Leverage Addicts

Join Simon as he sits down with licensed New Zealand financial adviser Harry, who bought his first property at 23 and has helped hundreds of clients restructure their home loans more effectively. We cover powerful mortgage strategies including interest-only lending, refinancing, cashback offers, revolving credit, debt consolidation, house hacking, and how to pay your mortgage off years faster — without increasing repayments.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/mortgage-hacks-you-need-to-know-mortgage-strategies-series/

Property headlines are loud, but smart New Zealand investors focus on strategy, not noise. In this NZ property market update, we sit down with one of New Zealand’s leading financial advisers to break down what’s actually working right now for first home buyers, property investors, and Kiwis building long-term wealth. We cover NZ mortgage rates, cash flow vs capital growth, manufacturing equity, risk management, refinancing strategy, granny flats, development opportunities, and how to invest through a flat or uncertain market. Whether you’re buying your first home, planning your next investment property, or restructuring an existing NZ proper...

What is the Reserve Bank really signalling about interest rates in New Zealand? Whether you’re a first-home buyer, property investor, or homeowner, understanding the Reserve Bank’s moves is crucial for navigating the NZ housing market, mortgages, and household finances. In this video, we break down whether there will be another rate cut, where we are in the rate-cutting cycle, why household inflation matters, what could trigger the Reserve Bank to tighten rates, and how global risks could impact Kiwi households. Learn how to interpret the Reserve Bank Governor’s signals and make smarter decisions for your property invest...

Politics doesn’t just shape headlines - it shapes house prices, mortgages, KiwiSaver balances, and your long-term wealth. In this sharp, no-spin episode, Andy Turner, Head of Advice for Insurance and KiwiSaver, sits down with Simon McDonald, Head of Advice at MortgageHQ, to break down how political leadership styles directly collide with the future of New Zealand’s housing market.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/house-buying/styles-make-fights-hipkins-vs-luxon-and-the-battle-for-nz-house-prices/

Every New Zealand property cycle has a danger zone. Summer is it.
More listings. More buyers. More emotion. And for first home buyers in 2025, more ways to make irreversible financial mistakes.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/house-buying/summer-property-traps-2025-the-costly-mistakes-first-home-buyers-keep-repeating/

Book a call: http://go.oncehub.com/10-minute-introductory-call

New Zealand is obsessed with ANZ’s one point five percent cashback war.
But while the country argues over short term savings, real investors are quietly using a completely different playbook to build long term wealth.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/the-anz-1-5-cash-war-is-a-distraction-we-reveal-where-real-wealth-is-made/

Everyone in New Zealand is busy moaning about interest rates. Meanwhile, a tiny percentage of investors are quietly building wealth with the cheapest capital in the country. Zero percent money. One percent money. Bank-funded upgrades that literally force capital gains.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/the-zero-percent-money-play-how-nz-investors-turn-green-loans-into-faster-wealth-and-bigger-gains/

Every Kiwi wants freedom - time with family, no money stress, and a future that actually feels earned. But between rising interest rates, school fees, and inflation, most people are running harder just to stand still. In this hard-hitting episode, Craig Stanaway sits down with Simon McDonald, Head of Advice at MortgageHQ, to expose how ordinary New Zealanders can retire early, raise financially smart kids, and turn their paycheques into real power.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/tips-tools-strategies/retire-early-raise-legends-the-kiwi-playbook-for-turning-paycheques-into-power/

Welcome to the episode every New Zealand landlord, investor, and tenant needs to hear - the ultimate deep dive into the hidden world of property management in New Zealand. Hosted by Craig Stanaway and featuring Joseph Hickton of Barfoot & Thompson, this conversation rips the lid off what really happens behind the scenes of NZ’s rental market, from tenant selection and maintenance dramas to investor strategy and compliance chaos.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-truth-about-property-managers-behind-the-scenes-of-nz-tenants-and-rentals/

It’s the story shaking dinner tables and boardrooms across the country. Labour’s latest move — a narrow Capital Gains Tax proposal to help fund free GP visits - has reignited one of New Zealand’s most divisive debates: how far is too far when taxing wealth built on property?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/capital-gains-bombshell-will-labours-tax-plan-blow-up-nz-property/

