September 2017's Property Gazette

How to Avoid Paying Extra Mortgage Fees

Interest rates remain low and the Reserve Bank has recently indicated they do not see them rising soon. While this remains great news for new and existing mortgage holders, there is one small catch…

Banks Are Receiving Lower Margins on Interest Repayments

Banks lend borrowers money to make a profit. No one disputes this, and there’s nothing wrong with it. After all, when we take out a mortgage, we borrow someone else’s money to buy a property. In return, we give them money back in the form of repayments and interest. In the past, this has been perfectly okay with the banks as margins between what they purchase the funds for, and then sell them for has been reasonably profitable. They have taken our interest payments as a profit and been satisfied.

Nowadays the problem is that as the interest rates are so low, the banks are not making as much margin as they would like to. They can’t raise their own interest rates as that would make them less competitive, reducing the number of new borrowers they attract. So instead, they have been reintroducing the ability of charging a fee to new borrowers when they take out a mortgage, or a restructure fee for existing clients looking to change their existing loan structures.

With a fee ranging from several hundred dollars up to a thousand dollars, it’s something borrowers have accepted as part of getting a mortgage. We disagree.

Don’t Pay Extra Fees. Here’s How …

As mortgage brokers, we know the ins and outs of all the lending products on the market. We know which banks charge mortgage establishment fees and which don’t. Before you talk with the bank, talk with us first! It won’t cost you anything – we work for free for you!

If you are not quite sure about the differences between a bank and a broker, then check out our blog and find out which one is best!  Remember, we’re not here to make money from you …

Give us a call on 0508 466 356 or fill in our Contact Page form today.

First Home Buyers Seminar

At the start of August, we were pleased to run a First Home Buyers Seminar in conjunction with Brent Selwyn from Kannangara Thomson, and Kyle Pitman from Harcourts Grenadier. We had a full house of eager first home buyers, armed with plenty of questions around conveyancing, Kiwisaver, and deposit amounts. A big thank you to all who attended and helped make the night a huge success.

Our next First Home Buyers Seminar is being held on the 25th of October. Look out for more details on how to book or contact us for more information. 

  • I am so thankful that we had Greg as our mortgage broker. Greg went above and beyond to help us. He was super knowledgeable and helpful. He was always available to answer our questions - even when they weren’t strictly mortgage related. I would definitely recommend Greg to anyone needing a mortgage broker - especially first home buyers.
    Rose Crean - 25 August 2025
  • Greg was fantastic to work with! He made the whole process simple and explained everything clear for easy understanding. We were absolutely thrilled with the home loan transition, setup of our new banking, and even insurances. Everything went smooth and stress free. Greg's service was impeccable, and we felt completely at ease throughout. Highly recommend Greg!
    Eric Finn - 24 August 2025
  • Scott helped us through the purchase of our home in Christchurch. Outstanding service - very proactive, explains everything in simple terms, and his passion about 'Advanced Mortgage Solutions' really came through! Highly recommended. Thanks so much for all your help Scott.
    Camille Venturina - 11 August 2025
  • As a first home buyer, I found Greg to be knowledgeable and incredibly supportive. He explained every step of the process in a clear and easy to understand way. Greg was approachable and went above and beyond to ensure I achieved the best possible outcome
    Tui Waters - 30 July 2025
  • Scott was brilliant in helping me secure a mortgage for my first home. Knowledgeable and efficient. Highly recommend.
    Joe Sergeant - 08 July 2025