The half a percentage point reduction in the Official Cash rate will be good for the economy and a welcome relieve for rental property owners. The timing of the interest rate cuts is excellent, coming just as building depreciation allowances are being removed for residential rental properties. However the interest rate cuts will not fully compensate for the tax changes that came into place on the first of April. In addition, rental prices only increased by an average 3% last year while general inflation was at 4%. Combined with an increase in demand and weak supply, almost everything is pointing to higher rental prices. 01-04-2011 more >>
New listing rose 9% in March with 12,247 properties brought to the market, however volumes are still 15% below the March 2010 level, according to the Realestate.co.nz March report. 01-04-2011 more >>
An inquiry into housing affordability will be among the first tasks for the Government's Productivity Commission, Finance Minister Bill English announced today. 31-03-2011 more >>
The seasonally adjusted number of new houses authorised in February, excluding apartments, has fallen 7.8% from January, the lowest level for two years, according to Statistics New Zealand. 30-03-2011 more >>
Christchurch property investors could see boom times ahead – if the Government follows up on comments of a 10,000 home buy-out for residents and sells on the properties, according to Bayleys. 29-03-2011 more >>
Signs of improving housing market activity have been thoroughly quashed by uncertainty surrounding a local natural disaster and now a foreign one, according to the latest ANZ Property Focus. 23-03-2011 more >>
Mortgage holders are questioning why their banks are making them wait between two and three-and-a-half weeks to pass on Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard's cut in official interest rates to their floating home loan rates. 23-03-2011 more >>
February proved to be a mixed month for the housing market with volumes and the average median price up, but the average time to sell also increasing, according to the latest REINZ report. 14-03-2011 more >>
Auckland faces a rent shock as the Christchurch earthquake diaspora, rising insurance premiums and the loss of a landlords' tax break all affect demand on already scarce stock. 09-03-2011 more >>
Hopes rents are set to increase have been given a boost by the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) on building consents. 09-03-2011 more >>
Auckland City is the only place in the country to see property values above this time last year, according to the QV indices for February. 08-03-2011 more >>
Despite press reports of skyrocketing rental demand in Auckland, rental prices appear to be holding steady according to the January Crockers Market Research. 07-03-2011 more >>
Auckland's average weekly rent fell by $14 in February from the all-time high of $416 in January, according to the latest Barfoot & Thompson housing market report. 03-03-2011 more >>
What little momentum was being seen in the housing market is in danger of being entirely snuffed out in the wake of the devastating Christchurch earthquake, according to the latest ANZ Property Focus. 02-03-2011 more >>
The country's major banks have announced a number of assistance package measures for home loan customers affected by the Christchurch earthquake. 24-02-2011 more >>
The housing market is set to remain subdued for the next couple of years and further declines in house prices are expected in early 2011, according to the latest ASB Housing Confidence Survey. 22-02-2011 more >>
The Real Estate Institute says only 3,252 houses changed hands in January, beating the previous record low of 3,666 in January last year. 11-02-2011 more >>
People desperate to rent property in central Auckland should treat their dealings with estate agents like a job interview, estate agencies warn. 08-02-2011 more >>
The rental market – particularly in Auckland – has been bucking the trend of falling prices and low sales as “a whole new generation of renters have left home ownership behind.†08-02-2011 more >>
Christchurch and Nelson are the only places to have seen residential property values increase on last year, according to the latest QV Residential Property update. 08-02-2011 more >>
Despite falling house prices and sales, Kiwi’s love affair with rental property remains intact as it is rated the second best bet for investment returns behind term deposits. 07-02-2011 more >>
