Inside Tips on getting your homeloan approved first time

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Let’s face it, particularly in the South African context; securing a homeloan in order to purchase your first home can be quite scary. Do you even qualify? Most men and women dream of settling down and starting their own family and to have their very own home in which to do this. The bad news is that the challenges of meeting the criteria as a first-time and successful applicant have increased. Does this mean you won’t qualify?

Here are 5 insider tips to help you to secure the homeloan that will help you buy your dream home:

Tip #1 Create a Record of Good Standing
Many first-time applicants have had their home loan application rejected. Why? The problem lies in the fact that young applicants have no credit record and history of their ability to pay promptly and consistently. So, in spite of having saved for a deposit with the bank, you may not be able to secure that homeloan simply because you have no other loans. Before making an application, spend some months creating a good credit history by paying smaller loans on time, like your cell phone or clothing accounts.

Tip #2 Generate Financial Discipline
While the country’s leading lending institutions and major estate agents warned against this, the government under Thabo Mbeki was determined to and ultimately succeeded in relaxing credit access rules and lending criteria. There are two ironies in this. One; Mbeki’s Minister of Finance (who did not have jurisdiction over these rulings) was openly opposed to the relaxing of previously prudent credit rules. Two; while the banks were initially sceptical when the laws were quickly passed, they obligingly processed new applications and granted them. This proved to be a disaster waiting to happen. The trick is to have financial discipline – don’t accept just any offer of credit. Make sure that you can afford the repayments first. This way you won’t be in any danger of being blacklisted.

Tip #3 Make Formal Inquiries with Home Loan Junction
Today, the homeloan application process is relatively simple and straightforward, and most South Africans with access to computers, laptops, mobile devices and the internet, can self-test while completing a pre-application. Correctly, banking criteria still prefer the first-time applicant (or any applicant for that matter) to make a formal application and ideally with one of our officials in person (although the application can, in certain instances, be made online). Invariably applicants are reminded of, or advised on what records and documentation are required to make inroads towards a successful application.

Tip #4 Ask About Options and Opportunities
In reaction to the disastrous effects of the relaxation of credit lending criteria, the government initiated new legislation which saw the founding of the National Credit Regulator which essentially acts as a watchdog for both clients and lenders. This has also made the homeloan application process more difficult for many applicants. But, today there are still companies, particularly new entrants to the personal and home lending markets, arguing in favour of more flexible, merit-based and opportunistic rules. Their argument is sound because if more people have access to credit within the parameters of properly regulated checks and balances, of course, the country benefits economically as a whole.

Tip #5 See What You Can Afford
Let it be known that all is not lost for new applicants. Homeloan Junction leaves them with some clues on how to go about securing their homeloan successfully. As a bond originator and not a traditional lender, We promises a speedy delivery of services ideal for helping you plan ahead of time. The emphasis is also on savings and tools which are available online to help you assess affordability and whether you qualify for a first-time loan. We also offer innovative alternatives to traditional bonds which could see you paying far less in the long term and also paying off your loan over a shorter period of time.

Tip #6 And Learn How Much You Can Save
For more information on whether you meet all criteria and what you can do next, you can contact Homeloan Junction directly online. Our service and advice is free.  Blog posts on our website have important information on what influences first-time home buyers.

In view of all the challenges, expectant applicants should have realistic objectives. With enough information on the home buying process, and with online calculators at their fingertips, there is no reason why South Africans cannot plan and succeed in buying their home at their first attempt.

Part of our service entails good advice based on experience and qualifications. Talk to Homeloan Junction today about how you can successfully secure your loan. We have contact with banks and conveyancers and knowledge of the products, and various credit terms available to advise you of all the options which will best serve your requirements.

How better to serve your needs than to approach a company who will, on your behalf, motivate and negotiate one of the most important deals of your life? Homeloan Junction is a one-stop service complete with efficiency and convenience at the tips of your fingers.

Yours in Property

Interest rate hike comes as no surprise

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This week’s interest rate hike comes as no surprise.

This statement, not in the sense that I think we should have it, but simply that the matter is so “on the fence” that the decision could go either way in any of the MPC meetings. The SARB is faced with horrible decisions because GDP growth is pathetic and nothing exists on the horizon to change the situation. You get the feeling that the world economy is moribund as the USA growth story is so fragile and based on the billions of printed Dollars, whilst the China story has been coming for some time and now that it has hit, seems obvious and irreversible in the medium-term [make that 3-5 years]. The impact of both on South Africa is direct and inescapable – the USA is needed for global growth particularly amongst our leading trade partners and we critically need China to buy our primary commodities [frankly, so do Australia and many other so-called development economies, in Africa, Asia and South America]. The Rand is weak and we sit with the Rating agencies’ threat of junk bond status hovering like Damocles’ sword over our national head.

