Fancy renting a beachfront property in Takapuna that comes with a lap pool, spa, indoor aquarium, petanque court, outdoor wood pizza oven, barbecue, double garaging and a security gate?

The discussion about Auckland's housing is heated and is at risk of missing the point.

The housing crisis in areas like Auckland is not a by-product of migrants buying up residential properties, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse says.

Homebuyers flummoxed by the heated property market have been given the best indication yet of what they should pay for a house.

House-hunters are so terrified of being locked out of the soaring property market that they're making their real estate agents sign agreements.

If the market distortion is going to persist then those with the means should be buying multiple houses, they can't do anything but go up in value, writes Gareth Morgan.

Some house buyers are backing calls to stop foreigners from ramping up Auckland's already heated market.

More than 1600 new apartment units are planned throughout suburban Auckland after a half-decade lull.

Australians are contributing to New Zealand's skyrocketing house prices, with new research showing they bought more property than any other overseas group.

Auckland's low-income suburbs of Glen Innes, Pt England and Panmure will roughly double in population under a draft plan for more intensive housing to be unveiled today.

The Prime Minister John Key believes first-home buyers should be exempt from proposed restrictions to low-deposit home lending.

The Reserve Bank is going to take action to cool the residential property market - and the 'speed limits' are a sensible move to rein in rampant house prices.

Auctions are being compressed into a shorter marketing period, which is "dumb and somewhat illogical", says property commentator Alistair Helm.

The Reserve Bank has kept its official cash rate unchanged at 2.5 per cent at today's monetary policy statement.

Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse says she is confident the Government will address concerns about provisions in new legislation.

Nearly 40 per cent of properties sold in Auckland last month went by auction, Real Estate Institute figures show.

Auckland Council is sifting through 22,700 comments on its first regional rule book for growth.

The Auckland Council will today ask the Government to scrap provisions in new legislation allowing Wellington to take control of housing developments in Auckland.

House-hunters are seeing a return of "buy-off-the-plans" developments which advertise low deposits and no repayments until completion.

A bank economist has warned of consumer spending sprees and widespread economic fallout if house price rises continue.

A new report says housing has become a battle between old and young - and the younger generation certainly isn't winning.

'It's obscene.' Housing Minister Nick Smith isn't impressed by the large gains being made by rural land owners, aided by the "straightjacket" of city boundaries.

The building sector is expecting a rise in fortunes as the economy recovers and the Canterbury rebuild gets into full swing about 2016.

New Zealand property values held their annual pace of growth last month, as demand outstripped supply in Auckland and Christchurch, according to Quotable Value.

A resource consent bid for a private helipad on the estate of the wealthy Spencer family on Stanley Pt has been refused by Auckland Council hearings commissioners.

Top real estate agents are making up to $1.5 million a year as they cash in on soaring property prices.

Momentum in the Auckland property market appears to have stalled, with Barfoot and Thompson reporting another month of flat prices.