Self-employed Damien refinanced his loan

Sydney-born Damien has taken his lifelong passion for music and technology and found professional success internationally as the founder and CEO of New York-based Blue Pie Records. But as anyone growing a business knows, things can be tricky financially – and Damien decided it was time to face the music on his home loan.

Damien Reilly is not your average UNO Home Loans customer. He’s not your average real-estate refinancer, either. Sydney-born Damien has taken his lifelong passion for music and technology and found professional success internationally – he is founder and CEO of New York-based Blue Pie Productions, which publishes music and protects artists’ copyright. He also runs DJ Central, a global dance music television show. Both his production company and TV program help independent labels and artists from across the world achieve wider exposure for their music. But back in Sydney earlier this year, Damien faced the music over his pressing property issues. As anyone building a company knows, things can often be tricky financially – especially in a cyclical business such as music publishing. It often means spending part of the year living on scraps – and having the odd scrap as well. Damien admits he found himself with money issues following the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. They were difficult times for his business, with some of his customers not able to pay their bills, and he says this put his credit rating at risk. How much can I save by refinancing?Use UNO's calculator to estimate your savings. Calculate SavingsHaving a poor credit record in business can make it difficult when you’re looking for finance, let alone a home mortgage. “It’s a challenge to find someone that will listen to you,” he says. Damien’s difficulties left him with an unfavourable deal on his mortgage. At one stage he was paying 9 per cent on his loan, then he refinanced and the interest charges dropped – but only slightly – to “8-point something”. So when he was looking to relocate his Australian business headquarters, moving from the city to Moss Vale in the NSW Southern Highlands, it seemed like a good time to refinance the loan on his place in nearby Bundanoon. “My house is old and needs a bit of work, but we’ve got an acre of developed grounds,” he says. “It’s in a really nice area.”

How UNO helped

Given his history with the banks, Damien looked further afield for refinancing options and came across UNO. “Phillip at UNO was amazing,” Damien says. “I’ve never had an experience like that with a lender ever. He rings me up. He tells me what’s going on. He manages everything. “I’ve never in 30 years of business experienced someone like that who genuinely cares.” Given his experience, Damien believes UNO fills a void in the marketplace. “I’ve been blown away by the caring of the company because it’s an emotional journey buying a house,” he says. “The average person out there, they shit themselves at this process. They do. Because I’ve seen it. We’ve all got friends that go, “Oh no, I don’t understand it”. And their brains shut down.” Phillip took great care managing his refinancing journey, Damien says. He describes one encounter while they were both working out the best approach to take … Phillip: Damien, hi, how are you? Damien: Oh, Phillip, it’s so good to hear from you. Phillip: You know, I was drinking my wine last night, and I thought we could do a better deal. Damien: Really? Phillip: Yeah, I think what we’re going to do is this. And I was thinking of you. “Now, after the first call, I told my wife [about UNO] and she goes, “Oh, they’re all full of sh*t”. I said, “No, this guy’s really different.” And then when she spoke to him, all right, from God to my lips, she said, “That guy really cares”. And I went, “I know. Imagine if the banks cared.” Here are other UNO customers who have the benefit of working with Phillip. With Phillip’s help, Damien ended up getting a loan from non-bank specialist lender RedZed. He’s happy with the deal, and he’s pleased to spread the word about UNO. “UNO is a unique business,” he says. “It’s very rare – that very caring approach. “UNO’s going to be a force to reckoned with.” Take 30 seconds to calculate how much you could save by refinancing your home loanhere.Book a call in with UNO

