Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith has embarked on a "magical bus tour" to showcase the Government's plans to free up land for desperately needed housing.

Building consents fell in April, after the previous month's strong gain, as intentions to build houses decreased.

Former SFO boss Adam Feeley is facing an Auditor-General probe into how his family's land has been managed.

Now I'm totally confused. John Key has nominated Auckland for the Lee Kuan Yew World City prize, named in honour of the leader who nanny-stated Singapore.

More than $100m worth of surplus city-owned land has already been sold and the council says another $250m worth has been cleared for sale.

The agent says the price demonstrates the fierce competition among investors and developers for properties with subdividable sections.

Labour is keen to paint Housing Minister Nick Smith as ever more desperate to find answers to Auckland's housing crisis, writes John Armstrong

A team of Slovakian architects have designed a portable pod house designed to run off the grid.

Banks foreclosed on more than 700 properties in the last year when financially strapped homeowners could no longer afford repayments.

Moves to slow Auckland’s housing bubble are likely to spark a prov¬incial real estate boom, property experts say.

Most mornings I listen to Morning Report on Radio New Zealand. Of late they have taken to torturing me with nonsense about house prices in Auckland.

Moves to free up 500ha of state-owned land to help counter spiralling Auckland house prices are being welcomed by commentators.

ASB has followed the lead of ANZ and Kiwibank and slashed its fixed mortgage rates.

Housing Minister Nick Smith says thousands of new homes will be built as part of a planned affordable housing development on vacant Crown land.

We might never see a CGT in this country, which could well be a good thing given the compromises that would likely be part of its introduction, writes Mark Lister.

As property prices in the area escalate by around $1000 a day, agent says owners of the brand-new $1.14m house have simply "changed their minds".

Development of physical infrastructure has topped a business wishlist for today's Budget, according to a snap poll of EY clients.

The Malhotra family in Auckland were still hunting for their first dream home when last year's Budget was announced.

Median weekly rents continued to grow steadily in the 12 months to April, rising 6.3 per cent to a record-equaling $420 per week, says Trade Me Property's figures.

Fran O'Sullivan asks: Why is the Government holding back from stopping cashed-up foreigners from continuing to snap up homes at prices that mainly they can afford?

Most Auckland properties sold within two years of purchase are "do-ups" being renovated by young couples rather than investors, a mortgage broker says.

Westpac could join a mortgage-rate battle after Kiwibank and ANZ slashed their home loan rates.

Data released by REINZ - median national sale prices - does support the Prime Minister’s statement that house prices rose during the previous Labour government.

Nearly one in five Auckland homes are sold within two years of being purchased, the Government has been told by officials.

ANZ and KiwiBank have cut their mortgage rates as speculation grows the Reserve Bank will cut the OCR.

House-buyers in Sydney are feeling Auckland’s pain, with the sale of a modest three-bedroom house for $2.62 million fuelling speculation of a housing bubble.

Producer input and output prices fell in the first quarter, reflecting lower fuel costs and weakness in prices of meat and dairy products.

Thursday's Budget will be judged just as much by what is missing from the document as by what it actually contains.

Free Primavera 50 Vespa motor scooters and helmets are being given away with six "affordable" Mt Eden one-bedroom apartments, for sale from $430,000.