Love’s great. Wealth is better. Combine the two properly, and you’ve got a Kiwi power couple who can take on the world. But most people don’t. Most couples in New Zealand are sleepwalking through the single most valuable partnership they’ll ever have — the financial one.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-kiwi-power-couple-playbook-turn-your-relationship-into-a-wealth-machine-without-the-divorce/

What if the smartest property investment in New Zealand over the next decade isn’t in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch — but just one hour outside them? In this powerful episode, MortgageHQ founder Blandon Leung joins host Craig Stanaway to reveal how NZ’s commuter belt property market is transforming from affordable outskirts into high-yield investment zones for smart Kiwis ready to move early.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-one-hour-goldmine-how-nzs-commuter-belt-could-outrun-inflation-and-make-you-rich/

The battle lines are drawn.
First home buyers are finally re-entering the market… but investors are circling again - stronger, smarter, and more strategic than ever.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/first-home-buyers-vs-investors-the-brutal-truth-about-nzs-2025-property-market/

The waiting is over - the Reserve Bank has repeatedly cut the OCR in 2025.
Interest rates are falling, the OCR is on its way down, and for the first time in years, homeowners and investors are on the front foot again.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-ocr-cut-playbook-3-moves-smart-homeowners-are-making-right-now/

In this episode, MHQ’s Head of Advice, Simon McDonald, sits down with Zhiyang Cheng, New Zealand’s number one ranked mortgage adviser, to discuss the current state of the property market. The conversation covers a range of topics related to property prices, investing, and long-term thinking.

Simon and Zhiyang talk about what’s happening in the housing market, what investors are doing right now, and how to think about the future. They also touch on interest rates, affordability, and what might happen next.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/property-prices-the-long-game-what-smart-investors-do-during-the-downturn-and-whats-next/

Auckland is at war with itself.
On one side — the old guard of villa-lined suburbs, heritage zoning, and backyard nostalgia.
On the other — the new skyline: cranes, towers, and the vertical revolution promising affordability and density.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-great-auckland-housing-war-villas-vs-towers-and-who-gets-crushed/

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is standing at a crossroads — and every homeowner, investor, and policymaker is about to feel the impact.

After years of rate hikes, stimulus, and economic whiplash, the RBNZ is quietly rewriting its playbook. The Official Cash Rate (OCR) — once just a technical lever — is now the single most powerful force shaping who wins and who loses in the next property cycle.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/rbnz-and-the-ocr-reform-that-could-decide-who-wins-big-in-2026/

Auckland is cracking.
The skyline still glitters, but beneath it, the numbers are bleeding.
Housing affordability has imploded. Productivity has flat-lined. Infrastructure is buckling. And for the first time in decades, the nation’s economic engine is coughing smoke instead of power.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/house-buying/aucklands-breaking-point-housing-costs-productivity-collapse-and-the-investor-edge/

New Zealand is facing a construction collapse like we haven’t seen in over a decade. Building activity is at a 10-year low, projects are being shelved, and developers are walking away. It looks like bad news — but history tells us that when construction falls off a cliff, the stage is set for the next housing boom.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/constructions-death-spiral-why-nzs-10-year-low-in-building-work-guarantees-a-housing-boom/

Christopher Luxon is under pressure, and the whispers of a “Luxon coup” are impossible to ignore. In this video, host Craig Stanaway sits down with former Cabinet Minister Maurice Williamson, who served in both the fourth and fifth National governments. Williamson was there in 1998 when Jenny Shipley rolled Jim Bolger to become Prime Minister — a front-row witness to one of New Zealand’s most brutal political takedowns.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/luxon-and-the-coup-question-brutal-lessons-from-thatcher-clinton-and-clark/

The New Zealand property market feels flat, lifeless — even dead. But beneath the surface, the next housing shock is already forming. Could 2026 deliver a 5% surge in house prices after years of stagnation?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/house-buying/housings-next-shock-why-2026-could-deliver-a-5-price-surge-from-todays-dead-market/

