A reader writes: Is there a minimum contribution my partner needs to have been making in order to be eligible for the KiwiSaver HomeStart?

Auckland Council's first big forced-sale property case sparked by unpaid rates did not go ahead as planned when the money was suddenly paid.

It seems to be the big question of the moment, writes Liam Dann. There's no doubt the property market is hot. Too hot for those struggling to buy their first home.

Desperate home-buyers have resorted to sleeping in cars overnight in the hope of securing one of 12 sections when they go up for sale this morning.

Adopting tougher restrictions on the foreign ownership of residential property may not have the desired effect, writes James Dunne. The Australian experience suggests that it will generate a great deal of additional work for the Government.

BNZ boss Anthony Healy says he doesn't believe the Auckland property market is entering bubble territory.

People in many of Auckland's poorest suburbs will pay dearly for a transport and general rates package costed at $214 for the average household.

Andrew King of the NZ Property Investors Federation outlines the main concerns around housing in Auckland - and clears up some of the facts.

Auckland households are facing a steep rates rise of about 9.5 per cent to pay for Mayor Len Brown's latest budget plan.

Top-end Auckland rentals can hit $230,000 a year, enough to buy a house elsewhere.

The home loan environment could be "as good as it gets" for borrowers, although the potential remains for mortgage rates to track even lower, says Westpac NZ CEO David McLean.

A Cornwall Park Trust Board lessee wants a mediator appointed to sort out the long-running dispute over payments and other issues on 110 Auckland properties.

Much fanfare accompanied the announcement of the Tamaki urban regeneration. But progress has not matched expectation and the Government has set about rectifying flaws.

A real estate agent rented a house to a colleague at a discounted rate and paid the difference so he could use its garage for storage - without the owners' knowledge.

Economic expert says Auckland's property market has much in common with Canada's real estate boom and bust in the 1980s.

An old villa with rotting floorboards and a rusty roof is now one of the best on the block after an extensive and expensive restoration.

An enterprising Kiwi couple have converted an old flatbed truck into their dream country home.

Homeowners look set to enjoy further interest rate cuts, with a broker tipping historic lows within 12 months.

The Government has proposed giving the taxman more resources to crack down on residential property speculators.

A group representing 110 lessees with houses on Cornwall Park Trust Board land through Greenlane and One Tree Hill has rejected a proposal to change their lease terms.

Instead of using KiwiSaver to buy your first house but be tied to one place, get a home on wheels and wake up to a new view every morning. But is this a possibility?

Land tax might be one of the answers to reducing tax incentives for rental property investors, writes Bernard Hickey.

Head-to-head bidders are paying tens of thousands of dollars more at auctions than they would for fixed price homes, new figures reveal.

The case for taxing the income of residential property investors is compelling.

The survey's index lifted four points from its March level to 129. It has only rarely been higher than this in the past 10 years.

Amidst the debate around the effects of a capital gains tax on the Auckland property market, TV show 'Our First Home' has proven useful.

Soaring property costs will mean more New Zealanders are likely to experience hardship in retirement.

Waiheke's biggest landowner has lost a challenge over the zoning on parts of its holdings on the island's eastern tip and on a nearby island.

They came out of Africa and into Matamata, and brought some exotic friends with them - including Bassoon the American bison and Mr and Mrs Ostrich.