Twenty-five per cent of homes in the Auckland central and eastern areas sold for under $400,000 in August. But 63 per cent of those were apartments and the area also had the highest percentage of homes sold for more than $1 million at 21 per cent.
In Rodney, only 20 per cent fitted into the lower bracket, but the area has several large homes and lifestyle blocks with a higher value.
Papakura is the place to look for first-home buyers, with 60 per cent of its on-the-market homes priced under $400,000.
The realestate.co.nz website, which lists homes for sale with all the major real estate companies, shows 221 listings in Papakura priced at less than $400,000.
Real estate agent Ken Kallil, of the LJ Hooker Papakura branch, said he had seen a huge influx of first home buyers searching in the area over the past year.
"If people are going to come to Auckland, spend $1 million on a three-bedroom villa with no section at all in Ponsonby, well for the same amount you could come down here and buy somewhere in Papakura, Wattle Downs sort of area, a five-bedroom brick [home] on a good-sized section."
He said in off-peak traffic, it took only 20 minutes to drive from his office into the city.
Real Estate Institute chief executive Helen O'Sullivan said: "I think the data indicates that there are properties available in the under $400,000 category if buyers are able to be flexible as to location and property type.
"There certainly seems though to be a real tightness of supply in that sub $400,000 category on the North Shore."
In Waitakere, 32 per cent of homes sold for under $400,000, Manukau had 34 per cent and Franklin 48 per cent. In Wellington, Kapiti Coast was best for first-home buyers at 68 per cent, while Canterbury had 57 per cent. The Auckland region had 26 per cent overall, 24 per cent of which were apartments.
