Ouch.
It would appear mum and dad investors – among others – are exiting the rental scene while prices are good. The homes, still relatively cheap in New Zealand terms, are being swooped upon by mainly first home buyers – and that's great, the Kiwi dream alive and well.
And so the rental stock is shrinking. And the dream has become a nightmare for thousands of our families who can't raise a mortgage and who are struggling to afford high rents.
And they are the lucky ones. Many have yet to find a place to rent with as many as 40 prospective tenants vying for a single house, and others living off the generosity of family and friends in what we're told is commonly called couch surfing.
Tomorrow the Chronicle takes a closer look at what is going on and who's being affected – both good and bad. We speak to first-home buyers, agents, those trying to rent and to social services.
It's a complex web of cause and effect, and a fascinating marker of the times.
One person described what Whanganui is going through as a ripple from the over-heated Auckland and Wellington housing markets. Those who are squeezed out find their way here.
But the question is where do those go who are being squeezed out here?
