Apartment Investor
Scales From 1 Property to 5 in 18 Months.

The problem.

James, a 41-year-old Hamilton engineer earning $145,000, owned a single investment property valued at $620,000 with a $310,000 mortgage. He had a clear goal: grow to 5 income properties within 2 years to support semi-retirement by age 50. His own bank told him he could potentially add one more property — but no more — using the equity in his existing property.

His existing bank's serviceability calculation treated rental income at 70% shading and applied their high test rate to both his existing and any new debt. The combined assessment showed he'd reach his investor LVR cap quickly. James felt stuck — the path to 5 properties seemed mathematically impossible without significant cash injection.

James met Finch through a referral from his accountant. We modelled his portfolio across the full NZ lender panel, including specialist non-banks comfortable with multi-property investors. The result: a sequencing strategy that would let him hit his target within his original timeframe without injecting fresh cash.

How we solved it.

The result.

James reached 5 properties exactly 18 months after his first conversation with Finch. Combined portfolio value: $2,100,000. Combined borrowings: $1,540,000. Combined gross rent: ~$2,650/week. He invested $0 of fresh cash — every purchase was funded through equity recycling and the new-build LVR exemption.

His existing property (now property #1) was refinanced again at month 12 of the journey to capture continued equity growth and a $4,800 cashback contribution. His total cashback collected across the 5 transactions: $18,400.

James's feedback: "My existing bank told me one more was the limit. Working with Finch and structuring across multiple lenders meant the limit was actually about 5 — and I got there inside the timeframe I set. The semi-retirement plan is now well on track."