Mortgage Broker
With over 12 years of seasoned experience in the Financial Services industry, James Kristenson is a mortgage broker who has carved his niche by serving in various capacities, ranging from small boutique firms to major banks. His journey has been defined by a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals through meticulous and tailored analysis of their unique needs.
Specialising in catering to high net worth clients, James brings a wealth of knowledge in residential, commercial, and private banking solutions. His client portfolio extends from individual homeowners to business moguls, ranging from sole traders to corporate C-level executives.
James thrives on overcoming challenges that others might consider too complex. He is adept at finding innovative solutions for clients, even those that have been deemed the 'too hard' basket by conventional banks and brokers.
Are you seeking financial solutions that go beyond the ordinary? Look no further. At fundfin, we pride ourselves on being more than just mortgage brokers. We are passionate about empowering you to achieve your financial aspirations.
Partnering with us means tapping into a comprehensive network of professionals, including conveyancers, accountants, buyers agents, and financial advisors. Working seamlessly together throughout the entire process, our team ensures a holistic approach to your financial journey.
If you're ready for a financial experience that transcends the conventional, we invite you to reach out. Whether you're a high net worth individual, a business owner, or someone with unique financial needs, we are here to guide you toward success.
Sound like you? Get in touch.
GD
Gabriella Del Grande
We are so grateful for the role James played in helping us buy our first home. The process was seamless from start to finish, we were always kept in the loop and he found us the best deal for our needs. Thank you so much James!
NZ
Nick Zenonos
James is an exceptional mortgage broker! His expertise and dedication made the entire process smooth and stress-free. He was always available to answer our questions and provided invaluable advice. We couldn’t be happier with the service we received. Highly recommend!
PS
Patrick Sutton
James was recommended to me by a friend, and what a great recommendation it was. We wanted to get an equity release to complete some renovations on our house. James was super helpful and very knowledgable, making the process extremely easy.
An offset account is a transactional account that sits against the loan. Any funds held in this account go to offsetting interest payable on the loan. For example, if your loan balance was $100,000 and you held $90,000 in your offset account, you would only be paying interest on $10,000. While the principal reduction repayments would remain the same, you would pay less interest over the life of the loan, thereby reducing the overall loan term saving you thousands or more! As with any everyday transactional account the funds are accessible at any time.
Generally if you are on a fixed rate loan you won't have access to an offset account however some lenders offer niche products that allow you to offset all or part of the fixed loan.
Redraw is where you make additional repayments above the minimum required as part of your loan contract. Some lenders allow you to draw on these additional repayments as required (sometimes for a fee) however this may impact on your loan balance and the interest payable.
Mortgage brokers operate independently of any financial institution. We're not locked into any relationships with specific lenders and want you to have the most competitive option based on your own unique set of circumstances. There is no 'one fit' solution for any client and we aren't limited to one lender's suite of products.
Best of all - there is no cost to you to use our service!
Yes you can. It comes down to the purpose and use of funds, as dictated by the appropriate lending guidelines.
For example, residential loan cannot be used for business purposes and vice-versa. We can assist in determining what loan is most suitable for your circumstances.
Not necessarily! Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) is a premium charged by the lender's insurer for customers who need to borrow money above the maximum thresholds set by the insurer. Usually this is for loans above 80% loan to value ratio (LVR). However, some lenders offer LMI waivers for clients with certain professional qualifications up to 95% LVR, and other lenders may offer an alternate interest rate for customers with lower deposit without charging an LMI premium. There are also government backed first home buyer schemes which may allow for a deposit of 5%.
If you have any existing properties, you could also use the equity towards some or all of the deposit, including any associated costs such as stamp duty.
Some lenders also offer family pledge, or guarantor products where you can use the equity in a family member's home to borrow up to 100% of the purchase price plus costs.
Borrowing power is determinant on several factors. These can be a combination of, but are not limited to;
The lender
Your income (including rental income, pensions or super annuities, and government payments)
Your existing liabilities, such as credit cards, personal loans and HECS debts
Your monthly living expenses, fixed and discretionary
Lenders stress test the ability to afford loan repayments by running the loans against a floor rate, which is usually a couple of percentage points above the current market rate. This is to safeguard you in the event that if interest rates were to rise, you could still afford to make your repayments without experiencing significant hardship. Some lenders' floor rates are higher than others, meaning that you may be able to borrow more with Lender A than Lender B.
Existing debts, such as credit cards will also have an impact on how much you can borrow. While a $10,000 credit card might not seem like a lot in the scheme of things, it could be the difference of tens of thousands of additional borrowings on your home loan! This is where we can guide you to find the right options to suit your circumstances.
Absolutely - we can guide you through the entire process, from how much you can borrow, to first home buyers concession eligibility, putting you in touch with conveyancers and much, much more!
Absolutely, however it is important to note about what your goal actually is. For the sake of a few thousand dollars is it worth paying a few basis points more where any cash gain you have made will be eroded by the additional interest you're paying. If you have entered in to a longer loan contract, then you will likely end up paying more interest over the life of the loan, even if your initial rate is lower than what you were on.
Many lenders are offering rebates between $1000 and $4000 and some of these multiply per property refinance. We can discuss these options with you in your initial enquiry.