How UNO helped one family in the middle of a home loan muddle

Emma needed help finding the right deal for a complex home loan structure. They had multiple loans from a number of banks and three properties.

Finding the right home loan deal in a mountain of complexity

Emma Cleary and her husband unexpectedly found their ideal family home in Sydney’s inner west. The find was unplanned – they weren’t really looking – but soon this significant Glebe property was all they were thinking about. So they decided they would try to buy it, even though they knew there would be some financial hurdles to jump first. They needed to solve for a complex home loan structure. Prospective home-loan borrowers often need to make challenging financial decisions while dealing with difficult circumstances. Whether it’s in the weeks following a divorce settlement or the death of a parent, some people find themselves weighing up making big commitments while juggling major family, work or financial issues. What confronted the Clearys was something else all together. They had multiple loans from a number of banks, three properties that needed to be remortgaged and a home they had already started renovating. One of their other properties was partly renovated; another was a block of flats, all of which had different tenancy arrangements. All of their many bank loans had varying levels of debt and were structured differently. Some were interest-only investment loans; others allowed them to reduce the principal owing. And they contemplated all of this while living in a rental property. Time was an issue, too. As well as raising a family, they both had challenging full-time jobs – one in the city, the other on Sydney’s northern beaches. Finding the time to organise face-to-face meetings with financial services businesses during work hours was going to be tricky. But the Clearys were determined to get on top of their complicated financial commitments, as well as their partly completed renovations, and buy their dream home. How much can I borrow?Use UNO's calculator to estimate your borrowing capacity. Calculate Now

Looking for answers

When they had organised previous loans, the Clearys dealt with their banks directly. They tried using brokers but found it was “a complete disaster”. “Admittedly, we’re doing something that’s a little bit more complex than just the average mortgage,” Emma says. “Any level of complexity seems to really challenge the standard service models with brokers and, particularly, with the banks.” So Emma sent an email to UNO Home Loans. “It was a Sunday,” she says. “I can’t recall the time but it would have been late afternoon, knowing me. We would have been busy with family stuff. I would have been sitting down and starting to do a bit of work. I got a response within minutes and started the ball rolling that night.” Emma says the UNO team continued to respond to the couple’s requests quickly. “I think, worst case, my husband sent them a note at 4.30 in the morning and someone got back to me at 6, which was amazing.” The Clearys were looking for the best way to manage their complicated financial situation. They needed advice on how to find the best loans to suit their unique circumstances. UNO helped guide them towards a mix of fixed and variable loans with different repayment terms. This plan involved structuring some of their loans around the lowest overall cost – not just the best available headline interest rate – while others had more flexible terms, allowing them to be paid off faster. It also meant, for instance, that not all of their fixed loans were able to expire at the same time. “They’re the sorts of things you might not necessarily think about at the moment you’re trying to get this stuff done, but it’s all incredibly important,” she says. “It’s that sort of advice they gave us that was really helpful.”

Final challenges

The loan they chose for their new property had a fixed interest rate for five years at the lowest rate available. “The advice they gave us around how much we locked in and how much we kept variable was all driven by our needs but the advice was really good. “A couple of times they challenged us and the challenge was healthy. In one instance, we even changed our proposal for the block of units and how we funded it.” With the Clearys needing to work through so much complexity in their dealings with their original lenders, even tiny issues became potential sticking points. At one time, a bank made a small administrative error that threatened to delay their plans. Once again, she says UNO sprung into action immediately. “They actually jumped in a cab, went to the bank, sorted out the paperwork on the spot, came out to our home straight away to get the paperwork to me so that it wouldn’t be delayed,” Emma says. “You’re talking service that’s above and beyond, especially from a digital platform. “It was quite a complex transaction and this was the easiest financing experience we’ve ever had.” Book a call in with UNO

Book Call Now

UNO home loans

Need help with your home loan?

UNO Brokers are available night and day for a quick review or your situation and bring expertise that will support better decision making that will save you time and money. Book in a quick call when it suits your busy schedule

