The trick is, when you're talking to a bank, getting approved for a mortgage isn't a black and white process.
The bank does have a little bit of discretion. Just not much.
They're charged with making sure they don't give you so much debt that it crushes you – which means, if you can show that you're financially a safe pair of hands, they might let you through with a smaller deposit than others.
It's all about speaking the bank's love language. So what can you do to stand out from the herd?
In the latest podcast I talked to Rupert Gough from Mortgage Lab.
For the interview, watch the video above, or listen to the podcast.
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• Listen to the full interview on the Cooking the Books podcast. You can find new episodes in the Herald, or subscribe on iHeartRadio, Apple podcasts app, or Spotify.