They have to reveal the most intimate details of their finances.

“I make them feel relaxed,” says Carmine, who opened the Palmerston-based Rauseo Group five years ago. “I never make clients feel uncomfortable and certainly never stupid.

“Compliance in Australia is very high, which means clients have to produce quite a few documents when applying for a loan. I know that can be daunting.

“I discovered a long time ago that my skill is meeting clients, understanding their needs and coming up with a solution.

“In most cases, I can see a good solution within 10 minutes of talking to them.

“I ask about their income and living expenses, assess what loan they can afford and come up with a solution. And that’s the part of the job that is most rewarding – helping people buy a home, especially a first home. There are few better feelings.”

Carmine, who has been a broker for more than a decade, specialises in brokering loans for homes, business assets, business expansions and business buyouts.

He is excited about the NT Government’s $50,000 new build grant for first-home buyers.

“The Territory desperately needs more housing and the grant will give the industry a great boost,” he says. “It will allow many more people to get into the housing market, to stop renting and start buying.”

One of the biggest challenges in gaining a home loan is the deposit.

“Rents in the Territory are generally very high, so saving, say, $50,000 for a deposit to buy a house at the same time as paying $650 a week in rent is difficult. “Rents are often more than mortgage repayments. But I know that someone who can pay $650 a week in rent can afford a $3000-a-month mortgage.”

Rauseo Group, which deals with about 40 lenders, although most of its work is with 15, has built up a reputation for honesty.

“Clients know that I am working for them, that I am doing what is in their interest.

“I always encourage them to be realistic about what they can afford. I ask what they want and assess whether that’s possible or not.

“Banks in particular are very harsh in their assessments of clients’ ability to repay loans, so I am always realistic and honest.

“I never want to crush someone’s dreams, but there’s no point in raising false hopes.”

Carmine prides himself on thinking outside the box when faced with tricky cases.

“One woman came to me after being rejected for a loan because she was on maternity leave. I knew a bank that had a special loan for just that scenario and managed to get her the loan. That was rewarding.”

Rauseo Group also brokers car loans, construction loans, personal loans and commercial work.

CONTACT
Rauseo Group
Shop 13B/2 Crosby Street, Zuccoli
NT 0832
(08) 7915 0715
rauseogroup.com.au