Talking about our “sword of Damocles”, according to Wikipedia:

“Damocles (literally: “fame of the people”) is a figure featured in a single moral anecdote commonly referred to as “the Sword of Damocles”, an allusion to the imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power. The Damocles of the anecdote was an obsequious courtier in the court of Dionysius II of Syracuse, a 4th-century BC tyrant of Syracuse, Sicily. According to the story, Damocles was pandering to Dionysus, his king, and exclaimed to him that he was truly fortunate as a great man of power and authority, surrounded by magnificence. Dionysius then offered to switch places with Damocles so that Damocles could taste that very fortune first-hand. Damocles quickly and eagerly accepted the king’s proposal. Damocles sat down in the king’s throne surrounded by every luxury, but Dionysius arranged that a huge sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse’s tail. Damocles finally begged the king that he be allowed to depart because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate, realizing that with great fortune and power comes also great responsibility (and danger). “

The decision to raise the Repo rate is as tense. We are told that the USA has to raise rates at some stage so as to protect inflation in that country from raising its head as growth rates rise. In addition, there is justifiable concern that not signalling a rise of interest rates will over-stimulate the propensity of the American public to spend on credit. Many consider that the rise of the rate will occur later this month partly to curtail overspending for Christmas. For SA Inc, this means that money will be invested in the Dollar and our currency will weaken further. Roll on R15 to the US$ which will have its own impact on our inflation and require rate rises to temper it. Not pretty by any means. But remember to see the interest rate rise in relative and not absolute terms. When it started, our Repo rate was 5% and the 0.25% absolute increase was a 5% rise in interest cost. This rise, off a base of 6% was absolute 0.25% but only a 4.2% rise in interest cost. The Prime rate is still below 10%, psychologically in  single digit territory. To put it in monetary terms with which we may better identify, a R1m bond just became R164 per month more expensive with a total of R807 per month in total since the upward rate cycle began, which is 2% and 9% relative increase in interest costs, respectively. Necessary? If the USA rate rises, yes; if not, then no, too much too soon in a struggling economy.

However, don’t lose heart. The increases are really well controlled and pre-emptive. In the figure below you will note how interest increases have been cone-shaped in the past – steep and effective but with the risk of collateral damage. In the recent rate increases, much circumspection has gone into grasping the nettle early but not squeezing the life out of the economy.

South African Repurchase Rate

With this background, I was struck by a Moneyweb article by Patrick Cairns on 20 November 2015, titled, South Africa needs a “Modi moment”.

We have a great country, tortured yet beautiful. We have people with a will to stay here and continue to make it greater. We need leadership in every sector but are blessed with good examples in the property industry. Our estate agencies, originators, developers and property funds are world-class in many respects. So we in property are truly blessed. Homeloan Junction is proud of its place in the tapestry of the industry, small but well deserved.

Yours in Property

Why get pre-qualified?

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It used to be that buyers looking to purchase property could secure an actual pre-approval from banks or lenders for a homeloan, but with the advent of the recently revised National Credit Act (NCA) those days are gone. That said, it is still possible for a potential purchaser to get pre-qualified for a homeloan. However, buyers must understand this is a service, as opposed to a product, offered by bond originators to assist them in ascertaining if the buyer can realistically afford the homeloan they’re applying for. While it is not a guarantee of approval – the final decision rests with the bank – pre-qualification does have a valuable place in the home buying process.

Avoid Disappointment

Getting pre-qualified for a homeloan is free and can help you determine the price range you can afford to explore before you even go looking at potential properties. This helps you avoid wasting time and effort looking at properties you have no hope of securing a homeloan for, as well as the inevitable disappointment if you’ve set your heart on a home out of your price range. On a positive note, pre-qualification is an excellent guide for establishing realistic expectations as far as your purchasing power goes.

It’s Quick and Easy

The process of getting pre-qualified for a homeloan is quick and relatively simple. Under the revised NCA, it typically takes into account your disposable income, either individual or joint depending on your marital status, and your credit score. The latter is with your consent, naturally, but considering the bank or lender is going to take your credit score into account when you do make formal application for a homeloan, you may as well know now exactly where you stand in this respect. The other bonus of establishing your credit score at this point is that if there are any issues in this regard, issues that could potentially hinder your homeloan application, you can take steps to resolve these issues sooner rather than later. Pre-qualification can also give you an indication of whether you need to save for a deposit or not.

Paperwork

To complete the pre-qualification process, you will require the following paperwork: your identity document; your most recent payslip; and your last three month’s bank statements. Your disposable income is calculated by deducting tax, UIF and any company pension payments from your gross income. This leaves your net income and once your total monthly household and utility expenses and any credit, vehicle or other loan repayments are deducted from this amount, what remains is your disposable income. Most banks and lenders will calculate the maximum monthly instalment as 30% of your gross income.

Hassle-free

Another advantage to using a bond originator to get pre-qualified for a homeloan is that the bond originator will determine your chances of firstly securing a homeloan, secondly establishing the amount you’ll qualify for on your current income.

What happens after you get pre-qualified for a homeloan?

