Buying a house is a significant step forward in your life. You’ll have a permanent place to stay in and a neighbourhood to put down roots. The property could be an investment when it appreciates, and you decide to resell. However, unless you’ve received a massive inheritance or created a multi-million dollar business, you may not be able to afford a cash purchase on a home.

The annual pay for all types of careers in the country rarely goes beyond NZ$ 100,000. Meanwhile, the nationwide median house price is a whopping NZ$ 629,000. This means that even if you save all your salary for a year, you still can’t buy a cash home.

When you’ve found the right house for you through a real estate app for buyers, the best chance you have at financing your homeownership is to get a mortgage, also known as a home loan. This involves borrowing money from a firm, like a bank or a lender, to fund a house’s purchase or improvement.

1. There exist a kind of ways for you to acquire a mortgage:

a. Commercial banks

This is the most common way of getting a home loan in the country. They often offer competitive interest rates because a lot of other banks provide the same service, too.

Because interests are generally low, however, banks are also strict when it comes to approving customers. They need borrowers that can consistently make payments. Otherwise, they suffer a large loss.

b. Government loans

The government has a variety of home loan plans for its residents. These include the Welcome Home Loan, KiwiSaver, and FirstHome. The first helps buyers out by lowering a bank loan deposit down to just 10 per cent, First Home, on the other hand, offers a grant of 10 per cent of the house’s purchase price. Lastly, KiwiSaver offers subsidies as much as $5,000 a year, as long as you contribute consistently to it.

c. Home Loan Specialists

Some firms specialize in managing home loan plans according to your budget and preferences. Apart from knowledge and experience in making home loan schemes, they also have the government’s necessary clearance, so their closing times are much faster than that of banks. These specialists often partner with mortgage brokers to market their plans to you.

Though these lenders all have their pros and cons, they have one thing in common: they have strict requirements for approvals. As such, you need to ensure that you provide the documents necessary to prove that you’re worthy of receiving a loan.

And if you’re more than qualified, they may even give you lower interest rates, as you appear as more trustworthy to them. Your mortgage approval time affects your home buying timeline, so you want to get it done as soon as possible. You don’t want your dream house to get swiped by another buyer because you don’t have the loan to buy it just yet.

2. Here are the different factors to consider when getting your mortgage approved.

a. Employment

Lenders want to give loans to borrowers who have a reliable and steady income. They might ask about your current job and work history. Representatives may also call your office and speak with your superiors to verify your employment.

If you’re not under traditional occupation like a business owner or living on benefits, you need to provide proof of income. These include receipts of your transactions or cheques from your services.

b. Credit score

Another important factor that lenders consider is your credit score. Every loan provider checks this, be it credit card companies or mortgage firms. It’s a number that measures how trustworthy you are based on your bills payment history, other loan applications, bank accounts, and more.

If you’re frequently behind on your loan payments, your credit score may be on the fair or low range. If you’re always up to date on your bills and don’t incur too much debt, however, you may end up on the average or excellent range, which lenders are inclined to approve. You may still get approved with a low credit score, but you should also expect high interest to come with it.

c. Outstanding debts

It’s OK to have an obligation, as long as you have your payments under control. If you also become crucial on your plate, like maxed out credit cards or bills payment penalties, your lender may be inclined to decline your application. Remember, they want someone reliable. If you can’t pay off your previous loans on time, mortgage lenders expect you to be delinquent to them as well.

Getting a mortgage is the only option for most people to get started on owning a home. There exist a difference of options when it comes to getting a home loan. However, they all have strict requirements. Ensure you have enough income for your chosen plan, keep your credit score in good condition and keep your debts in control. You’ll be approved in no time.;