On the face of it, inheriting a property sounds great. But there can be costs to be aware of, warns Diana Clement

Land bankers have become increasingly active around Auckland's fringe - many waiting to cash in on areas earmarked for future development.

The IRD IS proposing a withholding tax of 33 percent of a vendor's gain on a sale, or 10 percent of the total purchase price.

Sir Michael Bear visited Auckland today to raise interest in investing in £100 billion worth of regeneration projects.

Foreign firms play an important role but we need good rules in place, writes Brian Gaynor.

After years of increases, New Zealand rents stalled last month, says Trade Me Property.

Auckland developer Tony Gapes of Redwood Group is poised to sell three-quarters of New Zealand's most affordable intensive housing project to Chinese interests.

Regional leaders say they want foreign investment, but not in their houses, despite claims by Prime Minister John Key to the contrary.

Figures showing bank loans to investors outnumbering first-home buyers by three to one are hard evidence of what has undoubtedly been happening for a long time.

Exclusive: A wealthy couple who have donated generously to the National Party are cashing up more than $26 million of property in Auckland.

Two major Australian banks have lifted interest rates for property investors in a bid to cool the country's property boom.

John Key does not need know how many Auckland houses are sold to foreign buyers to see banning such sales is a bad policy, writes Jamie Whyte. Foreign buyers make New Zealanders altogether better off. The more the better.

The Property Institute has vowed to find out how many foreigners are buying Auckland houses and what influence they are having on the market.

There is a important debate to be had about foreign investment in NZ because we are a small, open economy and a big shift in global trends can have a disproportionate impact, writes Liam Dann.

A 12m-wide sliver of land wedged between two houses is up for sale in Ponsonby.

Colliers' advertising in China for Auckland apartments talks up soft rules.

Exactly where does the housing ladder lead, asks Brian Fallow - to financial security, or to years and years of debt servitude?

The number of French interested in buying Kiwi land has grown enough to warrant one locally based Frenchman to establish a French real-estate business.

The Government's proposed foreign house buyer law change could damage NZ's international reputation, a Parliamentary select committee heard yesterday.

John Armstrong takes a look at the rules surrounding property investment by foreign nationals in other countries around the world.

Comedian weighs in on the property debate: "Being Chinese in New Zealand always puts you on the back foot."

Labour's Mt Roskill MP Phil Goff admits some of the constituents in his ethnically diverse electorate could be put off by his party's comments on Chinese housing investors.

A property investor says Kiwis asking for inflated prices are to blame for the overheated housing market - not foreign buyers.

How can the air be gently let out of the souffle without having it collapse? Mathhew Goodson writes.

Under current rules there are no specific size requirements for non-permanent accommodation - including 9sqm apartments.

Craig Elliffe writes: The officials' paper indicates an exemption will apply when you inherit a property from a deceased estate or have transferred as part of the property settlement.

It's 7.9sq m inside, has no kitchen, sink or toilet and fits little more than a single bed - but a buyer has just paid $104,000 for the shoebox living space.

Auckland's credit-financed housing bubble is a grave threat to the NZ economic outlook, writes Matthew Goodson.