Wheeler cited rising consent numbers as a bright spot in the Auckland housing sector when he gave his post-OCR briefing.

The mortgage rate war is heating up ahead of a widely tipped rates cut on Thursday, with ASB now matching the 4.35pc rate BNZ unveiled last week.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has snapped up an eight-bedroom 17th-century Grade II-listed home in north London.

BNZ reduces one-year fixed rate to 4.35 per cent ahead of Reserve Bank's expected announcement that OCR will be cut.

The Knight Frank Global House Price Index released today ranked NZ only behind Hong Kong, Turkey, Estonia and Luxembourg for annual house price rises.

London's housing crisis has led to one landlord getting creative.

Barfoot & Thompson blames fall in Auckland market on winter weather, the Reserve Bank and international economic instability.

Behaviour by Auckland's housing speculators indicates the property market could be about to reach peak point.

A 488ha South Waikato rural property sold at auction last week for $5.25 million, says PGG Wrightson Real Estate.

Martin Hutchin sold investment properties in Invercargill and Huntly and was described as a "risk to the community".

Last month saw the highest number of new dwellings consented in a month since March 2005.

Virtual furniture is being superimposed into empty rooms for real estate adverts to attract potential buyers.

Only one in five voters do not support a ban on foreigners buying houses - but most of the others want to see evidence of a problem first.

Hundreds of thousands of Auckland households can expect an increased dividend payment of $345 in late September from the community trust that owns most of Vector.

The Government is trumpeting the creation of 11 new special housing areas to help tackle soaring Auckland house prices.

Eleven new areas are being set up across Auckland with the potential to provide 1600 new homes.

Shelley Bridgeman recently sold her house. The sale would not enter local folklore for the price it attracted, making her question the 'runaway market'.

A one-bedroom state house in one of Auckland's most expensive suburbs sat vacant for 805 days before being sold.

Auckland Transport is taking legal action to force owners of Eden Terrace properties to sell up for the $2.5 billion City Rail Link.

A review of Auckland Council's sport and recreation assets not only involves 13 golf clubs valued at $200 million-plus, but also all the council's bowling clubs.

Auckland's property market has boosted the price of a Whangaparaoa home by more than $200,000 in six months, and a Mt Albert unit by almost $100,000 since April.

An Auckland property agent is the latest beneficiary of a series of sales of a modest West Auckland house which has rocketed in price by $153,000 in 13 weeks.

They bought nearly half of all the Auckland properties for sale in June.

After a fight with her landlord, Leonie Müller chose to quit the property market and live on trains.

First-home buyers in the regions are leading the uptake of new subsidies worth up to $20,000 as Aucklanders struggle with ever-increasing house prices.

The number of people accessing Government support for a deposit on a house has doubled since new HomeStart subsidies were introduced.

An energy makeover helps a house go from ice to nice.

A marina developer and a former Mrs New Zealand are poised to sell their Auckland mansion for as much as $20 million.

Construction firm chief does damage control after suggesting that builders who carried out shoddy repair work on quake damaged homes had "gone back to Ireland".

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