Once the pre-qualification process is complete, you will receive a certification stating the homeloan amount you are deemed capable of affording. Note that while this certification is only valid for a limited period it is still a valuable first step onto the property ladder and gives you the leverage to confidently negotiate with a seller and put in an offer to purchase. Getting pre-qualified for a homeloan indicates to the estate agent and seller alike that you are serious about the home buying process. Furthermore, it can improve the likelihood of your formal bond application being approved. And even speed up the application process, particularly as you’ll have dealt with most of the obvious hurdles by completing the pre-qualification process.

Pre-qualification is an excellent tool to aid the potential purchaser in navigating the home buying process. It empowers you to enter the real estate market with your eyes wide open. If you are planning to buy property, take the hassle and uncertainty out of the process by getting pre-qualified for a homeloan. For assistance, contact Homeloan Junction.

To Buy or not to Buy? How to make the choice right for you…

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I have been trawling the property information keeping myself up to speed with developments. There is a gloom in the economy, but fortunately the property sales and mortgage business is not in the doldrums. Affordable housing has looked good for years and developments continue in many areas of the country. It has probably been the manner in which the SARB has guardedly raised rates that has keep the property market on an even keel. Let’s hope it stays that way; boom and bust is disruptive and we cannot afford disruption in a national asset being Residential Housing.

The question often comes up, especially from First-time Homebuyers, is this the right time to buy? In other words, To Buy or not to Buy? – that is the question.

The answer is always the same for me: Do you think the cost of building is going to go down? If the answer is Yes, then wait. If the answer is No, then buy. Let’s explore this issue in a bit more depth.

Inflation, on a global scale, has been kept in check very nicely. Some of the major countries, Japan noteably, have reduced interest rates to historic levels on the back of close-to-zero inflation. Costs of production have been driven down by the Asian countries and currencies have been relatively stable for many years. In the past year or two that has no longer been the case and currency fluctuations and even devaluations, have become the norm. As we’ve mentioned before, thank goodness for the low oil price.  So the inflation story sounds quite benign until it comes to building costs. News24, on 20 February 2015 reported, Building costs have continued to increase by more than the average consumer price inflation rate over the past 15 years, according to Jacques du Toit, property analyst of Absa Home Loans. The latest Absa residential building review compiled by Du Toit shows the average building cost of new housing constructed came to R5 828/m² in 2014, which was 12% higher than the cost of R5 205/m² in 2013. The building costs are affected by a number of factors such as building material costs, labour costs, transport costs, equipment costs, land prices, rezoning costs, developer and contractor holding costs and profit margins.

That insight answers the first question and clearly, building costs are not reducing and frankly, seldom have. I guess the question then is, what should I be buying?

Think about the following:

Affordability
Don’t buy what you cannot afford. The bank will help you with this and strictly test your income and expenditure in terms of well-known affordability guidelines laid down by the National Credit Regulator. Do an affordability calculation to see what you can afford to buy.

Improve or Buy
Buying and selling homes is an expensive affair. As a rule of thumb, knock off 20% – 30% of the price of your new home for costs. Transfer and estate agent commission could already be about 12% and then bond settlement and registration costs and furnishings add to the tally. Improving instead of buying could prove much cheaper and convenient.

What to buy
If you’re going to buy, buy wisely. For normal family living, close to shops and schools, proximity to work, sport and social events makes eminent sense. Remember, what you like or don’t like as a normal consumer probably counts for many others’ opinions as well. It may be cheaper next to the highway but probably all the buyers agree that you can’t hear yourself talk in the garden. Then, if you can afford it, take some advice from my late Uncle – there are two strips of land that are scarce, along the coastline and along the top of a mountain range. Houses in these two places carry and hold a premium in the long run. I am also a proponent of secure estates and, in particular, golf estates. Secure estates for the obvious reason of enhanced security but golf estates, in addition, give you lifestyle for the family. And remember, few additional golf estates are being developed – they are just too expensive and water is becoming a serious problem – thus adding to the scarcity value.

Future plans 
Don’t put yourself through the trauma of moving twice! If you have your eye on emigration, a job in another town or a particular suburb or estate, don’t buy now. Wait until you can settle and then sell and settle in the new environment. By the way, building can be a real pain and you would be a rare person to not have a “builders story” after completing your house. The same can be said for renovation but it is normally on a smaller scale.

Investment or not 
Robert Kyosaki [of Rich Dad Poor Dad fame] is quite right when he says that an asset that does not produce income and requires maintenance and services, is actually a liability. In fact he goes so far as to say, buy and rent a factory and let the factory buy the house from nett rent. But most of us don’t live there and we get great pleasure from owning a property and knowing it is the domain of our family. For this reason, the comments about What to Buy become really important. You would at least look to capital appreciation to offset the costs when you sell the property so choose the Location well. This section particularly applies to “that little house at the sea”. Truth is that we could do well, in most cases, to rent or use a guest house for our holidays, rather than battle financially to pay off a second home.

If you think you can afford it, buy now. Be wise and look around. Consider all your options and do your best to think ahead a few years. But, I would posit, do not delay too long if you can afford to buy now.

And always remember Homeloan Junction is there for you. Dealing with us is free. Yes, you read right – free. And we’ll back that mortgage service up with sound advice and expert knowledge.

 Yours in Property.

