House prices have risen to their highest March level in two decades.

NZ banks granted 4438 home loans in the first quarter of this year, a 30 per cent drop on the same time last year.

The newly formed Real Estate Agents Authority has received more than 320 complaints in its first five months of operation.

Would-be housebuyers struggling to scrape together a deposit have a glimmer of hope, as banks appear to be loosening the purse strings.

We reveal the suburbs and towns which are New Zealand's best - and worst - for real estate growth over the past year.

Property values are 6.1 per cent above the same time last year but buyers are cautious.

Mary Holm's financial advice column features an accountant who's fed up with complaining landlords.

House sales in Auckland climbed to their highest level in almost two years last month.

John Gray, President of HOBANZ - The Home Owners and Buyers Association of NZ, responds to a recent Bernard Hickey column which suggested the Government should not spend billions bailing out leaky home owners.

Two leading real estate firms have gone head to head over whether auctions are a good way to sell houses.

Australians are muscling in on attempts to save the Remuera home Sir Ed Hillary built and lived in until his death.

Treasury Secretary John Whitehead says the rental property tax scheme creates the wrong incentives.

Sellers appear to be in denial over asking prices with a glut of new homes on the property market strong favouring buyers, says realestate.co.nz.

Building consents issued in February jumped 10 per cent, after rising one per cent the month before.

Some extra weakness is showing up in the residential real estate and investment market, the latest BNZ confidence survey has found.

The easing of mortgagee sales is still some way off with the January figures up 31 per cent on the same month last year.