Waikato Business News May/June 2023

22 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, MAY/JUNE 2023
My Mortgage director launches the ultimate guide
for first-home buyers to achieve their dreams
If you’ve been wanting to buy your
first home but are feeling pushed out
by inflation, economic pressures and
changes in New Zealand’s real estate
market, don't give up your smashed
avocado just yet.
My Mortgage director
and mortgage adviser,
Claire Williamson,
has written the ultimate guide
for first-home buyers, 'Smashed
Avo to Smashed Goals’, which
provides expert advice to
educate and empower firsthome
buyers to confidently
navigate the home-buying
process and achieve the dream
of home ownership.
As a mortgage adviser,
homeowner, investor, and
home lending expert, Williamson
has drawn on her experience,
knowledge, and passion
to create this comprehensive,
yet fun and easily digestible
book.
She says that despite their
best efforts, many would-be
first-home buyers are finding
it difficult to get a foot on the
property ladder, and the experience
is often horrible, stressful
and difficult.
“Many would-be first home
buyers have trimmed their
expenses, consistently save,
and adjusted their expectations
about the home they’ll buy, but
it still feels like a lost cause.
They’re often in the dark about
the process and don’t know
about the levers they can pull
in their favour to achieve their
homeownership goals,” she
explains.
With 'Smashed Avo to
Smashed Goals,' Williamson
hopes to create a sense of hope
and inspire readers to take
action - now.
“I wrote this book because
I deeply care about my generation
tasting the pride, excitement,
and freedom of home
ownership. I want more Kiwis
to feel the thrill and sense of
achievement that comes from
walking through your own front
door for the first time,” Williamson
says.
‘Smashed Avo to Smashed
Goals’ is a comprehensive,
My Mortgage Claire
Williamson (front right)
at the launch of her book
yet accessible, resource that's
free of jargon and complicated
industry-speak, so everyday
New Zealanders can feel more
confident about the process.
It covers every step of the
buying process, from planning
and preparation to purchasing
your first home, and includes
post-purchase tips on how to
stay on top of a home loan and
make it work long-term.
“If I could give one piece of
advice to anyone thinking about
their first home, it would be
this – get a clear understanding
of the position you’re in now,
and don’t make assumptions.
That means taking a good look
at your income, expenses, and
deposit. You don’t need to do
that alone - talk with a mortgage
adviser.”
‘Smashed Avo to Smashed
Goals’ is not just for firsthome
buyers, but also for anyone
in an industry associated
with home buying, such as real
estate agents, accountants, lawyers,
and parents of first-home
buyers.
‘Smashed Avo to Smashed
Goals’ is Williamson’s first book
and will be officially launched in
March at Cambridge Raceway.
Williamson has almost a
decade of experience in the
mortgage industry and has
helped hundreds of people
achieve their home ownership
and property investment goals.
She grew up on a farm in the
Waikato and attended Sacred
Heart Girls College in Hamilton.
She purchased her first
home in 2014 in Hamilton and
has since owned two investment
properties, a lifestyle
home and is working on several
property developments.
Claire joined My Mortgage
in 2015 and is now a director,
shareholder and mortgage
adviser of the business. She is
also the founder and creative
director of Velma & Beverley
which designs and makes luxury
New Zealand woollen coats,
and is a national board member
of Rural Women New Zealand,
supporting regional women to
become empowered members
of their communities.
In her work as a mortgage
adviser, Claire has seen firsthome
ownership go from a distant
dream to a dream come
true, many times over. She
believes, that with the right
knowledge, you can become
a well-positioned first-home
buyer and turn wishful thinking
into reality, and hence
wrote her first book, ‘Smashed
Avo to Smashed Goals - the
fun and easy way to buy your
first home’.
To purchase a copy of
'Smashed Avo to Smashed
Goals – the fun and easy way to
buy your first home,' go to www.
mymortgage.co.nz/shop/.
Calder & Lawson
announce new
general manager
As Waikato and Bay of
Plenty based travel
experts Calder &
Lawson continue to experience
unparalleled growth post the
pandemic, Managing director
Paul Forward is pleased to
announce Kate Rawnsley as
the new general manager of
the three brands under the
Calder & Lawson umbrella
- Calder & Lawson House of
Travel, Orbit World Travel
Hamilton and Tauranga, and
Marathon Tours.
Sport and travel
are both fast paced
environments - and
that’s where I thrive.
Paul Forward has had a
key focus on rebuilding the
team and managing the strong
growth after a turbulent couple
of years.
“Our company’s success
has always been centered on
our amazing people, and we
have worked hard to ensure
we could maintain experienced
staff throughout the
last few years. With this core
team in place, we have spent
the past 12 months recruiting
new staff, and now have
a team of 52 passionate travel
professionals, across both
our Tauranga and Hamilton
offices. With the huge increase
in travel over the past 16
months, and the rapid expansion
of our team, bringing on
a General Manager to lead
the day-to-day
operations is a
great step in our
future plans.”
Kate Rawnsley
joins the
team mid-July
after 14 years in
commercial roles
within professional
rugby and over 12
years with the Chiefs Rugby,
where she was the General
Manager commercial.
“Sport and travel are both
fast paced environments - and
that’s where I thrive. I am
passionate about the Waikato
and Bay of Plenty region,
and working with an innovative
local company who cares
about the community was
important to me” says Kate.
With travel continuing to
Kate Rawnsley
and Paul Forward
heat up, and more
airlines coming back
in to the market, the
appointment of Kate as
General Manager is an exciting
new step, allowing Calder
& Lawson to do what they do
best - helping their clients
travel around New Zealand
and the world.
07 856 9009 | Level 2, Deloitte House,
24 ANZAC Parade, Hamilton East, New Zealand
calderandlawson@hot.co.nz