Rich Lister Gary Lane wants more than $10 million for a piece of land once donated to the people of Auckland - and estate agents say someone will cough up the cash.

A pastor and his family are giving up their $1m home to help raise funds for their church and a community centre.

Auckland property prices surged nearly 6 per cent in October, says real estate company Barfoot & Thompson.

Only a small portion of the Government's allocated $18.4 million to help modest income-earners buy houses has been taken up.

Reading the latest report on the property market can be an uplifting or a deflating experience, depending on which report you choose to go by.

The traditional spring property sales surge has failed to materialise.

Residents near an iconic beach are unsettled by development plans but the land's owners are promising not to ruin the untouched paradise.

New building consent figures point to signs of recovery in house building but show the non-residential sector sinking further into a slump.

The Reserve Bank has left official interest rates unchanged at 2.5 per cent this morning, while confirming they are not likely to rise till the second half of next year.

Rising house prices and interest rates have combined to weaken home loan affordability to its worst level since December 2008.

An indicator of the housing market firmed in September, led by Wellington and Auckland.

A luxury $4 million Queenstown home used for an American reality TV show was left trashed after contestants went crazy.

Bernard Hickey offers up 10 reasons to take a deep breath before rushing into the current property market.