Latest fromResidential Property

KiwiSaver: Doors shut on NZ-grown funds for Aussie home
Up until a couple of months ago it was possible to use KiwiSaver to buy a first home in Australia but all that changed at the beginning of April.

Paying to chase cheap money
The number of mortgage holders paying break fees to cash in on near record-low interest rates has jumped, with some homeowners saving thousands from the switch.

RBNZ housing speech sparked action
Prime Minister John Key all but conceded that pressure from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand for action on house prices was a catalyst for recent announcements.

Easier to tax non-residents
Property tax changes should make it easier to collect tax from foreign investors, say bank economists.

How you could fall foul of new tax rules
The IRD has released a summary of commonly made mistakes by non-professional property investors.

Rule change: 'No huge impact'
The new tax rules will do little to cool Auckland's property market, according to John Key. The city needs more houses.

Mansion hoppers on the move
A retired couple who sold their mansion last year for a record $17m bought a $4m clifftop property down the road which they promptly demolished.

Residents misled by rates hike
A 9.9 per cent average rates rise for Auckland households from July is going down badly with residents and ratepayer groups.

Brian Gaynor: Stop that booming bubble
The Auckland residential property boom has developed some of the characteristics of the Dublin bubble a decade ago, writes Brian Gaynor.

Auckland property market fuelling architecture jobs
Job listings in the design and architecture industry have surged 49 per cent in the past year.

Modest unit sells for 77% above CV
Two-bedroom flat in Auckland sells for nearly $800K as real estate chief urges radical shake-up of deposit rules to take heat out of city's housing market.

The $500K solution for housing crisis
Head of Auckland's biggest real estate company wants urges $500k deposit for homes worth over $1.5 million and ditching LVR for homes under $500k.

Controlled deflation can't hide fact - ordinary people can't afford own home
The Government's inaction has been given the blessing of the financially blessed, writes Dita De Boni.

Brian Fallow: Loan restrictions shrewd move
The Reserve Bank has abandoned its one-size-fits-all approach to loan-to-value ratio curbs recognising house price inflation is an Auckland problem.

Anne Gibson: Thumbs up for lending rules
Dampening highly geared speculators' appetite for the Auckland cash-box housing market got the thumbs up from many quarters yesterday.

Good news for home buyers
Editorial: The Government continues to insist unaffordable prices are entirely caused by a shortage of houses, but the bank has long recognised that demand has to be tackled too.

New housing rules: How will you fare?
Investor association slams Reserve Bank’s bid to rein in Auckland house prices, saying it will push up rents and ruin first home buyers' chances.

'Gravitational pull' counters lending rules
New lending rules targeting Auckland residential property investors will cool the market - but the city's "gravitational pull" will counter any impact, John Key says.

Brian Fallow: Reserve Bank buys us some time
Economics editor Brian Fallow says today's Reserve Bank move is crude, ad hoc and temporary - but it buys some time.

New LVRs safe for banks but won't fix bubble
The Reserve Bank's new lending restrictions will make banks' books safer but may fail to cool the Auckland's housing market.

Investors need 30% deposit
Reserve Bank targets Auckland property investors with new lending restrictions as it looks to take the heat out of the market.

Your views on 30% home deposits
The Reserve Bank will introduce new limits on lending to property investors in the Auckland Council area that would require those borrowers to have at least a 30 per cent deposit. What effect will this have?

What mortgage rules mean for tenants
Landlords says tenants will suffer from the Reserve Bank's 30 per cent rental property LVRs and rentals will become scarce.

Blast from past in Mt Eden
He was known as the Mayor of Paice Ave, but now Dudley Watson's deceased estate in Mt Eden is on the market for the first time in nearly three-quarters of a century.

Auckland house prices plateau
The Auckland region median dwelling sale price remained frozen over the last month at $720,000, but dropped in three areas.

House prices fall across NZ - soar in AKL
REINZ figures show the national median house price fell 4.2 per cent in April, but rose 18pc in Auckland.

New rules on Auckland home lending
New, Auckland-only rules for property lending may be unveiled as early as tomorrow morning.

Home buyers get new online loan option
A newly licensed online lending service is targeting prospective homeowners who have been shut out of the mainstream mortgage market by low-equity loan restrictions.

Bank chief: There is no housing bubble
A second banking chief has denied Auckland has a housing bubble, saying many factors were combining to drive prices up including the city's sheer desirability.