House-hunters looking for a home under $400,000 should steer clear of the North Shore, where only 7 per cent of properties sold last month fell into that price range, and instead look at Papakura.

New mortgage lending restrictions could cause a dramatic reduction in the number of houses built each year and put many small construction firms out of business, the Registered Master Builders Federation says.

Up to 8000 families, couples and individuals trying to get into their first home will be stymied by the Reserve Bank's new lending restrictions, Finance Minister Bill English has acknowledged.

Fairway Bay at Whangaparaoa's Gulf Harbour will eventually add 1000 new houses priced from $595,000 to $850,000.

Customers unhappy with their pre-approved loans being pulled by ASB are being encouraged to take the issue up with the Banking Ombudsman.

The struggle to enter the property market for the first time has been a hot topic, from property availability to lending criteria.

A Kiwibank mortgage manager has been reined in after wrongly telling a customer it was pulling low deposit pre-approvals.

Finance Minister Bill English says ASB Bank has "let down" customers by cancelling home loan approvals as a result of new lending restrictions.

Auckland house-hunters Tristan and Jessica Lomberg are like many others in the city - they wanted a good, biggish place but not with a huge price.

ASB Bank has cancelled all pre-approvals for home loans over the 80 per cent loan to value ratio with effect from October 4.

Neighbours of a dilapidated Westmere home built by one of Auckland's pioneer architects fear parts of the property will collapse on young local children exploring the inside.

Low-deposit mortgages will not only be harder to get from the end of this month, but they will be a lot more expensive.

The Cornwall Park Trust Board has extended an olive branch to cash-strapped ground renters, offering to change the terms of 110 controversial leases.

Banks have already started tightening up their lending criteria for customers seeking low-deposit mortgages, despite new regulations not kicking in until next month.

Financially strapped home buyers are looking to Auckland's city fringes for affordable properties.

A longer commute to the office was a fair trade-off for the Howard family when they swapped their Birkenhead townhouse for a 2ha Kaukapakapa lifestyle block in April.

A family of seven had to leave their Greenlane house after ground leasehold payments rocketed from an annual $2045 to $35,000.

New figures show national property prices were up $5,000 in August, taking the national median price to $390,000.

Property valuer Quotable Value said this week house prices should keep rising for a further 15 months.

Young people are making mortgage inquiries at a record rate to beat home-loan restrictions which begin on October 1, a credit bureau says.

Legal disputes over property held in trusts after relationships break up will "go through the roof" if the Government picks up Law Commission recommendations, a leading trusts lawyer has warned.

First-home buyers priced out of the British market are increasingly looking to buy property in New Zealand, research shows.

Auckland's first special housing areas earmarked for fast-tracked residential developments could be announced this month.

Auckland house prices are still rising fast, as the Reserve Bank's loan-to-value ratio moves are about to be introduced next month.

Rising New Zealand property values accelerated last month as the lack of listings in Canterbury and Auckland continue to overheat the market.

What’s happening in the property market? Real estate commentator and properazzi website founder Alistair Helm talks to Chris Daniels about spring, new home loan rules and some of the issues around choosing to sell a property by auction.

Kiwibank has hiked two of its fixed mortgage rates for people who have deposits of less than 20 per cent.

Metropolis apartment owners were at one another's throats on the eve of today's crucial meeting to decide the central Auckland tower's fate.