Five good reasons to go with a real estate agent

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While a real estate agent can’t cut through the red tape with regards to securing a homeloan, they can most certainly facilitate the home buying process so that it is as smooth and painless as possible. They have the skills, the resources and the experience to help make the process so much easier. This is particularly important for first time home buyers and for those purchasers who are dependent on the sale of their current house in order to afford a move up the property ladder.

1. Choices, Choices, Choices

As an expert in the real estate market, a real estate agent can assist you, the buyer, in finding a property that best suits your ideal location, size and needs at the most favourable terms. A good real estate agent will go to the effort of establishing the price range you can comfortably afford and not take you to view properties you can’t afford.

A real estate agent will usually work in a specific residential area and will therefore be familiar with logistics such as the positioning of a prospective home in relation to schools, shopping facilities, access routes and other amenities like medical facilities, bus routes and so on. And as an objective party, the agent can easily spot the strengths and weaknesses of a property. They will be able to highlight aspects of a prospective home that may still satisfy your expectations and needs even if said property does not quite meet all your given requirements.

2. The Duty’s in the Details

When you use a real estate agent to help you buy a property, the agent is legally and ethically duty bound to serve your best interests. This extends to not misrepresenting a prospective property. Your real estate agent is obliged to make you aware of any and all information in relation to the property including disclosing any defects the property may have. This said, should you have any doubts, it might be worth calling in an expert structural advisor as certifying your prospective home’s construction falls out of the purview of your agent. Full disclosure also covers any potential zoning issues your agent is aware of such as plans to build a three-storey apartment block on a neighbouring property as this could dramatically, and negatively, impact on the future value of your new home.

3. Help with your Homeloan Application

When you have made the ‘big’ decision, a good real estate agent can advise you on making a reasonable and market-related offer on your ‘dream’ home. If you’re in agreement, your agent will complete the obligatory ‘offer to purchase’ form on your behalf. Your estate agent can also assist with the homeloan application process; they all have long standing relationships with Bond Originators like Homeloan Junction.

4. Negotiating the Paperwork

The home buying process is complex and there is a great deal of paperwork involved. Once your offer to purchase has been accepted and your homeloan is secured, your real estate agent will guide you through the remaining purchasing hurdles and help you cross the finish line. Your Estate Agent will be with you until the sale is successfully closed and your new property is officially registered with the Title Deeds office.

5. Communication Counts

When you have a real estate agent helping you with the home buying process, you not only benefit from their expertise and knowledge; you get someone in your corner who will keep you informed through every step of the home buying process and be there for you in the event of problems with any aspect of the process. This goes a long way to alleviate the stress and risk involved in making such a critical financial commitment. Practising clear and open communication prevents misunderstandings and messy disputes down the line and is in the best interest of the agent whose reputation is at stake if he/she is marked as disreputable. After all, the agent doesn’t want what should be an exciting and positive experience for you to be tainted by buyer’s remorse.

Yours In Property

Vincent

How to pay off your home loan faster

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Does the thought of twenty or thirty years of home loan repayments put you off buying a home? Even your dream home can start to look less dreamy when you’re faced with what looks like a life sentence of hefty monthly repayments. But what if there was a way to reduce this period … and reduce the total amount?

Buying a home is one the biggest financial investments most of us will make, yet how many of us are aware that small additional payments on your home loan can have a major impact on the final amount you will end up paying for your home? The biggest burden facing homeowners with a bond is the interest they will pay over a 20 or 30 year period.

Say you take a R1 million home loan over 20 years, no deposit and at the current prime lending rate of 9.5%;  you will end up paying R2 237 115 for your home. That’s enough to give anyone grey hair! But, before you lose heart, there are a number of steps you can take to pay your bond off faster … and significantly reduce that final figure!

Take a look at these 5 clever ways to bring down your home loan repayments:

Pay your salary into your Bond

I know it might sound strange, but as long as you have an access account enabled on your bond you can actually pay your salary into your home loan every month and then simply transfer out money needed for debit orders and day to day spending when you need it.

Here are the advantages of doing this:

– Benefit from lower interest rates applicable to the outstanding amount on your home loan
– Inadvertently use your home loan account as a savings account and pay off your home loan faster

Make Additional Payments

Fast track the repayment of your home loan by putting any surplus cash, like your bonus cheque or SARS refund, you have into your bond. Yes, this does require discipline and a measure of sacrifice but the long-term gain on your home loan is well worth it. Take for example, an additional R1200 paid towards your R1 million home loan every month, over and above the monthly instalment (R9 321 in this case) owed, and you’re looking at saving R374 344 in interest … and cutting your repayment period down to 14.75 years.

 Put Down a Deposit

If you are still in the planning phase of purchasing a home, consider putting down a deposit rather than taking a 100% bond. The bigger the deposit you’re able to put down, the smaller your home loan and the less interest you will pay. On a R1 million home, a deposit of R120 000 will reduce the interest you owe on the outstanding capital to R1 088 661. That is a straight up saving of R268 454 before you’ve even considered taking any of the additional actions discussed above. Calculate how much a deposit can save you, by viewing our Bond Repayment Calculator.

