How to buy your first home
For many New Zealanders, buying a first home can seem out of reach. But a new Maori Television show aims to inspire people to think outside the box when it comes to owning property.
Called On The Ladder, it looks at how some clever thinking helped people who were able to buy their first homes, most of which are outside of Auckland.
The show travels to places such as Rotorua, Hamilton, Huntly, Mt Maunganui and Ngaruawahia.
‘‘I’m delighted because the issues people are dealing with are ones you certainly won’t get in Auckland,’’ says the show’s presenter Tahei Simpson.
‘‘Things like developing on Maori land, for example, and finding innovative housing solutions.’’
Simpson, who grew up in the Bay of Plenty but now lives in Auckland where she works as mortgage broker, is a mother of three children aged 10, 11 and 18. She has worked in various industries including law and finance.
She spent 10 years working full-time as an actress, appearing in shows such as Shortland Street and the movies Whale Rider and The Matrix Reloaded. But now acting takes a back seat to her finance job.
In On The Ladder, those people profiled who have now achieved home ownership include a single mother, young families, older families and kaumatua.
The show also profiles the Turner whanau from Ngaruawahia where 10 adults and nine children moved into a nine-bedroom house thanks to a $400,000 loan plus government funding.
‘‘We’re all interested in property whether we own it or not,’’ says Simpson. ‘‘All Kiwis have a relationship with property and our land...
‘‘So I think the more we can see images of ourselves owning property, especially for Maori, that can only be a good thing and help more of us achieve that goal.
‘‘The message that I want to send in this show is that you can achieve property ownership in New Zealand.
‘‘It just might not look like your traditional model and so, like with the Turner whanau, they ended up building this massive home and that was because they were prepared to look outside the square and get something that fits them.’’
Statistics show Maori home ownership rates are declining.