Get Started

Related Articles

TESTIMONIALS

What our customers are saying

John Cahill
March 7, 2024
Scott Wilkinson was my broker last year when I sought finance for a new property investment and refinance for my property port folio. He was an absolute delight to work with. He was always professional, on time and always available to talk at a moment's notice to discuss my credit options and give well considered advice; usually this was very much after-hours due to my work commitments during the day. He was always happy to talk. I had not used a mortgage broker in a long time opting to do the re-financing myself. This was primarily due to disappointing experiences I'd had with mortgage brokers in the past. However with the increasing complex nature of dealing with credit providers, I could see that I needed a good advocate to act on my behalf for this particular refinance. In all honesty I did not hold much hope that in the current credit environment I would be able to secure the finance I required for the new property investment I was wishing to secure. Scott found a way however and was able to secure the finance along with the refinance of my portfolio. I have since referred friends to Scott and I know they have been very happy with his work. He is ideal for property investors who have busy day-jobs and need someone who understands property investment strategy and is able to tailor credit advice and options to their needs. Scott provides this advice and information in a way that is clear and concise. He kept me up to date continually during the application process. He made what could have been a very stressful and frustrating process easy and straightforward. I could not recommend Scott and the team at UNO Home Loans more highly. They are all a delight.
Read more
Sally Mackenzie
February 19, 2024
We chose Uno Home Loans from their impressive web site knowing we were going to find it hard, on many fronts, to qualify for a home loan. We were incredibly fortunate to be assigned Mike Parsons as right from the get-go, despite the complexities, he hit the ground running for us. He was incredibly knowledgeable, with years of experience but what was immediately apparent and impressive was that he was totally invested in getting us over the line, doing absolutely everything possible, including working around the clock. Despite it being a relatively small loan in the order of things, Mike never missed a beat, getting docs ready, following up and answering every request from the proposed funder immediately. He kept us informed on progress the minute anything happened, and again if anything needed to be done, he was right on it. In short, we highly recommend Uno, and Mike, knowing what a remarkable job he did, over many weeks, to get us our loan. He got us a great deal, with far better rates than we expected, so we couldn't be happier. In fact, without doubt, you'd be hard pressed to find a more personable, sharp, hard working, dedicated professional who clearly prides himself on getting his customers standout results.
Read more
Rod
February 13, 2024
Scott and his team were just A-mazing. We felt supported through the whole process with the greatest quality and care. Every question answered right in time, or even before we asked. The process was smooth and we got the best outcomes we could have wished for.
Read more
Angela Biddle
February 6, 2024
Our mortgage recently came up for renewal, and with interest rates skyrocketing we were looking for ways to minimise the impact. Michael and his team were proactive and attentive. Michael spent time with us to understand our circumstances. He found mortgage options that worked with our current financial situation and longer investment plans. He presented clear options, providing guidance where needed. He and his team were helpful and responsive - streamlining the process and keeping us updated through the negotiations. In the end, Uno did the heavy lifting and secured a significantly better rate than our current bank offered, all with friendly, personal service. We would highly recommend UNO Home Loans.
Read more
Fotis Bikas
January 15, 2024
I cannot help but congratulate Scott Wilkinson of UNO Home Loans for being an absolute credit to both his company and the entire loans industry. Scott is a truly rare gem of a broker in that he will not only go the extra mile to achieve for each customer the very best deal, but his knowledge of all and sundry within the industry is unsurpassed (you will see what I mean if you speak to him). Additionally, Scott has a clear passion for imparting his wealth of information with each customer, whereas the conversation with most other brokers would simply be over if they could not get you the best deal. For me, Scott Wilkinson of UNO Home Loans stands head and shoulders above the competition and I feel privileged to benefit both from his expertise and professionalism whenever it is time for a refinance or new loan.
Read more
Tomoharu Matsui
January 11, 2024
Michael Parsons helped me a lot when it's difficult to establish my capabilities in loan.
Read more
Gillian Kearon
January 9, 2024
I highly recommend Mike Parsons as a mortgage broker. I couldn't fault the service provided by UNO. Thanks Mike!
Read more
Taner T
December 20, 2023
Thank you Eren Tan for the amazing service and support. Our Loan was a little tricky and complex for other lenders but Eren managed to get it over the line in record time. His professionalism and dedication to our needs was exceptional. If you need a Loan no matter how complex your situation, make sure you contact Eren at UNO Home Loans.
Read more
Karaipu Brown
December 20, 2023
Buying & selling a house at the same time is very stressful but Scott Wilkinson from UNO home loans made sure we knew what was happening & took most of the stress away. He always kept us up to date and if we had a concern or wanted clarification on something we were able to call him, if he didn’t know the answer straight away he will find out and contact us back.. now we are enjoying our new house and turning it into a home :)
Read more
Chris Anderson
December 18, 2023
Just completed my first loan with UNO which was so much easier than with other other brokers I have used in the past. Our broker MIKE PARSONS always had time for me and broke things down for me in the simplest of terms and was very patient with my silly questions and my constant changing of plans. I wish I had used them in the past as I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in now. Can't recommend them highly enough. Thanks UNO and Thanks MIKE 😊
Read more
Stephen Broomfield
December 11, 2023
To be able to recommend Scott Wilkinson for your mortgage broker was a privilege. We had deals fall through but Scott supported, guided and stuck with us, proper partnership. The whole team at UNO helped us and supported us right through to after settlement. Made sure everything was correct and how we are progressing. Communication was amazing and straightforward and easy to understand. Transparent. We can not Recommend Scott and the team as Uno high enough. Use UNO with confidence.
Read more
Tarek Hussain
December 6, 2023
Can't thank Amy enough for her hard work, dedication and determination on getting multiple loans completed for me. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Amy and the Uno team to any of my associates. Will definitely be back in the near future!
Read more