Ignore Rate Fluctuations

While you have no choice but to make increased monthly instalments should the prime lending rate increase, heaven forbid, it is a wise choice to keep your instalments steady in the event the rate decreases as this gives you an automatic gain on your bond. You’re already committed to paying a certain instalment so sticking to this amount should the rate drop gives you an added advantage in paying off your home loan that much faster.

Explore Your Home Loan Options

It doesn’t hurt to explore your options in order to secure an even better rate on your bond. Talk to a bond originator like Homeloan Junction. If you have a good repayment track record and credit history, who knows, they may just be able to negotiate a reduced interest rate. Even a 0.5% reduction can represent a significant saving; that is R77 773 saved on a R1 million bond over 20 years with no deposit down. Should you decide to switch home loan providers, be sure that the cancellation and penalty fees you’ll inevitably be charged will not outweigh your prospective savings.

As you can see, a little commitment and discipline can go a long way to alleviating the burden of your bond. And at the end of the day, paying off your bond faster and reducing the amount of interest you owe on your home loan translates to money in your pocket. This can be used towards your retirement, your children’s university fees, a world cruise or perhaps an investment property.

Yours in Property

Vincent

Positive growth in South African house prices

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After all the hedgehog and fox analogies, it’s time to head back to some economics.

We are all aware of the devaluation of the Chinese currency by now but, if the market is anything to go by, the effect has been almost brushed off. I sense that the American decision to retain interest rates has probably had something to do with that as the Chinese story is certainly not a good one just yet. Stories of vacant buildings in Shangai still abound, anecdotally or not. As regards the Fed’s decision, the States seem to be waiting for a rise in interest rates to signal that their economy has fully turned the corner and is on, hopefully, a sustainable Up. Sadly, a rising interest rate in the USA will not be good for the Rand as money which has been invested in emerging markets could flow back to the safe-house of USA interest-bearing deposits. Certainly, other countries in BRICS are also having a torrid time as are the oil producers. Nigeria is now facing their worst recession caused by extraneous factors, namely, the sustained collapse of the oil price.

So we have a recovering JSE, a weak Rand, poor GDP growth numbers and “headwinds” from China which result in collapsed commodity prices. Thank goodness for the reduction in the oil price and global inflation which still seems to be holding low or at very low numbers.

Against this backdrop, house prices are holding their own. FNB’s Valuers’ Index makes interesting reading. They sense that stock remains the primary reason for house prices being firm against last year’s numbers. Their Valuers’ Market Strength Index has grown in September 2015 to 51.32 and remains above the base level of 50. This measure implies that market strength is growing sustainably but what is more interesting is that the Valuers see the supply shortage remaining in the medium-term. To FNB, that is above expectation. From my viewpoint, I cannot disagree with them as many of the indices and articles talk to really tough times for Consumers.

However, the good news continues as both ABSA and FNB note that nominal house prices continue to rise. According to FNB, for the 1st 9 months of 2015, the average year-on-year house price inflation was 5.7%. That is a slower rate of increase in prices than the 7.1% for 2014. The point is that it remains a positive real rate of growth in the FNB methodology that uses a fixed weight house price index. Similarly, the ABSA nominal and real house price indices project at around 6% and 1.3% for 2015. Both banks project downward pressure and resultant negative house price growth next year with inflation projected to rise from 4.7% this year to about 5.8% next year.

The FNB article, 23 September 2015, puts a rather interesting spin on homeowners’ financial stress. Their sense is that there is less pressure on homeowners, as measured by the tendency in tougher times to downscale, because of the Banks’ stricter criteria for lending since 2008. In fact, the Household Debt-to-Disposable Income ratio has declined by almost 13% from 88.8% in 2008 to 77.4% by 2nd Quarter 2015. That is really significant. Corroborating with another financial market with which I am close, such a decline can certainly be attributed to the good work of the National Credit Regulator [NCR] who has been fastidious in demanding responsible lending. Their primary instrument has been the Income Affordability ratio used for credit scoring models. Lower debt levels across the board of LSM segments is good for South Africa.

I guess the question now is: How do I respond as an Originator or Estate Agent to these facts? We have repeatedly said that hard work wins. An attitude of never-say-die listing and selling and excellent relationships between successful people has a way of pulling through tough times. Homeloan Junction stands by to be the Originator of Choice for your homeloan financing.

Yours in Property.

The role of an Estate Agent in a Property Transaction

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In previous blogs we took a look at Conveyancing and some views on the positive association between originators and banks. We have also posited some tips regarding investment properties for those who would like to invest in property.

In this blog, I would like to share some of my experiences with estate agents.

We have all heard horror stories of “my estate agent!”. They are “this and that” and “why couldn’t they…”. To be honest, I have never had that experience in the sale of a number of properties with different estate agents and companies. I have many good friends who are estate agents and serve on a board of directors with outstanding men and women of high skill and integrity.

In short and upfront in this article, if you don’t like your estate agent [personality clashes and misunderstandings do occur] then call the Principal of the estate agency and change the person to someone with whom you would like to work. But, also understand some of things.

