Auckland's average house price rose one per cent last month to $573,071, the second highest average sales price for the year.

Five Northland real estate agents have been penalised by the

The big banks are increasing the amount of residential mortgages they're writing with loan to value ratios (LVRs) in excess of 80 per cent, after tightening home loan lending ratios during the global financial crisis.

They say it's a recovery, not a boom - but house sales in November were up 17pc from the same month last year, according to new Real Estate Institute stats released this afternoon.

Auckland property sales were up 23 per cent in November, says real estate company Barfoot and Thompson.