Buyer Education Hub

Home Loan & Property Education Hub

Practical articles for buyers, homeowners, self-employed applicants, companies and trusts applying for home loans and anyone else interested in buying property.

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Where to Buy (and Where Not to Buy) Property in Johannesburg for Capital Growth

A straight-talking guide for buyers and investors, particularly foreign investors who have never lived in South Africa.

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First Home Finance: A Good Idea That Doesn’t Always Land on Time

First Home Finance - previously known as FLISP (the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme) - is a government subsidy administered by the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) on behalf of the Department of Human Settlements. It is a once-off subsidy aimed at first-time buyers whose household income falls in

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Why Your Home Loan Was Declined Before Anyone Even Saw It

Not every home loan decline is the result of a credit manager saying no. Many applications fail at the system level due to scorecard triggers, missing information, affordability issues, or simple administrative errors. Proper preparation, quality control, and an understanding of how bank assessment systems work can often mean the difference between an automatic decline and a successful approval.

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Buying Property in Your Name vs a Company vs a Trust

Should you buy property in your own name, through a company, or via a trust? Understand the home loan requirements, tax and capital gains tax implications, lending risk, interest rate differences, FTHB benefits, and legal considerations before signing your Offer to Purchase.

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How Equity Builds in Your Home Over 20 Years (And Why It’s So Powerful)

One of the most overlooked benefits of owning property is equity – the portion of your home that you truly own. Equity is created in two ways: every month when you reduce your bond balance, and every year when your property increases in value. Over time, this combination becomes one of the most powerful wealth-building

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Declined for a Home Loan? It’s Not the End - Introducing the "Buyer Readiness Program"

Many South Africans walk out of a bank - or open an email - and feel that horrible sinking feeling:

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The Three Levels of Default – and How They Affect Your Home Loan

When it comes to your credit profile, not all defaults are created equal.

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Why Your Home Loan Bond Is Registered for More Than Your Loan Amount

If you've recently received a home loan approval, you may have noticed something confusing:

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What South African Banks Must Tell You in a Home Loan Quotation

When you apply for a home loan, your bank is legally required to provide you with a quotation that lays out all the important details of your loan. This isn't just about your interest rate - there's a lot more that needs to be communicated so that you can make an informed decision.

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Why Your Bank Is Rigid, But Your Mortgage Broker Doesn’t Have to Be

When applying for a home loan, many buyers assume that the bank they already use for their everyday banking will automatically be the best choice. After all, the bank knows your salary, your spending habits, and your history. But the reality is that banks are rigid in how they assess affordability, risk, and pricing. A

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First Home Finance (FLISP): What Every First-Time Buyer Should Know

For many South Africans, the dream of owning a first home feels just out of reach. To help bridge the gap, government introduced First Home Finance (formerly known as FLISP) - a subsidy designed to support qualifying first-time buyers.

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