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Sam Rezai
October 2, 2024
I have gone through 6 different mortgage brokers prior to meeting Andrew Wyers. He is the most patient mortgage broker I’ve encountered and also the most knowledgable about the bank’s lending process and products available. It took me 1 year to find a house I was happy with and Andrew was always there to assist with any issues or questions I had; he always return my phone call, even on the weekends or when his away on holidays. The loan process was smooth and I had no complications. The process with Andrew was again nice and easy, he took the time to find and put together the right package that was suited to my situation. I have recommended Andrew to my family & friends and everyone have been grateful and completely satisfied with his service.
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S Wilko
September 23, 2024
I had not dealt with Scott or UNO before finding them on the internet. Even as an Australian citizen living and working overseas, I knew obtaining a loan would be difficult. However, Scott went above and beyond what I expected from a mortgage broker. I genuinely don’t think you could find another company that works as hard as they did to get my home loan approved. I cannot recommend them highly enough. Everyone I dealt with at UNO were extremely professional and helpful. If you are looking for a broker, you would be mad not to give them a go. Thanks to Scott Wilkinson, Dalby Bajwa, Jena Lasquite and Andrew Pacini. Shaun.
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September 3, 2024
I had an outstanding experience with Tian Liu. He was incredibly professional and attentive, going above and beyond to meet my needs. His expertise and dedication made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Tian's deep knowledge of the market and commitment to finding the best solutions for his clients truly sets him apart. He was always available to answer my questions and provided invaluable guidance throughout. I highly recommend Tian Liu to anyone in need of a reliable and skilled broker!"
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Nathanael Chin
September 3, 2024
Tian Liu provided exceptional service throughout the entire process. His professionalism and keen attention to detail were evident from the start. Tian consistently kept us informed and offered insightful advice that made us feel confident in our decisions. He truly cares about his clients and works tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome. We couldn't be happier with his assistance and highly recommend Tian to anyone looking for a trustworthy and knowledgeable broker.
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Patrick Winters
August 14, 2024
For the past three years, it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Mike Parsons. He has consistently helped us navigate commercial property loans with skill and efficiency. Mike’s timely and professional responses to our inquiries have been invaluable. We have built a strong, reliable relationship with him and eagerly anticipate continuing our collaboration in the future. We highly recommend his services.
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Lee Robibaro
August 6, 2024
I am so thankful and grateful to have Scott Wilkinson as my broker. He not only looked after me every step from start to finish he gave me confidence and I was able to trust him and his expertise. My children and I are now happy in our new home and very appreciative of Scott's help. I will definitely be only having Scott as my broker from here onward as there is no mucking around and straightforward answers. Thanks again
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Steve Mav
August 6, 2024
Scott and the whole team at uno have been amazing. Super responsive and helped us achieve a result that we couldn’t have possibly achieved on our own.
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Thien Pham
August 5, 2024
Scott, Dalby and Jena were awesome to work with for my recent Home Loan, they are responsive and knowledgeable - which helped ensure a smooth purchase from pre-approvals to settlement. This is the second property I've purchased with UNO as my mortgage broker and would definitely recommend their services. Thanks again to the UNO Team for the awesome support.
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Scott Hutchinson
August 5, 2024
I am writing this summary in support of recommending Mike Parsons as a Mortgage Broker. At the time of writing this, I have known Mike for 4 years and he has executed 4 mortgages deals for me (including 2 refinances) over that time. Mike has provided me incredible service as a mortgage broker as follows : - Works painstakingly on getting the scenarios together to provide you options that optimize your position. - Works inordinate hours on the detail necessary to support the scenarios. - Mike keeps you updated on the status and progress of the applications and also helps you work through answering questions and any complexities that may arise. -In my cases, given the complexities and timings of my situations , these application processes would take many weeks to finalize . Mike never gave anything other than utter commitment and focus to getting the job done. Mike acts as a true business partner throughout this whole broker /mortgage journey. I simply would only go to Mike for any future dealings on getting a loan from a bank (and as will my kids in the future !) . There is no way a bank (I have seen anyway) would provide this kind of time nor service to a customer. You can rest assured that once Mike has done the deal, you have ended up with the most optimized position taking into account all the variables/scenarios in play. Scott Hutchinson
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Jason Seam
August 5, 2024
I've worked with Scott Wilkinson for my last 2 properties and he's been excellent. He sourced multiple options and didn't push a specific bank, tailoring his recommendations to me based on my requirements. I was specifically requesting a "medico loan" and Scott could navigate that extra requirement with expertise. When I was initially working with Scott, I was also trialling 2 other brokers and neither of those 2 had the same breadth of lenders, or could provide the same deals. I've referred multiple buyers to Scott and his team; one of them said to me after working with him, "how'd you find this guy, he's so good compared to all the other broker's I've worked with!" I'm going into my next purchase with Scott as my broker partner again. I recommend him to everyone
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Tina Anderson
July 29, 2024
My experience with Mortgage Broker - Scott Wilkinson, and his team - exceeded my expectations! I couldn’t be happier after settlement - in this current financial climate. He listened to what my requirements were in a loan and then devised a suitable plan for me moving forward. Which was something I didn’t think was possible to achieve. I strongly believe that Scott’s qualifications and previous experience in the Finance Sector - sets him apart from other Mortgage Brokers as he has more insight into the industry and the needs of the customer. Scott was professional, provided solid options, was timely with communication and gave great advice. I will definitely be using Scott’s services in the future and I highly recommend him to anyone as a Mortgage Broker.
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Marlon Baena
July 22, 2024
Karis dedication to assisting with our home loan, even while I was on holidays, truly exemplifies a commitment to excellent service. It's the small things that often make a big difference, and it seems Karis attention to detail and clear communication were key to our smooth home purchase. I highly recommend using UNO and Karis for your home loan needs.
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