Dear Sir/ Madam
My name is Robbi Zeng, I am wring this as formal complaint re couple statements made by Mr T
Twyford on 11/07/2015 in the New Zealand Herald.
According to the statement, Mr Twyford claimed
“...It's staggering evidence that strongly suggests there's a significant offshore Chinese presence in the Auckland real estate market...”
“...showed for the first time the scale of an issue that was pricing first-home buyers out of the market...”
(Special investigation: Auckland house prices, New Zealand Herald, 11st July 2015 )
Mr Twyford then further commented on another article saying
“...I'm standing up for Kiwi first-home buyers who currently are denied the dream of affordable home ownership...” (Labour wanrs against foreign's tsunami, New Zealand Herald,11st July 2015)
I am extremely disappointed by the statements that Mr Twyford made in those occasions because:
1. These two statements from Mr Twyford are implying “Chiese buyers are pushing Kiwi first
home buyers out of the market” which could lead to serious social issues.
2. What Mr Twyford claimed in the statements, are not sensible and some of the people like
myself who has been working hard, contributing to New Zealand are feeling deeply hurt
because we are becoming the attacking point for some Kiwis not able to purchase their first
home.
3. All the statements Mr Twyford made are base on so call “leaked figures” from an
“unidentified firm”. Which means all the “figures” could be invalid at all.
4. It seems Mr Twyford is trying to create more social issue rather than helping Kiwi first home
buyers to get into their home.
I have been in New Zealand for almost 15 years. I grown from a student to a mortgage manager
for one of the main banks in New Zealand. And frankly enough, by leveraging equity in my
investment porfolio I upgraded my family home in the timeframe that Mr Twyford mentioned, and I
am a Chinese too! So count me in for that 39.5% and one of the 4000 houses.
Because of my job, I talk to different people day in day out about mortgage, helping people getting
into their first homes and expending their investment portfolio. In the last a few years, the main
problem I see for many people not able to get into their first home is because they dont have
enough saving. Please note, when I say people, I am talking about Kiwi, Chinese, Indian,
Europeans etc.
I have seen people living on their credit cards, overdrawing their account, and keep applying for
loans. Funny enough, it seems all of their money end up in some similar places: liqor shops, diary,
casino, Lotto tickets, night club, travel etc. Some of these people, still complaining not able to get
into their first home.
I have seen people who has a budget of $450k, trying to purchase their first home in areas such as
Mt Eden, New Lynn, Epsom with big piece of land. We all know expectation like this, simply
unrealistic. And yes, some of these people, still complaining not able to get their first home.
I have also seen people purchaed a small unit in some up and coming areas a few years back as
their first home, they keep working hard, saving hard, repaying their mortgage. And now they own
multiple properties. Again, when I say people here, I mean Kiwis, Indians, Chinese, Europeans,
South Africans etc. I, am one of them.
To cut a long story short, according to my experience of being a mortgage manager and dealing
with home buyers everyday, root problem for people not able to get into their first home is because
their spending habbit: too much lifestyle spending, not enough savings. This happens to people
from all ethincities, not just Kiwis.
And yes, we all know that Asian in general are better savers than Europeans, but this is “gives and
takes”: Europeans enjoy life, work from 9-5, Asian, earn, spend little, save, work from 7-7. In return,
of course Asian are more likely to purchase their homes than Europeans. By keep blaming people
with Chinese surname, is this going to solve the not-saving-enough problem?
To be very honest, the current government has done some very impressive work for introducing
policies such as Kiwisaver first home kick start fund and the soon-to-come 70% LVR rule. This in
my opinion will help first home buyers.
A piece of advice for Mr Twyford and the Labour Party, would it be better to encourage people to
save more and get into their home quicker instead of playing the racist card, and try to set the fire
to some hard working people who have a Chinese surname?