As winter gives way to warmer days, some people will no doubt start to look outside urban locations for the green fields and open spaces of living on a lifestyle block. Ponies, goats, chickens, and the space to grow one's own food can be big drawcards -- and the children love it.
Before signing on the dotted line to buy a property, it is a good idea to check out the land -- particularly if you want to keep livestock on it. Good draining land is essential to avoid it being churned in to a mud bath during winter.
It is also essential to double check the boundaries to avoid trouble down the track. Is that distant fence being used to divide a paddock or is it the boundary?
In its latest Rural Property Focus, Harcourts recommends sellers and buyers establish the boundaries using the Land Information NZ service -- the official database of the country's land records. Boundary disputes can be expensive and always end bad. So get it nailed so you can sell with confidence and buy without worry.
Empty threat?
Prime minister John Key had a pop at property investors this week, saying they could be in for a "nasty surprise" if interest rates rise. That is a big "if".
I can't see the official cash rate (OCR) or floating rates going up any time soon and even if they did, most borrowers are on a fixed rate deal. So the blunt instrument of raising mortgage rates to cool the market or reduce consumer spending (by sucking cash from people's pockets), is a non-starter.
As far as I can see, all signs are the OCR will stay the same or go down, and it won't go up again until talk of recession is a distant memory.
Meanwhile, if you are in the market for a mortgage, there are some great fixed rate offers around.
