Although the Salvation Army has identified a shortage of 2,500 homes in Auckland, the number of available rental properties is now 5,500 (1,600 increase since May) and there are 18,000 houses for sale. 05-11-2008 more >>
House and appartment buyers are unwittingly stumbling into the leaky building disaster, tempted by cheap properties with serious hidden defects. 04-11-2008 more >>
Sadly, the arrival of summer also means an increase in work for the Tenancy Tribunal when landlords and tenants face additional costs, and many New Zealanders move house 03-11-2008 more >>
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
The 48th Parliament was formally dissolved on 6 October and Parliamentarians are currently on the campaign trail.
31-10-2008 more >>
Martin Evans reviewed the last year for members at the AGM held on October 24 in Rotorua. This, he said, has been a year of change during which the NZ Property Investors' Federation has shown leadership. 29-10-2008 more >>
Prime MInister Helen Clark has added the retrofitting of insulation into old homes to the list of projects the government is considering fast-tracking to boost the economy, saying it could help plug up job shortages for unskilled workers in the short term. 23-10-2008 more >>
The Reserve Bank has slashed official interest rates an unprecendented 1 percentage point to 6.5 points, opening the way for cuts to mortgage rates but also highlighting the grim outlook facing the global economy 23-10-2008 more >>
Labour has announced lans to open up areas of public land in pricey areas such as Auckland so modest income earners can build their own homes. 16-10-2008 more >>
The Reserve Bank of NZ is tipped to cut the official cash rate this month, but mortgage holders and first home buyers are warned not to expect lower interest rates yet. 14-10-2008 more >>
The Reserve Bank won't make an early cut to its interest rate, bu tis taking action to ease movement of money in the financial system 10-10-2008 more >>
In a shock-and-awe move, the Reserve Bank of Australia has cut its official cash rate by a full percentage point, putting pressure on its New Zealand counterpart to follow suit. 08-10-2008 more >>
House prices are expected to hit bottom in March, and could fall to as much as 25 per cent down on boom levels, according to Treasury's pre-election report. 07-10-2008 more >>
The number of homes sold in Auckland rose last month, reflecting a pickup in demand with the start of Spring. The average price fell, possibly reflecting the global credit crisis, according to real estate firm Barfoot & Thompson. 06-10-2008 more >>
Kiwi DIY culture is set to flourish after the Government announced on 30 September relaxed building standards, but some builders are concerned about faulty construction from amateurs. 03-10-2008 more >>
Shane Jones says that coming to grips with the Building and Construction portfolio has been a bit like running straight off the bench into a rugby scrum...crouch, touch, and engage!
03-10-2008 more >>
Landlords can look forward to some changes to the Building Code that come into effect on October 16, designed to make the building process less complicated for minor work. 03-10-2008 more >>
The election date is November 8 and the Real Estate Agents Bill comes into effect around November 2009. Other bills stay on the table until after the election. 30-09-2008 more >>
New Zealand home-building approvals fell to a 22-year low last month, reflecting an economy that may not climb out of recession until the final quarter of the year. 30-09-2008 more >>
