Straight-up Mortgage & Insurance Advice

  • First Home Buyers

    We specialise in helping First Home Buyers. We know the process can be overwhelming before you have even started. At SCM we are there to help you from the start. We want to talk to you as soon as the idea pops into your brain about buying a home. The earlier we talk to you, the easier it will be for you when the time comes as we can make sure you are doing everything right!

    We know all the details on the Kāinga Ora grants & loans, whether you can access your KiwiSaver & can help connect you with all the right experts so you have the team you need around you from the start.

  • Investors

    Whether you are a savvy long-term investor or a first-timer, we have years worth of skills & knowledge to help ensure you are protecting your investments & structuring your lending in the best way for your individual circumstances.

    We have multiple lending options that aren’t limited to the “main” banks, we find that the non-banks are sometimes able to offer solutions that better suit investors which means you are able to take advantage of opportunities that otherwise you may miss out on.

  • Refinancing

    Sometimes, you just need a change!

    Refinancing may come about from selling one home to buy another - or you may simply want to see what other lenders have to offer benefits wise for your specific situation.

    Whichever situation applies, we can talk to you about the different options & provide advice around where the best place for you to be is & set a structure that gives you confidence in your lending arrangement.

  • Personal Insurances

    If insurance was free, you would take it all huh?

    Reality is though, you are going to have to pay to make sure you keep safe the things that really matter - and that is YOU!

    I’ll talk to you about what matters most, and finding a solution that helps you to sleep easier at night knowing you have the cover you need.

    All in plain, simple, straight-up English.

The SCM First Home Buyers School

The good ol’ days of finding a home & then calling the bank to get approved are all but gone!

In order to make sure you are in the best position to buy your first home, you need to suss some stuff first!

We created the SCM First Home Buyers School so you have a complete understanding of your financial situation, and what you need to do to reach your home ownership dream.

It's your ultimate guide on how to buy your first home in NZ.

Meet Sarah & Gareth.

We are here to explain the weird and wonderful world of mortgages and insurance.

Because sometimes, buying a property or getting insurance is just really overwhelming.

That’s where we come in!

Want to know the best bit?

We can help you wherever you are in New Zealand - with appointments via Zoom, phone, or face-to-face at our Kerikeri office.

  • Kerry C - Bay of Islands

    Honestly, I have no idea where to start with even trying to explain how much help Sarah and her team have been. Not only was Sarah so helpful, respectful and efficient, I truly think she may just be superwoman. I highly recommend to anyone hoping, wishing or dreaming of a home of their own, to contact Sarah and her team.

  • Michael K - Gisborne

    Fantastic team, their advice around restructuring has wiped years off my loan. The banks seem to make any adjustments to loans hard on purpose so you will “set it and forget it”.

    Sarah & Gareth work hard to simplify the process and I’m sure we will have many more regular discussion on how to make my debit fit my current situation rather than “forgetting” about it.

    Over the last 15 years the bank has always made change hard and in this case it was no different. The key difference this time was that Sarah & Gareth took the time to understand my goals and allowed me to pick a path forward, rather than putting roadblock after roadblock in my path before showing where the path leads.

    Thank you team!

  • Ellie B - Bay of Islands

    Sarah made a great effort to meet with me over lockdown via video chat. She helped me understand what I could borrow from the bank and gave advice on whether to keep our first house as a rental or sell it. I look forward to working with Sarah again

  • Ethan S - Auckland

    Sarah and the team have been amazing and keeping me in the loop with all the ins and outs of buying a whare. I’m so grateful for all the mahi they have done for my whanau and I. Mauri ora

  • Kiri E - Bay of Islands

    Sarah is full of spark and spunk, ready to fight for your dreams of a new home/mortgage. She effortlessly makes you feel comfortable with all the ins and outs as well as puts it all simply for those who have no clue what they are doing! She is a straight shooter with no muck around, someone you can rely on. Has my recommendation for sure 👍 👌

  • Kirsty P - Bay of Islands

    Sarah made the process of buying a home on my own a simple process and was lovely to deal with 😊😊

  • Anthea M - Bay of Islands

    Highly recommend Sarah - I just sat back while she did all the hard work. didn't have to worry about a thing. Not to mention I honestly didn't think we had a chance of getting a mortgage but Sarah worked her magic. We also got an amazing interest rate.

    it was the easiest process - especially after having got my first mortgage by myself years ago.

    Fast easy process and so stress free.

  • Karen B - Far North

    Sarah is the best mortgage broker I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.

    I have worked in finance for a decade and knew that our deal needed the care and atte ntion Sarah would give it. We got approved by using Sarah's amazing lending abilities.

    She actually cares about you as a person, which is rare these days.

    Plus, if she believes in you, she will do her best to get you a loan.

    If you're considering using a broker, just use Sarah. You won't regret it.

  • Tyler B - Bay of Islands

    We came to Sarah after being disappointed by service elsewhere and were absolutely stoked with how it worked out. Not only was she professional and efficient, but she went over and above to help us get through the home-buying process easier and got us a better deal than we could have hoped for. We really feel like we have someone we can rely on to help us achieve our future financial goals. Thanks Sarah!

