Back in July 2012 we at Mortgage Managers started the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group. This community or advice forum now sits at over 200,000 members!
We are fairly sure that makes the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group the largest New Zealand forum dedicated to first home buyers. It has grown through member referrals and steady word of mouth, not by a big backer, bank or marketing budget and it now feels like its own living, breathing community.
From the start there was clearly a need for a space where kiwi first home buyers could ask every question they had and get replies from a wide mix of people: mortgage advisers, bankers, real estate agents, solicitors, and, most importantly, other first-time buyers who had just been through the same process.
“Buying your first home is a big decision and getting the right home loan is even more important, but often not given the same amount of thought. Obviously as a first home buyer you have never had these types of decisions to make and so we stress that no question is too small.”
— Stuart Wills, Founder of Mortgage Managers and Kiwi First Home Buyers Group
We would love to say we launched the group with a grand plan to build what it has become. The truth is a bit different, and a bit more accidental.
That is the story we want to share here – that the group started with a desire and passion to support Kiwi first home buyers all over New Zealand.
Where It All Started
We are Mortgage Managers, a small team of mortgage advisers (brokers) that has been helping New Zealanders with home loans for more than 25 years. Our founder, Stuart Wills, started Mortgage Managers and later created the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group as a natural extension of the work we were already doing with first-time buyers.
People often ask how the group began, so here is the short version.
Where It All Started …
Stuart went to a local business “after five” event at a new McDonald’s franchise in West Auckland. One of the speakers was a marketing specialist from the Wellington head office of McDonalds, talking about social media and how businesses might use Facebook.
Back then, social media was still fairly new for most people – Facebook only started in 2004 and did not list on the sharemarket until 2012. Many businesses were still trying to figure out what to do with it.
The marketing speaker mentioned they had set up a McDonald’s group on Facebook but did not really know how they would use it yet. That simple comment sparked an idea with Stuart and for Mortgage Managers: what if we created a group where first home buyers could ask questions in plain language and get real, practical advice?
Soon after, we set up two Facebook groups:
The thinking at the time was straightforward – both Kiwi first home buyers and first-time property investors need a lot of guidance. A group could let people ask questions and get answers from people who work with home loans and property every day.
We looked around at other Facebook groups and quickly decided there were two things we definitely did not want our groups to become:
No Self‑Promotion Wall
Many groups were clearly created by a business mainly to promote themselves and collect leads. Our view was that Facebook business pages are there for promotion, but a group should not just be one long ad. So we set a rule that people could not post purely to promote themselves, and we would not keep the group exclusive to Mortgage Managers either. Yes, we run a mortgage advice business, but the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group includes a wide range of mortgage advisers and bankers. As long as people offer helpful answers instead of just selling, that variety adds real value.No Constant Advertising
Other groups were filled with ads. We did not want that. From day one we decided we would not allow advertising posts, and our Admins still spend a lot of time keeping the group from turning into a noticeboard. Many people want to advertise to kiwi first home buyers, but once we open the door to one ad, it goes against everything we set the group up for.
Some people do not like the rules, and we do hear from them. Overall though, the rules work. They keep the group focused on genuine advice for kiwi first home buyers rather than sales pitches. We review and update the rules regularly so they stay clear and fair for everyone.
How Mortgage Managers Supports Kiwi First Home Buyers
As mortgage advisers, we speak with kiwi first home buyers every day.
The same questions come up again and again, and the group gives us a way to answer them in a friendly, open setting where others can also benefit.
Inside the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group, members ask about:
How much deposit they really need
Whether they can use KiwiSaver for their first home
How Kāinga Ora schemes like the First Home Loan work
What banks look for when they assess a home loan application
How to choose between fixed and floating rates
We do not give full, personal financial advice in a comment thread, but we do:
Explain the basic steps
Highlight key things to think about
Point people toward good next actions
When a kiwi first home buyer needs deeper help, we can talk with them one-on-one through Mortgage Managers.
Alongside us, there is a wide mix of other mortgage advisers, bankers, and professionals in the group. Our Admins (who include Mortgage Managers advisers) keep an eye on conversations so the information stays accurate, balanced, and respectful. The goal is always the same: help kiwi first home buyers feel more confident and prepared when they take the next step, since research on family financial socialisation and its impact on financial behaviours demonstrates that access to trusted guidance measurably improves financial confidence and intentions among first-time buyers.
What Kiwi First Home Buyers Ask About Most
Over the years we have seen clear patterns in what kiwi first home buyers want to know. Here are some of the most common topics that come up in the group.
Deposit And KiwiSaver Questions
Saving a deposit is still the hardest part for many kiwi first home buyers, a challenge reflected in homebuying sentiment in a booming housing market, where affordability pressures consistently rank as the top barrier for first-time buyers. Members often ask:
Do I really need a 20% deposit?
Can I buy with 10% or even 5%?
How does KiwiSaver first-home withdrawal work?