An estate agent does not work for you but for the Seller. They receive a mandate, virtually always in writing and sole- or joint-, to sell a particular property for the seller. They are to have the seller’s best interest at heart and present to the seller best offers that come from their marketing efforts. They are not at liberty to alter amounts or clauses without the written approval of the seller. Therefore nothing you say or write, is accepted until presented to the seller for signature approval or counter-offer by the seller. The estate agent is duty bound to achieve the best terms of price and conditions for the seller.

Does all of this mean that the estate agent is never for the buyer? No, not at all; they are professionals quite capable of seeing both sides of a sale. However, do not assume that the estate agent is working for you, the buyer, when presenting the offer. Be careful to be explicit in what you communicate and when conditions are written into a contract, understand the implication for you. Do not hesitate to obtain legal advice if you feel it is that serious that you need professional assistance. Trust is always essential in these relationships so work with someone you feel you can trust and then be wise in your dealings.

With this background, when buying a property

  • Be very clear on what you can afford, what deposit you have and what bond you can apply for. ( have a look at our affordability calculator if you are unsure about this)
  • Be very clear on what your minimum requirements are and, then, what you would like to have. For instance, understand the need for a study versus a family room and which one you would prefer if a house you can afford does not have both. And then, always leave room for debate and changes of mind – buying a home is stressful fun!

Once you have these matters clearly in your mind, approach a reputable estate agent in the area you wish to buy and brief him or her on your affordability and requirements.

You can see from this that your clarity, what I would call your Buyer’s mandate to the estate agent, is very important. You are not buying a couch here, this is probably your biggest investment apart from your pension, that you will ever make. On the other hand, you cannot expect a professional estate agent to bumble around with you on what you can afford or what you want.

An estate agent is trained and qualified theoretically and practically to:

  • Contract with seller who wish to sell their home. They receive a mandate from these sellers for many things, obviously, including the desired sale price. They probably also understand the negotiability of a price by the seller.
  • Understand the values of properties in an area and the comparisons between the prices of different houses. They may, for instance, advise a seller to paint and repair their house in order to assure a requested sale price knowing that houses in the area that have fetched a price have done so on the back of being clean and well-maintained.
  • Undertake a market analysis for the seller on which a future buyer can depend. For instance, what are the average selling prices over the last 6 months, what are the lowest and highest prices etc?
  • Administer the sale and purchase of the property for the seller and buyer in their best interests.
  • Negotiate the transaction between the seller and the buyer.

As regards latent defects, remember the estate agent is not supposed to know about them. After all, they would not be “latent” if any reasonable person could see them. What the estate agent must do is ask the seller if they know of any latent defects and, once revealed, must declare these to the buyer. Of course, you as the buyer may request a home inspection report [there is a good chance of these becoming regulated like an electrical compliance certificate] as one of your conditions of purchase. The same goes for roads and infrastructure where your local municipality could help you understand routes and the likelihood of occurring.

There is a role that is often not discussed and that is inter-personal relationships. Estate agents need to be fair and confident but always display sensitivity to the parties. Think of it this way, an elderly couple is selling their family home to retire and a young couple is buying their first home. The seller is reticent, nervous, sad, pondering the future and has brought their children along to advise and help them whilst the buyer is young, energetic, internet-savvy, aspirational, unexperienced and stretching their budget. The estate agent has the wonderful job of bringing these two parties together from mandate to transfer and making the experience of both memorable and enjoyable. Just think of the interpersonal skills that an estate agent needs to reflect in this scenario. And most of them are really good at what they do – I have never had a bad experience.

There are many twists and turns in property transactions. This blog is not a manual,  but rather just a heads-up for us to gain insight into the various role players and the relationships between them. Homeloan Junction hopes it informs you a little more and helps make your experience a good one.

Banks vs bond originators – Which offers a better deal on your home loan? ( Part 2)

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The Press has recently had another look at Originators vs Banks and the articles have become well-publicised. A link to the MONEYWEB Today article is  below for your convenience.

In my first blog of this 2-part series, I covered the history of the banks and their homeloan businesses culminating in the business model of homeloan consultants who called on estate agents and paid small commissions for their business. In 1999, the landscape changed again.

MortgageSA and PA Homeloans, [now, ooba and BetterLife] began to slog it out in the market and were later joined by the ex-NBS team in the form of Bond Choice. The three originators, made hay while the sun shone and decimated the bank homeloan sales forces. In this context, just a brief note on the so-called “love-hate relationship” between the banks and originators. Bear in mind, I express my personal views and, in doing so, fully accept that I may have people who disagree with me.

