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![Reserve Bank buckles on loan rules](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Reserve Bank buckles on loan rules
New rules restricting low deposit home loans will now not apply to new home builds, says the Reserve Bank.
![Markets expect increase in OCR](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Markets expect increase in OCR
When it releases its monetary policy statement on Thursday the Reserve Bank is expected to turn up the volume on its warning that it is preparing to remove the support of ultra-low interest rates in place since the recession.
![Brian Fallow: Home buyers beware - rates are set to rise](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Brian Fallow: Home buyers beware - rates are set to rise
Borrowers need to be aware that current market pricing implies a rise in interest rates of around 2 percentage points over the next two years, writes Brian Fallow.
![Low deposit lending halved](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Low deposit lending halved
The share of new mortgage lending going to borrowers with low deposits halved in October, the first month in which the Reserve Bank's curbs on such loans applied.
![Builders pressure Reserve Bank on loans](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Builders pressure Reserve Bank on loans
The building industry has stepped up pressure on the Reserve Bank over its loan to value ratio (LVR) loan restrictions.
![LVR limits ease pressure](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
LVR limits ease pressure
Lending restrictions are starting to ease the pressure on the property market but first-home buyers are still finding it tough as prices and interest rates creep up.
![Housing affordability worsens](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Housing affordability worsens
Despite the introduction of the Reserve Bank's lending restrictions, home affordability has continued to worsen according to a new report.
![NZ savings rate key to lower dollar - Reserve Bank](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
NZ savings rate key to lower dollar - Reserve Bank
Raising savings is the best way to sustainably take pressure off the exchange rate, says Reserve Bank assistant governor John McDermott.
![John Armstrong: Bank credit control working](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
John Armstrong: Bank credit control working
Phew, it looks like not being a scorcher! The Reserve Bank should be pleased even if the politicians will be very much in two minds about it.
![Rules won't slow building: Wheeler](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Rules won't slow building: Wheeler
The Reserve Bank doubts its curbs on mortgage lending at high loan-to-value ratios will have a material counter-productive effect on house building.
![Property prices up in October](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Property prices up in October
NZ's median house price rose 1.9 per cent to a record in October, although sale volumes were dented as Reserve Bank lending restrictions began to bite.
![OCR rise delay hinted at](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
OCR rise delay hinted at
Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has signalled he might push back the start of increases in the official cash rate if the New Zealand dollar stays high.
![New-home builds on hold](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
New-home builds on hold
One of NZ's largest home builders says new loan restrictions have cost it 24 new-home builds in the first month alone - and it expects more as the policy bites.
![Brian Fallow: Money belt is starting to tighten](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Brian Fallow: Money belt is starting to tighten
It may be six months or so before the Reserve Bank begins to raise the official cash rate, but monetary tightening is already under way, writes Brian Fallow.
![Wheeler explains home lending limits](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Wheeler explains home lending limits
Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler has explained his decision to impose curbs on mortgage lending at low deposits.
![Bank agrees to revisit LVR if data shows up problem](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Bank agrees to revisit LVR if data shows up problem
The Reserve Bank yesterday confirmed it has agreed to re-examine its new mortgage lending restrictions if data shows they are crimping the supply of new homes.
![Property prices jump $10k in September](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Property prices jump $10k in September
National property prices rose by $10,000 in September, taking the median house price back to a record high reached earlier this year.
![First home buyer numbers drop](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
First home buyer numbers drop
The number of first home buyers in the market since the introduction of new Reserve Bank mortgage restrictions last month has plummeted, real estate agents are reporting.
![Rules review sets wide net: lawyer](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Rules review sets wide net: lawyer
Supermarkets and service providers could be caught up in regulations designed to prevent another finance company collapse if Reserve Bank recommendations are followed through.
![Graeme Wheeler: Brakes on lending aim to cut risks](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Graeme Wheeler: Brakes on lending aim to cut risks
Falling house prices erode homeowners' equity, while mortgage lenders experience losses on their loan portfolios, writes Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler.
![Firms happiest in 14 years](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Firms happiest in 14 years
Businesses are the most cheerful they have been since 1999, a good sign for growth and employment but a potential harbinger of higher inflation and interest rates.
![Sam Shuttleworth: LVR speed limits designed to curb inflation and shield economy](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Sam Shuttleworth: LVR speed limits designed to curb inflation and shield economy
The struggle to enter the property market for the first time has been a hot topic, from property availability to lending criteria.
![Editorial: Cunliffe home loan policy dangerous for economy](/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=793)
Editorial: Cunliffe home loan policy dangerous for economy
Labour's new leader appears to think he can manage New Zealand's financial system better than the Reserve Bank.