New Zealand savers are sitting on a mountain of cash — more than $160 billion locked away in term deposits. But with the Reserve Bank cutting rates and returns sinking fast, investors are asking the brutal question: why leave money stuck in the bank when smarter plays are calling?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/the-160-billion-exodus-why-kiwi-investors-are-about-to-abandon-term-deposits-and-where-the-money-will-flood-next/

New Zealand’s property market just got hit with one of the most dramatic shifts in years: foreign buyers are back. But there’s a twist - the $5 million entry point. What does this loophole really mean for housing, investment, and the future of Kiwi ownership?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/foreign-buyers-are-back-the-5m-shortcut-changing-nz-property-forever/

Auckland’s housing market has reached a breaking point — with the average home price now pushing $2 million, the city is locked in a brutal battle over how to build its future. Should we go higher with apartment towers, densify with endless rows of three-storey walk-ups, or see Wellington step in with a ministerial takeover that strips local councils of power?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/house-buying/aucklands-2-million-homes-showdown-towers-three-storeys-or-ministerial-takeover/

When the Reserve Bank of New Zealand signals a drop in the Official Cash Rate (OCR) to 2.5%, it doesn’t just ripple through the economy - it sends a shockwave. Property markets wake up, investors reposition, the Kiwi dollar tumbles, and households across New Zealand start to feel the shift in their wallets.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/the-rbnz-shockwave-why-slashing-rates-to-2-5-will-supercharge-property-and-sink-the-kiwi-dollar/

The Reserve Bank has just signalled what could be the biggest shift in New Zealand’s property and economic landscape in years — a new playbook that points to an OCR settling at 2.5%. For property owners, investors, first-home buyers, and anyone watching the housing market, this isn’t just a number. It’s a bombshell that could reset the rules of the game.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-2-5-bombshell-how-the-rbnzs-new-playbook-will-rewrite-nz-property/

New Zealand’s housing market is heading into a supply meltdown - and the consequences will be brutal for anyone not prepared. In this must-watch episode, host Craig Stanaway sits down with ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley to uncover why today’s housing shortage isn’t a passing problem but the trigger for tomorrow’s price explosion.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/nz-housing-supply-meltdown-why-todays-shortage-will-explode-prices-tomorrow/

Easy Money Is Dead. 2026 Will Decide Who Wins and Who Gets Wiped Out.

For years, cheap credit fuelled a frenzy in New Zealand property. Low interest rates. Easy mortgages. Skyrocketing prices. It felt like the party would never end. But as every investor now knows - easy money was a drug. And the comedown is brutal.

With 2026 looming like Judgment Day, the question is clear: are you positioned to survive, or will you be left behind?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-end-of-easy-money-how-kiwi-investors-will-be-made-or-broken-in-2026/

BREAKING NEWS: The Reserve Bank has just slashed the Official Cash Rate
(OCR) by 25 basis points, taking it down to 3% - and the ripple effects for New Zealand property, mortgages, and investors could be massive.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage/why-did-nz-just-drop-interest-rates-to-3-percent/

📊 Not Sure Where You Stand Right Now?
Use our free Mortgage Snapshot to check your structure, risk exposure, and options.
👉 Try the Mortgage Snapshot Tool
https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage-calculator/#/

📗 Want the Property Strategy That’s Worked for Thousands of Kiwis?
Get Andrew Malcolm’s playbook—The Three Property Formula.
👉 Get the Book Here
https://mhq.co.nz/the-three-property-formula-book/

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/beyond-the-numbers-nzs-economic-crossroads-and-what-it-means-for-investors/

Property Apocalypse or Golden Age? The Brutal Truth About NZ Real Estate

Is New Zealand property heading for a collapse - or the start of a generational boom? Right now, investors, homeowners, and policymakers are asking the same question: are we on the edge of a property apocalypse, or about to enter a golden age?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/property-apocalypse-or-golden-age-the-brutal-truth-about-nz-real-estate/

NZ Property Comeback: Flat Prices, Rising Yields & Investor Momentum in 2025

The New Zealand property market is shifting - and the smart investors are already paying attention. Prices across the country are flat, rental yields are climbing, and momentum is quietly returning to the market. But what does this mean for property owners, landlords, and buyers in 2025?

