KEY POINTS:
The national median house price was $330,000 in December, unchanged from a month earlier, according to figures out today from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).
The median was up 11.86 per cent from $295,000 in December 2005.
REINZ president Murray Cleland said the statistics showed a resilient market that had shunned an anticipated seasonal downturn.
While the 8245 sales were down on the 9990 in November, they were well ahead of the 6906 properties sold in December 2005.
The annual increase was down on the 13.46 per cent increase from the previous year, but was another double digit rise coming on the back of several years of "stellar performances", Mr Cleland said.
Six regions had increases in median sales prices in December from the month before, while the other six had decreases.
Central Otago Lakes rose from $392,500 in November to $422,500 in December, Manawatu/Wanganui was up from $208,000 to $215,000, and Taranaki from $265,000 to $270,000.
Hawke's Bay saw a reduction from $275,000 to $255,000, Otago a drop from $235,000 to $229,000, Wellington was down from $370,000 to $365,000, Waikato/BOP slipped $5000 to $300,000, and Auckland was down from $425,000 to $422,500.
In the year to December median prices rose in 11 regions, but fell 13.77 per cent in Central Otago Lakes after strong increases in recent years.
The largest annual rise was in Taranaki, up 17.39 per cent, followed by Manawatu/Wanganui, which saw growth of 16.53 per cent, then Wellington which rose 15.5 per cent.
Nelson/Marlborough rose 13.87 per cent to $320,000, Otago was up 11.7 per cent, Waikato/BOP 11.52 per cent, Canterbury/Westland 10.26 per cent to $290,000, Southland 7.14 per cent to $150,000, Auckland 6.96 per cent, Hawke's Bay 1.59 per cent, and Northland 0.17 per cent to $290,500.
- NZPA