In 1999, if the banks wanted to retain their own dedicated sales forces into the market, then what they did was difficult to understand. Any amount the banks paid to the new originators that enabled the originators to pay the estate agents more than the banks’ 0-0.3% was destined to disintermediate the banks from their estate agent relationships. No profit-orientated business person would walk away from a higher homeloan introductory commission – the end of the bank homeloan consultant was in sight from the beginning. To keep it simple, let’s say the originator commission was 2%, then the originator could pay 1% [anything more than 0.3% was good enough] to the estate agent and keep 1% for their consultant, overheads and profit. Throw the dramatic property market upturn of 1999 to 2007 into the mix and the stage was set for massive change. If there is love-hate, the banks can be forgiven for giving away their direct right of access to the residential property market. No wonder they might feel aggrieved. By the way, the banks’ commercial property divisions did not follow their residential counterparts’ leads and to this day, have a small broker component with the majority of business coming directly.

On the other hand, what the originators did to the banks was unacceptable. One thing an originator cannot argue, morally or contractually, is that they do not take the risk of the homeloan. Controlled by onerous Banking legislation which incorporates capital and informational requirements, the banks proceed to approve the homeloan application and then administer it and its risk for the lifespan of the loan. Every event of the customer –  death, joblessness, errant credit behavior, over-indebtedness, interest rate increases – is felt by the bank and worked through for 20 to 30 years.

Let’s never forget that banks are fiduciary institutions and, as channels of the nation’s savings, bear responsibility to depositors to give them their money back with interest, and on time. I always say, a bank’s name is spelt, T-R-U-S-T. Break that and you break everything. In the light of this view, the behaviour of the originators was sometimes arrogant and demeaning to banks. All of us had a role to play in the response eventually taken by the banks to bring the industry into line. Just the practice of “shopping” to every bank willy-nilly was unacceptable. The average conversion rate of 18% was in poor taste and mathematically boiled down to 4 banks divided by four submissions of the same deal less NTU’s; plus-minus 25% – 7% = 18%. What a waste of admin capacity, time and money.

With these strong views as both a banker and an originator, I read the article below and make some pertinent comments in closing.

Banks deserve the utmost respect of the originators. They carry the risk for the lifetime of the homeloan in the face of increasing compliance legislation. Nothing or no one in origination should be allowed to treat this responsibility lightly.

In turn, banks benefit from a variable, once-off commission, or introductory fee if you prefer,  at a rate they have calculated over years and agreed contractually. Some points bear emphasis:

  • As a variable rate, the banks bear no overhead in the ongoing acquisition costs of the originator. They have effectively curtailed the fixed cost, fully absorbed nature of their homeloans’ acquisition. That’s good business.
  • The use of Comcorp and the originators’ own platforms radically reduce homeloan processing costs.
  • I contend that the current commissions paid to originators are not only variable but also less than the fixed cost, let alone the fully absorbed fixed cost, of acquisition for a bank. In this regard, it is no accident that insurance companies have long embraced the broker model and latterly only, the digital platforms, even in the face of their broker strategies.
  • Sensibly, a bank would outsource to a responsible origination force but for the relatively few customers who insist on dealing with bank-branded homeloan consultants in specific higher net worth channels.
  • The banks will never outsource their credit evaluation models. The seduction of lower costs is far outweighed by the risk of manipulation. On this front, banks’ fraud protection units are critical to combating this scourge in financial services. Regretfully, this stance will always mean a higher cost of delivery but no bank can be blamed for holding credit quality as sacrosanct to itself.
  • Origination exists because the banks want a secure, reasonably priced, variably-costed channel. In doing what they did with the average origination commission, the banks effectively stabilised the industry and made it sustainable.

 In turn, the originators have a compelling proposition. It is simply this:

  • The originators provide Choice in a financial services industry awash with options. Choice of product, institutions and interest rates. I am often asked if I “get the best rate” and my answer is No, I get the best credit terms. What I mean by that is, does a customer want Prime-0.5% with a 10% deposit, or Prime+0.5% without? That is Choice in action; the customer’s call. I have the chance as an originator to present such options repeatedly and from different banks.
  • The originators provide Convenience. At the offices of their agents, in the homes of their customers, over the phone with attorneys, linking with bank assessors – origination consultants do an incredible job Conveniently. Their costs are their responsibility and they are paid on success only – like estate agents, true entrepreneurs who start every month from scratch.
  • Originators are Experts. Because they only do homeloans, origination consultants, many of whom came from the banks in the first place, are steeped in homeloans. This expertise, coupled with close networks with principals, developers, conveyancers, assessors, bank representatives and insurance specialists, is brought to bear in the submission of the homeloan application. Such dedicated focus is rare in retail banking today. It’s quite correct, as one of the experts in the article below mentioned, that origination consultants have an excellent idea where to place a particular customer’s homeloan for best results.
  • As regards interest rates, I sense that customers are viewed by the banks for pricing in sophisticated pricing models and that little deviation occurs from it for the sake of an originator’s customer. On the other hand, I’m not convinced that customers get better rates by going direct – the full absorption cost of a bank would probably make sure of that. As a result, an originator’s ability to consistently get better rates for their customers will remain confidential to the banks with much annecdote around it. One thing is for sure though, a hungry, commission-driven originator consultant will fight tooth-and-nail for her customer.
  • Finally, the customer gets all this for Free. That’s the biggest factor in favour of the value proposition of origination. You don’t pay at a bank either if you go direct but the cost of time parking, in queues, the car guard and the paper trail all add up.