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/nz-property-comeback-flat-prices-rising-yields-investor-momentum-in-2025/

The next New Zealand property boom is already taking shape - and the smart money is preparing now.

In this special episode of MortgageHQ, host Andrew Malcolm sits down with Fred Ohlsson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Avanti Finance, to uncover the strategies, lending insights, and investor tactics that will define the 2026 NZ property boom.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/how-to-win-in-nzs-next-property-boom-2026-playbook/

NZ Property Market Update 2025: Regional house prices and rents are falling - but why? And what does this mean for investors, homeowners, and first-home buyers looking for their next move?

In this episode, Andrew Malcolm breaks down the shifting dynamics in New Zealand’s regional property markets, exposing the drivers behind price drops and rental declines that many investors never saw coming. While headlines focus on Auckland and Wellington, the real story is unfolding in smaller cities and provincial towns - where oversupply, migration patterns, and affordability pressures are reshaping the property landscape.

Learn more: ht...

📊 Not Sure Where You Stand Right Now?
Use our free Mortgage Snapshot to check your structure, risk exposure, and options.
👉 Try the Mortgage Snapshot Tool
https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage-calculator/#/

📗 Want the Property Strategy That’s Worked for Thousands of Kiwis?
Get Andrew Malcolm’s playbook—The Three Property Formula.
👉 Get the Book Here
https://mhq.co.nz/the-three-property-formula-book/

Interest rates might be holding steady for now - but how long can this pause really last?
In this unmissable deep dive, Andrew Malcolm sits down with ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuf...

Host Andrew Malcolm sits down with professional property investor Dave Whitburn for a hard-hitting, solutions-focused conversation on how to turn New Zealand’s future around. In a time when the country faces soaring house prices, skills shortages, and a struggling education system, Whitburn lays out a practical, no-nonsense blueprint for change - and the mindset shift every Kiwi needs to embrace if we want to thrive in the decades ahead.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-blueprint-to-fix-nzs-future-housing-education-and-the-mindset-shift-we-desperately-need/

📊 Not Sure Where You Stand Right Now?
Use our free Mortgage Snapshot to check your structure, risk exposure, and options.
👉 Try the Mortgage Snapshot Tool
https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage-calculator/#/

📗 Want the Property Strategy That’s Worked for Thousands of Kiwis?
Get Andrew Malcolm’s playbook—The Three Property Formula.
👉 Get the Book Here
https://mhq.co.nz/the-three-property-formula-book/

Unfiltered: NZ Over Governed, Broken Councils, and the Cuts Luxon Won’t Make
Host Andrew Malcolm sits down with Auckland City Councillor and former Government Minister Maurice Williamson for a no-holds-barred co...

The New Zealand housing market is entering a decisive turning point - and the moves you make in the next 12 months could define your property success for the next decade. In this must-watch episode, Andrew Malcolm sits down with ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley to break down why the once-relentless regional property boom is finally running out of steam - and more importantly, where the next wave of smart investment opportunities is already emerging.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/the-regional-property-boom-is-dying-heres-where-the-smart-moneys-going-now/

Are we standing on the launchpad of the next property boom in New Zealand? In this explosive episode, mortgagehq’s Craig Stanaway is joined by property economist Mike Jones to uncover the real-time signals that NZ property is resetting, not collapsing. And why 2026 could be the most profitable year of the decade for investors who act now.

Learn more: https://mhq.co.nz/property-investment/were-at-the-bottom-why-nz-property-is-quietly-resetting-for-a-2026-boom/

📊 Not Sure Where You Stand Right Now?
Use our free Mortgage Snapshot to check your structure, risk exposure, and options.
👉 Try the Mortgage Snapshot Tool
https://mhq.co.nz/mortgage-calculator/#/

📗 Want the Property Strategy That’s Worked for Thousands of Kiwis?
Get Andrew Malcolm’s playbook—The Three Property Formula.
👉 Get the Book Here
https://mhq.co.nz/the-three-property-formula-book/

Mortgage rates are finally dropping, but most investors and first home buyers are still stuck in 2023 thinking. In this video, we break down what the falling interest rates actually mean for you, and how t...