LoanMarket mortgage adviser Bruce Patten talks to NZ Property Editor Anne Gibson about the property market and Aucklanders increasingly borrowing for home renovations.

The average household's spending on housing climbed 11.1 per cent over the past two years, outstripping growth in incomes.

New residential mortgage lending hit $4.9 billion last month, its highest level since last March and a 7.2 per cent increase on October last year, according to the Reserve Bank.

A plan aimed at tackling Auckland's housing supply shortage has surpassed expectations in its first year, the Government and Auckland Mayor Len Brown say.

The days of children screaming in delight as they whiz along a flying fox might be numbered at one Auckland housing development.

Home buyers seeking low-deposit mortgages could find it even tougher to secure funds after Kiwibank said it was suspending new loans.

A humble road in central Kawerau has been revealed as a bargain hunter's dream, laying claim to the cheapest stretch of residential real estate anywhere in New Zealand.

A chunk of land in big enough for 30 to 60 homes, and in one of Auckland's most affluent suburbs, is on the market.

Low-income ratepayers in Auckland got more than $10 million of state aid to help pay last year's rates bills.

The number of state houses has dropped by 1600 in the past three years as grand plans for more state homes in Auckland appear to have been hit by rising land values.

For sale: 287 homes, most in spitting distance of Sydney's Opera House. Wanted: Somewhere to shift a low-income, angry community.

As a long term landlord Andrew Bruce seeks long term tenancies because he takes a long term view of his investment properties.

Home buyers heeding the Prime Minister’s advice to consider an apartment can qualify to use KiwiSaver funds.

A 14-unit Ponsonby apartment development is planned for a pocket 430sqm site in a street once the domain of character villas.

Apartment owners in one of six Princes Wharf blocks are about to be hit by a big ground-rent hike from this weekend - which they call 'outrageous'

Auckland house prices have hit a new high and national sales volumes rose 11.8 per cent last month in a big spring resurgence.

The Reserve Bank is eyeing measures to discourage speculators from buying multiple houses as it acknowledges its loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions have favoured investors.

Two of the Takapuna homes featured on the first season of TV3's The Block have increased in value by more than 50 per cent, according to official figures out this week.

A man accused of involvement in a $47 million mortgage fraud eight years ago has finally been charged.

First-home buyers took out only 10 per cent by value of mortgages given by New Zealand banks in September.

Homeowners feeling flush after learning their newly-released property values are borrowing more from banks to splurge on new cars, boats and home renovations.

Heavy demand by homeowners desperate to access details about newly released property revaluations has now brought down the Quotable Value website.

The median weekly cost of renting a house in New Zealand has risen more than six percent on a year ago, according to Trade Me.

A 157 per cent Auckland Council rates rise and a 140 per cent operating costs increase have been blamed for the axing of guaranteed rental returns on a city apartment block.

Auckland residents eager to find out the new value of their home have been disappointed this morning after the Council's website crashed.