How our customer Nidean bought her first home

“Last year when I was thinking about buying a house it seemed so impossible. After talking to Tian and hearing, ‘here are your options’, I knew there was a little bit of hope there; that it was possible.”

Finding the right property

Brisbane high school teacher Nidean purchased her first home with her fiancé earlier this year. They’d saved for a deposit and Nidean’s mum, Marion, helped them get across the line. “It was always our intention to give her money back, so we made the decision that we didn’t want a guarantor. We’re both the kind of people that don’t like owing other people things,” says Nidean.

Marion had actually used uno to refinance a loan and recommended Nidean chat to home loans adviser Tian Liu, who had worked extremely hard to help her.

“He was great: always contacting mum and I would say definitely going above and beyond what was the call of duty,” she says. “I contacted Tian and said, ‘we’d really like to work with you just because I know how good you were for her’.

As first home buyers, Nidean and her partner were eligible for the first homeowners grant and Tian talked them through a few things they needed to do to get the ball rolling.

“He explained to me the conditions of the grant, such as you’ll need to buy a place for under $500,000 [to be eligible], and the benefits – that you don’t pay capital gains tax and stamp duty and all those sorts of things.

“Knowing that made it a lot easier to look for properties and helped me filter the search,” Nidean says, adding it was a challenge to find a brand new home for under $500,000 in close proximity to the area they wanted to be in.

Nidean and her fiancé were about to submit documents to uno for pre approval when Nidean stumbled across ‘the one’.

“I was driving home a different way than I normally do and drove through this estate I didn’t know existed. I went home, had a bit of a search and found a place. We went and looked at it on the weekend and we put an offer on it,” she says.

“When I saw that property, we jumped on it quickly, because I knew there wasn’t a whole lot of time for us to make a decision.”

Marion helped them make a good offer on the property. “She’s a pretty good negotiator and a good conversationalist in those moments,” says Nidean.

“I think we were lucky in the sense that the offer was reasonable and they were willing to accept. And the benefit of buying a brand new home is that no one else has lived in it. So, there was no pressure on anyone to get out of there and for us to get in.”

And Marion was eager to see her daughter get a leg up on the property ladder. “I wanted Nidean to buy something because it’s going to get harder and harder for these young people to buy property,” she says.

Securing pre-approval

uno was able to move quickly, working extra hard to get the application over the line. “There were a few hiccups along the way,” says Nidean. We worked with Tian mostly in the beginning, then Torika and then with Remonda.

“Remonda probably had the toughest job towards the end because the finance was saying that we needed an extension on the settlement date and that could have cost us a lot of money. She worked so hard to push and escalate what she needed to so that we could get it in on time. It all happened very fast.”

When it came to finding the right loan, Nidean says she put her total trust in uno. “What I’ve learned, and I often reflect on processes that we go through, is that, it’s a very complex process to buy a house. I would have had no idea what I was doing if I didn’t go through a broker,” she says.

“I would ring Tian and say, ‘can you just check that I filled out this form properly?’ And he would say, ‘oh, no, you need to tick this box.’ And I just thought, ‘imagine if I sent it off.’ It’s a time saver. It also feels like a form of security in knowing that what you’re doing is through someone who’s credible.”

Moving in

Nidean and her fiancé moved in earlier this year. She is proud of what they went through and overjoyed by the outcome. “Last year when I was thinking about buying a house it seemed so impossible. After talking to Tian and hearing, ‘here are your options’, I knew there was a little bit of hope there; that it was possible,” she says.

“I see it as a big compliment to us and just think it’s a huge achievement to say, ‘we’ve done it’.”

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What our customers are saying

Kathryn Cretney
November 14, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Paul helped us from day one before we even arrived in Australia so we knew exactly what we needed to prepare. He’s got a tonne of knowledge and was really lovely and supportive to deal with. Helpful and easy going. Would highly recommend - now in our first Aussie home and Paul made the process all very easy!
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Sean O'Neill
November 14, 2024
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We received excellent service and a tailored solution to our home loan requirements from Uno. Paul kept us informed at all milestone stages and throughout the process he demonstrated a ‘can do’ attitude that ultimately allowed us to get over the line and meet our deadline. We’re most grateful and very impressed. Highly recommend
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Crush Huston
November 8, 2024
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Paul is an amazing broker. Communicative, responsive and knows his stuff! Highly recommend
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Amanda Pearce
November 7, 2024
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After just four months in Australia, our New Zealand home sold, prompting us to stop renting and invest locally. We found Paul through a Kiwi Facebook group, and his exceptional service exceeded our expectations. From initial contact, Paul provided clear explanations, friendly communication, and prompt responses to our queries, making our mortgage process remarkably smooth. We highly recommend him.
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Dom Saric
November 3, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons went above and beyond to ensure that our refinancing journey was painless and successful. He was communicative, accessible (even working while on holidays!), and his knowledge of the systems at play meant that he picked up on things that other brokers missed. Would 100% recommend Mike, and will definitely be back next time we need a broker.
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Ashleigh Breaden
October 31, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons handled our refinance of our home loan with ease and a depth of knowledge that ensured we got the best deal possible for our situation. We didn't have an easy one to solve for with my husband being self employed and we were consolidating finances as well for a car loan. But Mike handled it all for us and once we had provided him with all the documents we literally didn't have to do a thing after that, it was so easy and so quick we are super happy with the experience! Top notch! Highly recommend!!
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Kyle Richards
October 10, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Absolute legend, helped me through the first home buyers scheme, explained everything in a way that made sense, was very knowledgeable and a joy to work with.
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Chloe S
October 8, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons made it possible for us and the in laws to get 2 pretty complicated home loans. He helped us through everything and we'd be happy to use Mike and the team again for anything we needed. Thanks again!
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Sam Rezai
October 2, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
I have gone through 6 different mortgage brokers prior to meeting Andrew Wyers. He is the most patient mortgage broker I’ve encountered and also the most knowledgable about the bank’s lending process and products available. It took me 1 year to find a house I was happy with and Andrew was always there to assist with any issues or questions I had; he always return my phone call, even on the weekends or when his away on holidays. The loan process was smooth and I had no complications. The process with Andrew was again nice and easy, he took the time to find and put together the right package that was suited to my situation. I have recommended Andrew to my family & friends and everyone have been grateful and completely satisfied with his service.
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S Wilko
September 23, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
I had not dealt with Scott or UNO before finding them on the internet. Even as an Australian citizen living and working overseas, I knew obtaining a loan would be difficult. However, Scott went above and beyond what I expected from a mortgage broker. I genuinely don’t think you could find another company that works as hard as they did to get my home loan approved. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Everyone I dealt with at UNO were extremely professional and helpful. If you are looking for a broker, you would be mad not to give them a go. Thanks to Scott Wilkinson, Dalby Bajwa, Jena Lasquite and Andrew Pacini. Shaun.
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Shan Liao
September 3, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
I had an outstanding experience with Tian Liu. He was incredibly professional and attentive, going above and beyond to meet my needs. His expertise and dedication made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Tian's deep knowledge of the market and commitment to finding the best solutions for his clients truly sets him apart. He was always available to answer my questions and provided invaluable guidance throughout. I highly recommend Tian Liu to anyone in need of a reliable and skilled broker!"
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Nathanael Chin
September 3, 2024
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Tian Liu provided exceptional service throughout the entire process. His professionalism and keen attention to detail were evident from the start. Tian consistently kept us informed and offered insightful advice that made us feel confident in our decisions. He truly cares about his clients and works tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome. We couldn't be happier with his assistance and highly recommend Tian to anyone looking for a trustworthy and knowledgeable broker.
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