Hey, my name is Andrew Duncan.
On my blog, you will find real estate tips, advice and market commentary, along with articles about climate change, plant-based food, personal finance and travel. I love working with nice people, solving problems and living in Wellington, NZ.
Common property finance questions answered by mortgage adviser, Jenny Cheevers… In our latest bi-monthly property finance episode, we cover: – Mortgage holidays. Are they a good idea? – Can you still get pre-approved to buy a home during lockdown? – Now that interest rates have dropped again, should you break your mortgage to re-fix? Plus other advice for first home…
I am an investment property owner. I am just the kind of person the Tax Working Group intends to target in their capital gains tax recommendations. This policy is likely going to cost my family a lot of money in the future. But I understand why it needs to be done and I agree with it. Here are 5 reasons…
First up, if you are unsure what we mean by the words conditional vs unconditional, check out this article for a bit of background. Needless to say, making an unconditional offer on a property takes serious effort and investment. The process of making an unconditional offer could (and should) involve: Speaking with your lawyer (asking them to review the title,…
If you are buying a home for the first time, or if you haven’t made an offer in a while, the whole question of conditional vs unconditional offers can get confusing. This article explains how each type of offer works. When you make an offer on a property it will either be: UNCONDITIONAL Meaning the offer is not subject to…
This article will give you tips on how to avoid paying too much when buying a home. It focusses on the emotional side of the decision-making process. Why do some people end up paying too much? FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is an immensely powerful emotion and it can drive us to do crazy things in the heat of the…
Every millennial real estate buyer wants to be in charge of their transaction from start to finish. We want to do as much research as possible before speaking to a real estate salesperson. 5 dos and 5 don’ts for marketing properties to first home buyers. Please don’t! 1. Don’t limit the number of photos on trademe to ‘make the phone ring’. If…
A new report has been released by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor which questions all our assumptions around ‘safe’ meth contamination levels in residential houses. The report essentially says the old trigger level of 1.5 mcg per 100 sq cm was way too over-zealous and contamination levels would have to be many, many times higher to even have the…
Lately, the ‘stop being so tough on property investors‘ rhetoric has gotten a little bit much for me to bear. Fellow property investors – it’s time we started being honest with ourselves. Taking care of your financial future is a good thing and you should be commended for it. You won’t be a burden to the state if you take care…
Have you fallen in love with a home that your partner just can’t stand? Choosing a home can really test a relationship. The act of buying such a large asset is fraught with emotion which can seriously cloud our judgement and effect our ability to make sound investment decisions. Houses are interesting because for most of us it is the…
I saw the following questioned asked of Mary Holm in one of her recent columns (NZ Herald): Q: I have a student loan and I want to buy a house. I have a cash deposit, so I’m considering paying off my loan in full while using the remainder of the cash as my house deposit (as I have enough to…
