Rotorua mother-of-four Rita Gamlen. Photo / Supplied
Rita Gamlen has lived in her four-bedroom Rotorua home with her four children for seven years.
But her years renting it are over.
After "seriously" saving for three years, the 39-year-old solo mum has bought the Fordland home.
Gamlen's children are aged 19, 13, 11 and 8.
She works as a social worker and said she saved on a sole income and increased her KiwiSaver from 3 per cent to 10 per cent to be able to afford the home.
"Every time I looked at $100 I imagined it was $1000 I was saving. I was thinking about having that deposit. It was about looking at money differently."
But Gamlen said the longer she spent saving the higher the prices got and she saw her dreams of homeownership slip away.
"It was getting a bit disheartening."
Then, pre-election, her friend nominated her for Waiariki candidate Rawiri Waititi's Waiariki superhero, which resulted in Rawiri and his whānau giving her a live Facebook shoutout.
Gamlen was nominated for her involvement in the Waiwhero Ki Rotorua Trust she started two years ago with a friend. It is a charitable trust running only on koha that aims to build relationships in the community and bring people together every Sunday for kai.
"I'd been asking my landlord if they would consider selling just to feel them out and thought I would ask one last time and sent them the video [of the shoutout].
"They decided it was appropriate."
Gamlen said she waited until the home went unconditional before she told her children.
"It feels amazing. The first thing my son said was: 'Yay we can get a dog'," she said with a laugh.
She thanked her good friends and God for helping her get into her own home.
"If it wasn't for them I might have given up," she said.
"I always wanted my own home so there was security for my kids, especially with the rising rents.
"It is so exciting for us. It was such a big journey to get here."
Gamlen's observation of rising prices are stacked up by new figures which show Rotorua's property market is starting to bounce back after a post-Covid-19 slump, with first-home buyers "rushing" to buy property.
OneRoof's latest Property Report showed in the year to March 25, every city suburb recorded positive growth with Western Heights climbing the most at 15.2 per cent.
Since lockdown, only four suburbs were down on the index; Lynmore, Ōwhata, Springfield and despite its strong growth heading into lockdown, Western Heights.
Rotorua's current median value was $515,000, representing a 1.1 per cent growth on the index since lockdown.
Valocity director of valuation and innovation James Wilson said Rotorua went into the Covid crisis in a relatively strong position, with values up 12.8 per cent in the year to March 25.
"Post-Covid, growth has been subdued, a reflection of the uncertainty in the town's wider tourism-dependent economy."
However, Wilson said sales activity and volumes had started to climb back up, although the rise appeared limited to lower price brackets with upper price brackets still underrepresented in sales volumes.
"Buyers, particularly investors, appear to be sitting on the side-lines," he said.
"The share of new mortgage registrations to investors has dropped to 17.2 per cent, from a peak of around 26 per cent during the boom period of 2017, whereas first-home buyers' share has increased to 35.3 per cent."
OneRoof editor Owen Vaughan said the drive for property that was evident pre-Covid had faded, however, it appeared first-home buyers were keeping the market relatively buoyant.
"Anecdotally, sales volumes are starting to pick up. The inquiry is there and people are starting to move back into the market."
Managing director of the Realty Group Ltd, which operates Eves and Bayleys, Simon Anderson, said there wasn't the same number of properties coming on to the market as Tauranga but buyers were still active.
"When a good property comes to the market we see good activity on it.
"First-home buyers and investors are active and there is interest from Tauranga people happy to commute from Rotorua."
Tremains Rotorua sales manager Megan Davies said first-home buyers were rushing to buy property.
"Fear of missing out is driving them to reach a little higher and they do need the full 15 days and sometimes second-tier lenders to get them over the line with finance."
Davies said they had not been able to hold on to any stock since lockdown.
"As quickly as it lists, it sells and usually in multiple offers."
But she said listings had started to flow again in recent weeks, including property such as lake baches coming on to the market before summer.
