Property prices and sales fell in April, but the New Zealand residential property market is holding steady, says the Real Estate Institute.

Failed Hanover Finance director Mark Hotchin's unfiinished mansion is big enough to contain 13 average houses just on its floor space.

Angry neighbours say Hanover Finance director Mark Hotchin's $30m mansion has wiped hundreds of thousands of dollars off their own property values.

Uncertainty over next week's Budget with its potential for tax increases for landlords is being blamed for a sluggish property market.

NZ's recovery from the financial crisis is entering a "new, less fragile stage" but the Reserve Bank will keep its "foot on the gas".

House auctions remain popular as buyers and sellers attempt to make the best of the sluggish market.

Duder Regional Park has been extended to protect it from housing developments.

The Reserve Bank has slightly opened its forecast window for the first rate hike by a month or two in this morning's statement.

Homeowners exploiting others with misleading claims about their properties ahead of the World Cup are sounded a warning by industry leaders.