As is so often the case, the latest from the real estate market is a story with two sides.
On the one hand, prices have slumped more than 7 per cent on the same quarter last year. That would indicate a market under pressure, you could argue. But countering that are the comments from local agents suggesting that spring has brought a new level of interest to the local scene.
It's a common enough phenomenon. After a winter season where people, buyers included, tend to hibernate, suddenly the warmer weather brings people out from their holes, keen to explore opportunities and maybe spend some money. Property is just one area that benefits.
Cynics might think it is not unusual for agents to try to talk up a market, but we must also look at sales data. The number of properties sold has increased to 50 a month from the 30 or so when the market was languishing in the doldrums. We must accept that some will be lender-driven, but the majority are not.
A buoyant property market can be seen as a reason to be confident - people are willing to invest in and commit to the area because they see opportunities, genuine opportunities, in the River City. There are new business opportunities presenting themselves through high-speed broadband and the jobs created as the infrastructure is deployed. But that is just one high-profile project, and there are city businesses succeeding in other areas.
Firms like Fleet Australasia making paint for Rugby World Cup, car parts enterprises expanding, KFC's $1.5 million renovation and many other developments are evidence of a growing confidence in the River City.
The confidence those success stories bring is the sort of thing that underpins the real estate market. People are willing to make an investment knowing there is a future here; they have security so feel they can make that large investment for their own future. People like the victims of the Canterbury earthquakes featured in Saturday's newspaper have found work and have made offers on properties here.
Sure, it isn't all great news, with the loss of DoC jobs and some businesses folding under the combined weight of several years of recessionary pressure. However, if there's one thing spring brings, it is the promise of new beginnings. If this apparent new momentum building in the real estate market is anything to go by, that, plus the undeniable resourcefulness and entrepreneurship of people in our region, gives reason to believe there is much to be positive about.