What we do that the bank can't

We work for you. The bank works for the bank.

We know which banks are friendly to your situation

Self-employed? Recent job change? Bonus-heavy income? Different banks see those things differently. We know which ones say yes for which scenarios so we don't waste your credit score.

We package so you don't get a no you didn't deserve

Bank approvals come down to how the application is presented. We've packaged thousands. We know what the credit team is looking for.

We don't disappear after settlement

We check in 60 days before your fixed term ends. We watch rates so you don't have to. The relationship outlasts the transaction.

The bits you'll hear bandied around

Mortgage jargon, demystified.

KiwiSaver first home withdrawal: You can pull most of your KiwiSaver out toward a first home if you've been contributing for at least three years. Most lenders count it as deposit. Important: it has to settle before you do, so we start the paperwork early.
First Home Grant: Up to $5,000 per person (existing home) or $10,000 per person (new build), from Kāinga Ora. Income and house-price caps apply — we'll check eligibility before you get your hopes up.
LVR — loan-to-value ratio: The percentage of the house value you're borrowing. Reserve Bank rules limit how many low-LVR loans (under 20% deposit) banks can write. There are paths in with less than 20% — we know which banks have headroom.
Low-equity premium: An extra cost some banks charge when you borrow more than 80% of the value. It's either a one-off fee or a higher interest rate. We'll explain what it'll cost in your situation and whether it's worth wearing.

FAQs