With annual price growth at 13.9 per cent, it is no surprise Auckland is increasingly dominant in lifting the country's overall growth rate, writes Geoff Barnett.

May property sales in the Auckland market were up 14.5pc from the month before, says Barfoot and Thompson.

Given how large the imbalances in the Auckland housing market are, house price growth is likely to persist in the near term.

Aucklanders are increasingly interested in buying properties outside of the city - in places like Hawkes Bay, where you can get "more bang for your buck".

House prices in Sydney rose 15 per cent in May from a year earlier, prompting a warning of a price bubble in Australia's biggest city.

Surplus Crown land at Manukau, Avondale, Massey East and Hobsonville are set to be offered up to private development companies.

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.

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.

Reserve Bank will disappoint financial markets and leave the official cash rate on hold for another two years, says NZIER.

Real estate agent Cherry Killgour has been handling mortgagee sales for years and knows all too well the damaging effect losing a home can have on families.

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

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".

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

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

Te Whanau O Waipareira Trust is bidding to enter the city's overheated housing market - and wants the Government to make land available, so it can build at affordable prices.

Today's Budget will unveil details of Government plans to partner with private developers to build affordable houses on Crown-owned land in Auckland.

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.