Too Good to be True?

We are on the cusp of a once-in-a-decade influx of properties on the market. Nathan Miglani, Director of NZ Mortgages, explains.

As we have discussed, in the aftermath of the election we saw immediate momentum in the market. Since March we have seen this start to drop as the reality of interest rates remaining high dampened buyers’ appetite. Petrol prices are high, the cost of living continues to increase and while the OCR is holding, and forecasted to hold for the next few months, people are hurting, which in turn sees the property market slow.

But there is hope on the horizon – we are predicting that by September/October we will start to see interest rates slowly start to come down, but do not expect them to drop as quickly as they rose. We are seeing some banks offer as low as 5.99 per cent on a three-year loan, and while this might sound good now, my advice is still to only fix for a short term to avoid costly break fees.

The most active market we are seeing right now is in the $800,000 – $1.3 million range with lots of buying and selling happening. This is set to ramp up come 1 July with the changes to the bright-line property rule when it comes to being taxed on capital gain – dropping from 10 years (or five years for a new build) to two. For many it will seem too good to be true, but it is!

This is set to put in motion a once-in-a-decade influx of properties to the market from Mum-and-Dad investors who are currently hurting with the high interest rates, creating massive opportunity for both first home buyers and first-time investors.

Other sectors of the market continue to feel the pinch and as an advocate and passionate developer it was important to me to be able to assist the construction sector, which sees the launch of our construction division, Construction Loans. This is for those who have decided to build their first home, right up to those developing a subdivision. It is about helping everyone achieve their goals – which underpins everything we do.

For this sector, it is about ensuring that the finances are in order before it is too late. Arranging finance for building a property is different from securing finance on an existing home, and it is critical to consider the best way to structure repayments on the section and the build while maintaining lifestyle.

It is about empowering builders, developers and everyone to make informed decisions that work for their unique situations. There is no one size fits all, which is why it is imperative that you seek professional advice before it’s too late. We are here to help you avoid pitfalls.

Years of experience mean Nathan Miglani knows how to give you the best possible chance of success if you are thinking of buying or building a property. Whether it’s a first home, next home, rental or a development, Nathan and his team are passionate about helping you through the process and they’ll find the best deal for your unique circumstances. nzmortgages.co.nz