We explain that most banks prefer a 20% deposit, but that low‑deposit options exist. The Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, for example, can let eligible buyers purchase with as little as 5% saved.
We also talk a lot about KiwiSaver. If you have been in KiwiSaver for at least three years and meet the criteria, you can usually withdraw most of your balance (leaving at least $1,000 in the account) to help with your first home. In the group we share the general rules, the timing to think about, and simple ways to combine KiwiSaver, regular savings, and gifted deposits from family — research on The Bank of Mum and Dad shows intergenerational transfers play a significant role in helping first-time buyers into homeownership.
Government Help And Kāinga Ora
Another big theme is government help. Kiwi first home buyers often want to know:
What schemes are actually still available?
What are the income and house price caps?
Where do I apply?
We discuss current Kāinga Ora programs such as:
First Home Loan – for buyers with a 5% deposit who meet income and property price limits
Kāinga Whenua Loan – for Māori buyers building or buying on Māori land
Tenant Home Ownership – for some Kāinga Ora tenants who want to buy the home they are living in
We also remind members that older schemes like First Home Partner and the First Home Grant are no longer available, so plans need to be based on the options that exist now.
NOTE / WARNING: Unfortunately too many people rely on AI for advice these days, and AI is designed to build knowledge but often drags up old information on the internet and that confuses people.
Home Loan Pre-Approval And Structure
Once kiwi first home buyers start to see that a purchase might be realistic, they want to understand the lending side.
In the group we talk through what banks and lenders look at:
Income and job history
Existing debts and credit history
Spending patterns and regular expenses
Loan‑to‑Value Ratio (LVR) and deposit size
We also cover basic loan structures in New Zealand – fixed rate, floating (variable) rate, revolving credit, and offset loans – and explain in plain language how each one works. That way kiwi first home buyers can walk into a meeting with a lender or with us at Mortgage Managers feeling far better prepared.
Reviewing Some Numbers
We still find it interesting to look at the numbers behind the group that Mortgage Managers started.
We now have over 200,000 members in the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group, up from about 150,000 only a year earlier. The activity level is just as impressive – over a recent 28‑day period, 14,729 members posted or commented and the group recorded 2,655,723 views.
That is a huge number of kiwi first home buyers reading posts, asking questions, and learning from each other — peer learning in community settings has been linked to stronger financial decision-making, as shown in family financial socialisation and its measurable impact on financial confidence among young adults.
With that level of activity, our Admin team is constantly busy approving posts, moderating comments, and making sure people follow the rules that keep the group helpful.
Who Are The Admin Team?
The Admins are the team of Mortgage Managers advisers and each day they:
Approve or decline posts
Remove spam and advertising
Step in when conversations get heated
Keep an eye on advice that might be misleading
The work that the Admin team does is like volunteer time – we are not paid for this. We do it because we care about keeping the group a safe, clear place for kiwi first home buyers to ask the questions they might feel nervous asking anywhere else.
How To Get The Most Out Of The Kiwi First Home Buyers Group
If you are new to the group, here are some simple ways to make it as helpful as possible for you and for other kiwi first home buyers:
Search First
Use the search bar to look for older threads on topics like KiwiSaver, First Home Loan, or pre‑approval. Many questions have been asked (and answered) dozens of times.Share Enough Detail (But Protect Your Privacy)
Give basic information such as income range, deposit size, and region, but leave out names, account numbers, or anything that could identify you.Be Respectful
Everyone is at a different stage. Some are just starting to save; others are signing loan documents. Kind, patient replies help everyone.Treat Comments As Guidance, Not Personal Advice
Group answers are general. When it is time to sign contracts or borrow money, talk directly with a lawyer, an accountant, and a mortgage adviser.Reach Out When You Are Ready
If you want one‑on‑one help, you can contact us at Mortgage Managers outside the group. The group is a great starting point, and personal advice fills in the gaps.
“Treat every comment as a starting point and double‑check major decisions with your own advisers.”
— Mortgage Managers Team
Used this way, the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group becomes a strong support network as you move from early questions to holding the keys to your first home.
What Next For The Kiwi First Home Buyers Group
We are always looking for ways to make the group more helpful and relevant for kiwi first home buyers.
We do not have the marketing budgets that big brands use to flood social media with ads. Instead, we rely on members like you to invite friends, share posts, and keep the conversation going. That steady word‑of‑mouth growth has worked well so far for the group Mortgage Managers began.
Looking ahead, we are talking about ideas such as:
More regular Q&A sessions with Mortgage Managers advisers
Clearer guides on topics like KiwiSaver, Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, and low‑deposit options
Better ways to group posts so kiwi first home buyers can find what they need faster
Whatever changes we make, the heart of the group will stay the same. We will keep the standards we started with, keep the advertising out, and focus on information that is useful, current, and relevant to kiwi first home buyers across New Zealand.
If you are already part of the community, thank you. If you are just finding us now, we hope you will join the Kiwi First Home Buyers Group, ask your questions, and share your own story when you get your keys.
