How UNO helped a first home buyer find the ideal loan

UNO Home Loans can help any first home buyer, such as 34-year-old David from NSW, get a loan that suits individual needs. See our mortgage calculator.

Suddenly, the clock was ticking for David*. The 34-year-old IT worker had been living with his parents on the NSW Central Coast to save money for a home deposit. He had just discovered his contract job in Sydney had turned into a permanent role, which finally gave him some financial certainty, when his parents told him their news.

“They said they were moving interstate for five years due to work and I basically had to move out,” David says. “This meant I needed to have bought and settled something before they left, so I was under some time pressure to find something.”

Having decided to buy a unit on the lower Central Coast, near Gosford, David stepped up his property hunt. He had put himself in a reasonably strong financial position, have saved $70,000 for a deposit on a two-bedroom property in the $350,000 to $400,000 range, but he knew this was necessary because of his circumstances.

“I was on six months’ probation in my new job so I would have to go in with 20 per cent deposit on anything, as well as having to pay stamp duty and other fees,” he says.

This meant David needed to borrow about $300,000. After talking to friends and family about his options, he did some online research and came across UNO.

“Working in the technology field myself, I found it interesting,” he says. “Especially after looking at a number of bank and broker websites, I found the UNO website to be a much better and user-friendly experience with a lot of options to tailor what I wanted.”

Getting a loan in train

As David commutes by train for 90 minutes each way on work days, one UNO feature really stood out – he could reach a mortgage adviser outside working hours via message and online chat, even on weekends.

“I leave soon after 7am and don’t get home until after 7pm most days,” he says. “I’m also usually in a quiet carriage on the train, which has patchy mobile service for part of the trip, so I can’t even have a reliable phone call. Also, like most people these days, I work in an open-plan office where everyone can hear your phone calls.

Online chat and email meant that I could make that time on the train much more productive by organising most of this mortgage stuff, and I didn’t need to worry about trying to squeeze some time for a formal meeting into my schedule. Neither did I need to worry about other people listening into phone calls that I preferred to be private, whether on the train or in the office.” David also liked UNO’s website interface and usability. “It was generally well thought out, a fairly contemporary design, easy to use and seemed targeted more towards actual customers,” David says. “Bank websites are obviously only interested in selling their own products and other mortgage broker websites seem more like an afterthought of the business. They seem intent on harvesting your contact details.”

Soon, UNO helped David come up with a loan that best suited his needs. He wanted a full offset account and redraw facility because he knew his mortgage repayments would be relatively small compared with the income from his new permanent job. This meant he could put extra funds in the offset account and pay off his loan faster. The redraw facility would allow him to pull out these funds for other purposes, if required.

“Some of the loans I had shortlisted had some catches such as only having a partial offset instead of full offset, which I only found out after discussing with my mortgage coach,” David says.

Expecting interest rates to remain low for some time, David was also keen for a variable-rate loan. Even when rates did eventually rise, he was confident having funds in the offset account would negate some of the impact.

After initially settling on a variable-rate ING loan, David successfully made an offer on a two-bedroom unit, just 15 minutes from a railway station. One of the sale conditions, however, was a fast settlement period. As the approval time for the ING loan was going to be too long, UNO’s mortgage coach helped find a similar loan from Macquarie that met his requirements along with faster approval.

“It was a new offering since I first looked,” David says. “I think I was one of the first people to use that loan and the first via UNO. I have no complaints about it so far.”

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* Not his real name.

This information in this article is general only and does not take into account your individual circumstances. It should not be relied upon to make any financial decisions. UNO can’t make a recommendation until we complete an assessment of your requirements and objectives and your financial position. Interest rates, and other product information included in this article, are subject to change at any time at the complete discretion of each lender.



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Kathryn Cretney
November 14, 2024
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
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
Paul is an amazing broker. Communicative, responsive and knows his stuff! Highly recommend
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Amanda Pearce
November 7, 2024
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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