A joint file with an uneven income pattern
Nandi and Sipho were preparing a first joint application in Cape Town. One salary was fixed while the other included variable quarterly commission. Their initial purchase target relied on treating the strongest commission quarter as ordinary income.
The file audit separated fixed and variable earnings, identified two duplicated household costs in their schedule, and tested rates, levies and a higher repayment assumption. They chose to discuss a lower target range with their bond originator and retained a larger cash reserve for transfer costs.
“I expected a yes-or-no answer. Instead, Thandi showed us exactly which months supported the commission average and why the levy changed our safe margin. The document list felt demanding at first, but the final call made that effort worthwhile.” — Nandi M.
A statement entry that needed a simple explanation
Lerato’s salary landed in one account while most living expenses ran through another. Transfers between the two appeared repeatedly and made her prepared income schedule difficult to follow. The document check mapped the transfers and flagged an old debit order she had omitted from her commitment list.
“Evan did not tell me how the bank would decide. He helped me make the records consistent and gave me a short note to raise with the originator. I submitted a file I could explain.” — Lerato K., Pretoria
Comparing a flat and a freestanding home
A couple in Durban had similar bond estimates for two properties, but the monthly ownership picture differed. The budget stress review placed the flat’s levy and possible special levy beside the freestanding home’s insurance, security and maintenance allowance.
“The meeting slowed us down in a useful way. We had focused on the instalment and ignored how differently the two homes would behave in an expensive month.” — James R.
A useful boundary
A prospective buyer asked us to confirm that a credit provider would disregard a disputed account. That determination was outside an affordability review, and we referred the applicant to obtain appropriate credit-record guidance before paying for our service. Evidence sometimes means declining work that cannot answer the real question.