LIVE at home as long as you can, buy a property before starting a family, live within your means and don’t worry about needing a 20 per cent deposit.
He’s only 24 but Aron Cardona knows what he’s talking about. The Prospect resident has already bought a unit and helped hundreds of other first-home buyers crack the market.
The mortgage broker’s talent and drive led him to be named one of Mortgage Professional Australia magazine’s top 30 young guns in the country.
Mr Cardona ranked 17th out of 30 mortgage brokers, who had to be under 35, worked in the profession for less than two years and settled a minimum of $15 million in loans, to be eligible for recognition.
Since becoming a broker in 2014, he has settled more than $34 million in loans with over 300 clients but it’s not just the figures that motivate the former Blacktown Patrician Brothers’ College student.
“I suppose from an early age I’ve always excelled in finance whether it be maths and I was always a numbers person,” he said.
“But I like to help people, especially first-time buyers more than, say, an investor. It feels more rewarding to help a first-home buyer to get into the market.
“The advice I give to people is all about stepping stones.
“Even Blacktown is perceived as out-of-reach but it is achievable.”
Mr Cardona revels in educating clients and smashing theories that often deter young people from making a deposit on a property.
These include highlighting the advantages of purchasing a property before starting a family, a time when banks often discriminate when a loss of income is likely.
Mr Cardona worked with Teachers’ Mutual Bank before starting his home-based business Cardona&Co Financial Solutions in 2014.
His mentor Scott McTeare nominated him for the gong.
“It’s opened up more doors for me in regards to networking,” he said.
Mr Cardona lives with his family but will move into a two-bedroom unit he purchased at Manly Vale when he marries in October.