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The danger of buying property off the plan

Buying real estate off the plan can end in catastrophe when the property developer defaults. Kristina Greene investigates the Robsons' story.

Thursday, May 19th 2005, 7:19AM

by The Landlord

In retrospect, it was not only their desire to come home, or even the arrival of their first child that brought John and Tanya Robson back to New Zealand and led them to buy a house off the plan in Wellington, but also their faith in business practice.

This has been all but destroyed.

The Robsons' story epitomises the Kiwi dream of home ownership.

In order to afford it, they worked in London for 10 years, saved money, and dreamed of children and a house with a view.


In Mr Robson's account of what went wrong, punched into the keyboard and posted on the Internet just a few years later to vent his pent-up anger, it says he worked 12 hours a day and sweated blood.

"It all changed when Ms R was born, two weeks after 9/11," Mr Robson writes.

"This little bundle blew us away and after the rush rush of the last years, we both stopped dead in our tracks."

Within six months, they were back in New Zealand.

On June 25, 2002, in accordance with their contract, they made a $58,000 deposit on their dream property, a house with a view of the harbour, in the upmarket Wellington suburb of Khandallah.

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Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
AIA - Back My Build 3.34 - - -
AIA - Go Home Loans 6.14 4.75 5.25 5.29
ANZ 6.04 5.59 6.09 6.19
ANZ Blueprint to Build 7.39 - - -
ANZ Good Energy - - - 1.00
ANZ Special - 4.99 5.49 5.59
ASB Bank 6.04 4.99 5.45 5.45
ASB Better Homes Top Up - - - 1.00
Avanti Finance - Near Prime 6.60 - - -
Avanti Finance - Specialised 7.75 - - -
Basecorp Finance 6.35 - - -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
BNZ - Mortgage One 6.19 - - -
BNZ - Rapid Repay 6.19 - - -
BNZ - Std 6.09 4.99 5.45 5.45
BNZ - TotalMoney 6.19 - - -
CFML 321 Loans 4.20 - - -
CFML Home Loans 6.30 - - -
CFML Prime Loans 6.45 - - -
CFML Standard Loans 7.20 - - -
China Construction Bank 6.44 4.85 4.95 4.95
China Construction Bank Special 6.44 5.85 5.95 5.95
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special - 4.74 5.29 5.59
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.34 4.84 5.39 5.69
Co-operative Bank - Standard 5.34 5.34 5.89 6.19
Credit Union Auckland 7.70 - - -
First Credit Union Special - 5.09 5.49 -
First Credit Union Standard 6.49 5.69 6.09 -
FMT 7.15 - - -
FMT Development 7.90 - - -
Heartland Bank - Online 5.80 5.89 - -
Heartland Bank - Reverse Mortgage 7.99 - - -
Heretaunga Building Society 6.50 5.50 5.65 -
ICBC 5.39 4.49 4.99 5.25
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Kainga Ora 5.79 4.59 4.95 5.19
Kainga Ora - First Home Buyer Special - - - -
Kiwibank 6.00 ▲5.85 ▲6.29 ▲6.29
Kiwibank - Offset 6.00 - - -
Kiwibank Special ▲6.00 ▲4.95 ▲5.39 ▲5.49
Liberty 6.65 6.55 6.22 6.20
Nelson Building Society ▲6.79 ▲4.99 ▲5.49 -
Pepper Money Near Prime 6.55 - - -
Pepper Money Prime 5.99 - - -
Pepper Money Specialist 8.00 - - -
SBS Bank 5.84 5.39 5.89 5.89
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
SBS Bank Special - 4.69 5.29 5.29
SBS Construction lending for FHB 3.74 - - -
SBS FirstHome Combo 3.29 4.29 - -
SBS FirstHome Combo - - - -
SBS Unwind reverse equity 7.99 - - -
TSB Bank ▲6.84 ▲5.79 ▲6.29 ▲6.49
TSB Special ▲6.04 ▲4.99 ▲5.49 ▲5.69
Unity First Home Buyer special - 4.15 - -
Unity Special 6.04 4.80 5.29 -
Unity Standard 6.04 5.60 6.29 -
Wairarapa Building Society 6.15 ▲5.15 ▲5.65 -
Lender Flt 1yr 2yr 3yr
Westpac 6.14 5.59 6.05 ▲5.99
Westpac Choices Everyday 6.24 - - -
Westpac Offset 6.14 - - -
Westpac Special - 4.99 5.45 ▲5.39
Median 6.19 4.99 5.49 5.59

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