Credit crunch has changed the landscape for residential building, writes Kevin Atkinson

Equities on Wall Street and across Europe fell after a US home sales fell a record 27 per cent in July.

Auckland is now the least affordable area for buying a home, taking that mantle from Queenstown for the first time since 2002.

A new survey shows the number of New Zealanders interested in investing in residential property has declined significantly, for the first time in several years.

A top economist says the property market is "stuck in neutral at best", but REINZ says property prices in the main centres are holding up well.

It's really easy to cut out the middleman.

DIYers will be able to undertake more minor work without red tape and builders will be forced to stand by their work, under law changes.

A report prepared by business researcher Infometrics is predicting house prices will fall 4.1 per cent by next June.

Kiwibank has joined ANZ, Westpac and TSB today, moving to increase floating mortgage rates and cut longer term fixed rates.

A "do-nothing" sentiment is gripping the property market and the number of house sales is down a third from a year ago, says the valuation agency QV.

The Govt will increasingly look to charity to fund low-cost housing as it moves towards restricting state housing, the Housing Minister says.

Increased participation by non govt organisations is needed to address a growing shortage of affordable housing, a report has found.

Auckland house prices held firm in July, but the number of sales slipped, new numbers suggest.