  • Janine T - Bay of Islands

    Sarah is amazing, she is so friendly and approachable and made sure she really understood my needs before making recommendations. She went above and beyond to secure finance in quite tricky circumstances and I am so grateful for not having had to deal with the bank myself. Not only that, she got me better interest rates than my own bank offered me. I will use Sarah for all future lending because she made the process so simple. Thanks Sarah!

  • Rebecca H - Auckland

    Sarah handled our mortgage when we bought our home last year. Despite the transaction being a little complicated (remortgaging some properties in order to buy another one) she handled it so expertly and professionally and got us an exception deal with the bank. I highly recommend using Sarah to deal with the banks as she can get a far better deal than we could going to the banks ourselves and she has all the knowledge and expertise to deal with the transaction. It made things so simple for us!

  • Cayla L - Northland

    I joined Sarah’s first home buyers school, it was super helpful and pointed me in the right direction of where I needed to improve. I am still a long way from buying a property as a solo parent but I know where I’m heading. Thanks Sarah ❤️

  • Kelly T - Northland

    Sarah and the team were just amazing!!!. Right from the very start of my first consultation to signing the paperwork everything was so easy even when obstacles were put in the way. They did all the hard work for us 🙂.

    Thank you so much and will definitely be seeking more advice in the near future xx

  • Janine D - Northland

    Sarah has seen us through a subdivision, house sale and new build. Sarah's knowledge is unbeatable and she has pushed and hustled to get us what we need. She has had more than one emotional, on the verge, phone call from me when things have gone awry, talked me down and smoothed the path ahead. 3.5 years of hard slog but on Monday we move into our brand new forever home. We are eternally grateful to both Sarah and Gareth for all their work and support!

  • Nicole S - Whangarei

    Absolutely blessed to have Sarah's help, we wouldn't have the home we are in now without her expertise, patience and dedication. Would 100% recommend Sarah to anyone seeking Mortgage advice. Thank you Sarah you are a gem! 💎

  • Kathryn T - Bay of Islands

    Sarah made it so easy when my mortgage was up for renewal..we refinanced easily, with Sarah making sure everything was sorted no problem. She was also able to help with financial advice and help arrange the best option for me to get a new car without increasing financial stress. Totally recommend the team for their professionalism - it’s clear they care about their clients and work in everyone’s best interests.

  • Isla M - Northland

    Sarah is a total dynamo. Great banking expertise and so fired up to run her business in a client centric, human way.

    My husband and I were looking at mortgages as New Zealand citizens living overseas with overseas income and Sarah has been absolutely fantastic. She cleared time to see us urgently when we were only in New Zealand for a short time, she made a great lawyer recommendation and she even brought us amazing coffee to our first meeting.

    We will definitely be coming back to her when we need anything again - thank you Sarah, you are a rockstar (with the hair to match) 😀

  • Bridget H - Auckland

    My husband and I can't thank Sarah enough for making the process a breeze. Nothing is a problem with Sarah! We now happily own our dream project piece of land in Northland. Thanks Sarah

  • Christian D - Bay of Islands

    Where shall I begin...Simply put, we literally would not have been able to purchase our house without Sarah. We are so thankful to have met her at a time, when we were fighting with numerous banks trying to get a loan. Immediately Sarah took control and made a plan, to make it happen. An incredibly positive and hardworking person, who knows exactly how banks work, what they need and how they need to see it. There was nothing straight forward about our purchase, we lost count of how many emails were traded over the months. But Sarah eventually managed to get us two offers from two banks, one was unconditional!! I don't know how she did it! All I know is she did, and We are eternally grateful for it. A truly amazing person who we can't recommend highly enough!

  • Sue M - Whangarei

    I cannot recommend Sarah highly enough. I had all but given up on my dream to complete my "rent-to-buy" property, largely due to credit history issues, when I saw her as on Facebook..

    There will never be a day that I am not thankful to Sarah for her hardwork and positivity during the process of finding my lender! and I will continue to recommend, and engage Sarah for assistance in all things financial.

    Sarah...you are amazing! keep doing what you do because you really are #thebest!

  • Wopkje - Bay of Islands

    This was our second purchase with which Sarah and Gareth have helped us secure a mortgage. This time we didn't follow the usual process as we got a little bit ahead of ourselves, but S & G worked their magic and made it all work for us. They work effortlessly and although I know they are busy they always make time for you.


    We don't plan on moving again anytime soon, but we do know on who's door to knock if we do..... Thanks again team, you are superstars!

  • Roslyn - Whangarei

    We approached Sarah through Facebook asking if we could have a conversation about purchasing a house.


    She immediately got back to us and offered a time to chat. Within a week we had a conditional approval. At that stage we were still looking, but when when we finally found our home, she fast tracked it to find the appropriate bank that suited our needs.


    It was the video call that did for us. We were unable to travel to meet face to face, but she spoke to us in a space where we felt comfortable . She didnt just listen. She completely heard us and gave us the language we could understand. By the end of the call, it was hard to tell who was more excited about the beginning of our journey!


    This Woman is a vibe. I cannot thank this team enough for making the journey into our home so smooth. Highly recommend that if you want a mortgage broker, you contact Sarah Curtis Mortgages & Insurance.


    #queenofstraightupadvice