"It's an exciting time to be in real estate but we feel for the buyers struggling to get into the market without good finance pre-approved.
"We have several new agents on board, and we are looking to expand our operation in 2021 with new premises – we don't see a slowdown."
Professionals McDowell Real Estate co-owner Steve Lovegrove said it was still seeing the migration of people "out of bigger cities looking for property in Rotorua".
Lovegrove said lifestyle property was selling "like hotcakes".
"We have got so much demand for lifestyle property. The million-dollar-plus lakefront lifestyle is still in very high demand post lockdown."
Despite a "scary" shortage of listings post lockdown, Lovegrove believed there was going to be a flurry of activity between now and Christmas.
First National principal and Rotorua Real Estate Institute of New Zealand spokeswoman Ann Crossley said overall sales were up but supply was down.
Crossley said many owner/occupiers were moving around the market.
"First-home buyers are trying to buy but are struggling to get over the line and investors are still there."
Harcourts Rotorua sales manager Colville Barbour said the Rotorua housing market had shown significant growth over the past few years.
That growth, he said, was spurred on by a combination of low-interest rates, low stock levels and high demand.
"The property market has also been a very good place to invest compared to alternatives."
Barbour said strong market conditions had continued post lockdown and showed no sign of pre-election jitters.
"Since the election, the market seems to have hit a new high ..."
Real Estate Institute of New Zealand figures showed the total value of sales in the Rotorua District in the 12 months to September was $572,666,000.
Chief executive Bindi Norwell said there was no denying the Bay was seeing a strong real estate market, with an uplift in both the number of properties sold and median prices.
"In fact, in September Rotorua District, Tauranga City, Western Bay of Plenty and Whakatāne all saw record median prices showing just how buoyant the market is."
UP!
Western Heights
Value change in 12 months to March 25
15.2%
Value change since March 25
-5%
Median property value October 2020
$405,000
Median property value October 2019
$350,000
12-month change in $
$55,000
12-month change in %
16%
Pukehangi
Value change in 12 months to March 25
12.8%
Value change since March 25
3%
Median property value October 2020
$480,000
Median property value October 2019
$430,000
12-month change in $
$50,000
12-month change in %
12%
Fordlands
Value change in 12 months to March 25
12.8%
Value change since March 25
0%
Median property value October 2020
$280,000
Median property value October 2019
$230,000
12-month change in $
$50,000
12-month change in %
22%
Glenholme
Value change in 12 months to March 25
5.9%
Value change since March 25
4.4%
Median property value October 2020
$560,000
Median property value October 2019
$530,000
12-month change in $
$30,000
12-month change in %
6%
Ngongotaha
Value change in 12 months to March 25
7.2%
Value change since March 25
4.4%
Median property value October 2020
$485,000
Median property value October 2019
$440,000
12-month change in $
$45,000
12-month change in %
10%
DOWN!
Lynmore
Value change in 12 months to March 25
9.7%
Value change since March 25
-2.5%
Median property value October 2020
$755,000
Median property value October 2019
$715,000
12-month change in $
$40,000
12-month change in %
6%
Owhata
Value change in 12 months to March 25
7.4%
Value change since March 25
-2.5%
Median property value October 2020
$500,000
Median property value October 2019
$455,000
12-month change in $
$45,000
12-month change in %
10%
Springfield
Value change in 12 months to March 25
8.2%
Value change since March 25
-1.1%
Median property value October 2020
$655,000
Median property value October 2019
$590,000
12-month change in $
$65,000
12-month change in %
11%
Western Heights
Value change in 12 months to March 25
15.2%
Value change since March 25
-5%
Median property value October 2020
$405,000
Median property value October 2019
$350,000
12-month change in $
$55,000
12-month change in %
16%
*Every other suburb rose 12.8% but dropped 1.1% since lockdown
Source: OneRoof/Valocity
He is 'living proof' of what can be achieved through people donating their organs.