Nathan Lewis - Mortgage A to Z

23/10/2026

22/10/2026

“We’ll just renovate it.” Fair enough.

Just remember that your $20,000 renovation budget has absolutely no idea that you’ve also decided you want new flooring, a new kitchen and “while we’re at it, we may as well do the bathroom.”

If you're buying a property that needs work, think about more than whether you can afford the purchase itself.

How much cash will you have left afterwards?

What work actually needs doing?

And if you're expecting to borrow additional money for the renovations, have you checked whether that's actually possible?

Buying the ugly house and making it beautiful can be a great plan.

Just make sure the numbers have also been invited to the renovation.

Nathan
📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

21/10/2026

Buying a house with your partner is exciting. Romantic stuff.

But before you start arguing over kitchen benchtops, it’s worth understanding what buying together actually looks like financially.

Both incomes, debts, expenses and financial commitments can form part of the lending picture, so one person's situation can affect what you're able to do together.

Work out the boring mortgage stuff first.

Then you can get back to the important argument about whether you really need the couch from Restoration Hardware.

Nathan
📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

18/10/2026

Basically, you need to talk to your sibling about your plans first. If everyone is comfortable with the idea, you’ll then need to either agree on a price or arrange a registered valuation to determine the property’s value.

From there, your bank and lawyer should be able to guide you through the remaining finance and legal steps.

The bank saying yes is a great start, but make sure everyone understands and agrees to the arrangement before moving forward.

If you’re considering buying out a sibling, get in touch, and I can help you work through the lending side.

📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

15/10/2026

Your fixed term is ending, and the bank has conveniently sent you some new options.

Excellent.

You could pick one, click confirm and get on with your day.

And sometimes that might be perfectly fine. But refixing is also a pretty useful opportunity to look at how your mortgage is structured, whether your circumstances have changed and what you’re actually trying to achieve over the next few years.

You might end up choosing exactly what you were originally going to choose.

If your fixed term is coming up, give me a call, and we can look at it properly.

📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

14/10/2026

The lowest interest rate must be the best mortgage option.

Nice and simple.

Unfortunately, mortgages have a habit of being slightly more complicated than that.

The rate obviously matters, but so can the term, flexibility, fees, your plans for the property and what you expect your finances to look like over the next few years.

Saving a little on the rate isn't particularly exciting if you've chosen a loan structure that doesn't suit what you're actually trying to do.

There isn't one “best” mortgage for everyone.

There is, however, usually a better way to structure one for you.

📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

11/10/2026

The bank declined your pre-approval because of an old or recently repaid debt.

Annoying? Yes.

Does it automatically mean you need to sit quietly in mortgage detention for two years? Not necessarily.

A good deposit, positive recent banking behaviour and consistently paying your bills and current debts on time can all help address the bank’s concerns about the past.

Different banks also assess credit issues differently. Sometimes, it comes down to the lender being approached, the strength of the overall application and how the situation is explained.

A private lender may be an option, but don’t give up on the main banks before your full position has been properly assessed.

One “no” isn’t always the final answer.

📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz

08/10/2026

“My credit card has nothing owing on it, so it shouldn’t matter... right?”

Not quite.

When assessing your borrowing, a lender may take the credit limit into account, not just what you currently owe.

So that card sitting there with a $10,000 limit and a very responsible $0 balance can still affect the numbers.

Does that mean everyone should immediately cancel every credit card they own?

No.

It means we should look at your actual situation first and work out whether reducing limits or closing unused facilities could help your application.

Much less dramatic.

📞 0800 629 629
🌐 maz.co.nz

07/10/2026

The bank declined your pre-approval because of an old or recently repaid debt.

Annoying? Yes.

Does it automatically mean you need to sit quietly in mortgage detention for two years? Not necessarily.

A good deposit, positive recent banking behaviour and consistently paying your bills and current debts on time can all help address the bank’s concerns about the past.

Different banks also assess credit issues differently. Sometimes, it comes down to the lender being approached, the strength of the overall application and how the situation is explained.

A private lender may be an option, but don’t give up on the main banks before your full position has been properly assessed.

One “no” isn’t always the final answer.

📞 0800 629 629
🌐 maz.co.nz

04/10/2026

Short on the 12-month employment requirement?

Officially, both applicants need to have been in their current roles for 12 months, or have 24 months of experience in the same industry.

But “officially” doesn’t always mean “absolutely no chance.”

We’ve already had three Kāinga Ora First Home Loan applications approved this year that fell outside these criteria, and another one has recently been submitted that we believe has a strong chance too.

So, if one of you has only been in your role for nine months, don’t automatically assume you have to sit around waiting for the calendar to catch up.

Every application has its own strengths.
Get in touch, and I’ll take a proper look at yours to see whether we can make a case for getting you approved sooner.

📞 029 776 6076
🌐 maz.co.nz