Now let me sum up. The history of homeloan acquisition is interesting and its evolution has netted for South Africa one of the most effective homeloan businesses in the world. The banks spawned origination when they bought the origination proposition. The originators have taken hard knocks to reach the point at which their industry is attractive  to the banks as viable and sustainable with acceptable credit and fraud risk in the process. It would seem, like many new industries, the origination industry has matured into a worthwhile business proposition and partnership with the banks.

Love-hate? I guess not. Partnership is more how I like to think it; built on mutual respect, a desire for long-term sustainability and cost effectiveness.

Here is the link to the article on Moneyweb – Banks vs bond originators – Which offers a better deal on your home loan?

Want to know more about the services Bond Originators offer, Get in Touch

 

The Bond Registration Process

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There are essentially two contract processes that enable you to buy a property, whether residential [our main focus in this article] or commercial. These are the Bond Registration process and the Transfer process.

In this article we look at the Registration process. Remember what is happening here is that you have asked the Bank for a bond to help you finance the property. The Bank therefore has the right to register a bond, in most cases a First Mortgage bond, over the property. This bond is lodged in the Deeds Office when the property is transferred [our next blog for the process] into your name. The bond is in place until you settle the Bank in full; then you may request the Bank to cancel the bond and return your Title Deeds to you.

Thanks to attorneys Yammin Hammond Inc. for their easy-to-understand Bond Registration process: 

Registering a Mortgage Bond over a property is a complicated and often misunderstood process. It involves a number of parties and institutions, many of whom have conflicting interests. All of them, however, have to coordinate their efforts to ensure that the documents arrive at the Deeds Office on the same day.

There are also numerous other parties, such as the Buyer, Seller, Estate Agent and Bond Originator, who have a financial interest in the transaction and often want it to be completed in the shortest possible time.

Understanding the sequence of events will help you monitor the process accurately and also give you an idea of the time remaining at each stage.

Below are some of the common steps required to register a Mortgage Bond. It has been written in simple language and illustrates the relationships between the various parties.Much of the jargon and key concepts are explained in the notes on the right hand side.

 

Step Description Notes
1. You buy a house from the Seller This is normally done through an Estate Agent.
2. You apply to the Bank for a loan or a Bond Originator applies on your behalf A loan is required so you can pay the Seller the purchase price. The amount of the loan is normally the purchase price less any cash deposit and/or the proceeds from the sale of your existing property.
3. Your Bank instructs their attorney, the Bond Attorney, to register a Mortgage Bond A Mortgage Bond is a special loan which uses fixed property (e.g. a house) as security and it is registered in the Deeds Office.
4. The Bond Attorney contacts the Seller’s Bank and requests the original Title Deed and the cancellation figures If the Seller has a bond over the property, his/her Bank will hold the Title Deed in safekeeping. The Bank will also provide cancellation figures (or discharge costs), i.e. how much is required to settle the Seller’s bond.
5. The Seller’s Bank instructs their attorney, the Cancellation Attorney, to cancel the Seller’s bond The Cancellation Attorney then sends the Title Deed and guarantee requirements (i.e. the cancellation costs) to the Registering Attorney.
6. The Bond Attorney assembles and prepares the documents This can take up to 3 weeks.
7. You will be called by the Bond Attorney to come in and sign the documents You will be required to sign the actual bond documents, a loan acceptance form, authorities to issue guarantees and any other papers the bank requires (such as debit order forms). Remember to take your identity documents and FICA documents.
8. You also pay the bond costs at this time You will be presented with a pro-forma account which is an estimate of the costs. You will get a final account after registration when the actual costs are known. The costs vary because the date of registration is unknown at this stage and some of the costs (such as the interest on the bond being cancelled) are determined by this date.
9. The Bond Attorney instructs the Lodging Attorney to lodge the documents in the Deeds Office The Lodging Attorney is located near the Deeds Office and acts on behalf of the Registering Attorney (who may be far away from the Deeds Office – even in another town).
10. The Lodging Attorney contacts the Cancellation Attorney to ensure the documents are lodged together on the same day The documents have to be registered at the same time because the Seller’s Bank has guarantees that ensure it will be paid when their bond is cancelled and they are not prepared to cancel the bond until the new bond is registered.
11. The Deeds Office Examiner carefully checks all the documents This stage is called “on prep”. It can take between 7 to 10 working days depending on how busy the Deeds Office is.
12. The Deeds Office Examiner contacts the Lodging Attorney and the Cancellation Attorney to inform them the documents are ready This stage is called “up for prep” or “up for fees”. It means the documents are all in order and they will be registered the next day.
13. The documents are registered The Buyer becomes the owner of the property. The new bond is registered and the Seller’s bond is cancelled. The guarantees are presented for payment (i.e. the Seller’s Bank is settled).
14. The Bond attorney sends the Title Deed to your Bank It can take up to 3 months for the Deeds Office to send the Title Deed to the Attorney. Your Bank will keep the new Title Deed a security until the bond is paid off.

 

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