“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of us all?”
We’ve all done it. Or is it just me? I fed my name into Google – well, actually it was one of those fancy AI tools, ChatGPT or Claude or whatever – to see what it said about the business. Talk about a dent to the ego! Nothing about me, but a lot about another random mortgage company down the road that doesn’t even offer the same services!
Should I lock in now or wait? Why splitting your mortgage beats crystal ball gazing
I seem to have had a lot of calls like this recently. “Cam, my fixed rate’s coming up for renewal and I’m not sure whether to lock in now or wait for rates to drop further. What would you do?”
It’s a fair question, and I get why people are asking it. We’ve just come through twelve months where interest rates have fallen by a full 2.5%, so naturally, everyone’s wondering if they’re about to miss out on even better rates just around the corner. The fear of locking in today only to see rates drop next month is real, and it’s keeping a lot of people awake at night.
First Home Buyers – why now’s your time (but only if you stop getting in your own way)
I was in a café the other day, and I bumped into a young couple I know who have just got engaged. We had a bit of a chat about this and that, and then, because they know what I do for a living, they said: “Cam, we’re thinking about buying our first home, but we’re not sure if we’re ready.” My response was – how do you know if you’re ready if you don’t know what you can afford?
Don’t just click and hope – why your refix decision deserves more than five minutes
I’ll be straight with you – the banks love it when you refix online. It’s quick, it’s efficient for them, and frankly, it saves them money.
But the vast majority of people who come to see me want to have a proper conversation before they make their refix decision, not after they’ve already locked themselves in.
So – you’ve got your mortgage? Here’s why you still need our services
Let’s discuss a common misconception – mortgage advisers help you obtain a mortgage and then gallop off into the sunset.
Wrong. There’s so much more to it than that.
Getting you that home loan is our bread and butter at Hastie Mortgages, but the value isn’t just in the initial transaction – it’s in the ongoing relationship that ensures your mortgage continues working for you as your life changes.
Financial curveballs: room to swing within your mortgage
I’ve noticed quite a bit of chatter on social media recently, suggesting you shouldn’t take out a 30-year loan term. The argument goes that paying a loan over three decades results in paying far more interest. And yes, that’s mathematically correct. Will I pay more or less interest on a 30-year loan? The simple answer is more interest – but there’s much more to the story.
Refixing your mortgage – there’s more flexibility than you think
Refixing in a reducing interest rate environment sounds boring as hell, doesn’t it?
But stick with me, because this could save you a lot of stress and potentially thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage.
We have countless conversations with clients about what to do when their fixed rate expires. Especially now, when interest rates have dropped. And I find myself encouraging virtually everyone to keep their payments at the same level they’ve been making, even though the new rate might be lower.
A first home journey with Glen and Nish
That first meeting ended with a handshake and a promise: “I’ll be back.” Three years and $90,000 of paid-off debt later, Glen and Nish didn’t just come back – they powered through every setback the Auckland housing market threw at them.
Property investment in 2025
If you’ve been sitting on the fence about property investment, especially with the higher interest rates and regulatory restraints of the last few years, 2025 might be the year to make your move. But before you rush out to become a landlord, let’s talk about why the timing looks good and, more importantly, how to do it smartly.
The two-year fix might be your sweet spot
There’s been plenty of chatter about interest rates lately (just for a change!), with predictions flying around about what will happen next. But we’re starting to see a return to what I’d call ‘normal’ in the mortgage market. And by normal, I mean how things worked before Covid turned everything on its head.