Auckland house building activity is rising but unemployment remains high.

Auckland has lost 4 per cent of its most fertile rural land to housing over the past two decades and is set to lose more under the strain of a million more residents.

Risks to the financial system posed by an overheated housing market may be greater now than they were in the leadup to the global financial crisis, says Grant Spencer.

The country's biggest house builder has opened four new franchises and will build almost 1000 new houses in the year to next March.

If the market distortion is going to persist then those with the means should be buying multiple houses, they can't do anything but go up in value, writes Gareth Morgan.

Lockwood's third generation says sticking to what they do best is working.

There is further evidence the Aussie housing sector is struggling, but it may not be enough to get the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut its interest rate.

In a sign of the discontent spreading across many suburbs, residents are now mobilising to save their homes, sunlight and views against plans for intensification in the new unitary plan.

Intensification isn't just about getting more height; it's about being smarter with what we have, writes Rob Hutchison.

A fee for tapping into the waterworks in parts of Auckland has gone up by 900 per cent in the past two years - from less than $850 to almost $8000.

Damien Grant writes: By law, Watercare has to keep the overall costs of water at minimum levels.

The Government is under fire for fast-tracking legislation which retrospectively legalises the unlawful collection of thousands of dollars in fees from plumbers and gasfitters.

Aucklanders are now able to go online and discover how their own home and neighbourhoods are affected by the new masterplan, writes Brian Rudman.

A property developer who has copped flak for proposed apartments at Milford hopes Auckland's Unitary Plan will provide more certainty.

The Government is becoming increasingly heavy-handed over Auckland's housing shortage, with talk of a new Crown agency to free up more land.

People signing to build a house are being warned that hiring a Master Builder doesn't mean automatically getting a guarantee.

Our building stock could look radically different in the next few years as owners and architects introduce new seismic elements, an expert says.

Home-building consents fell last month as a drop in approvals for apartments offset gains for other types of dwellings

Former American FBI special agent turned New Zealand DIY hardware chain boss John Hartmann is leaving Mitre 10.

The Greens, not always practical in these policy areas, have come up with a solution that addresses the problem, writes Charles Waldegrave.

Not only does the Govt deny responsibility but they have conveniently found a scapegoat in those who do not share their political view, writes Bryan Gould.

Consents for 127 retirement village units is one feature of strong building consents data for December.

Bill English should look into a mirror next time he points the finger at Auckland Council for not doing enough to encourage affordable housing, writes Brian Rudman.