Spring officially started yesterday and it can't be long until the banks launch into their traditional home loan marketing campaigns. This year the competition is expected to be particularly fierce as there is such a huge volume of home loans
Local authorities are abusing their power to levy development contributions, says the Property Council of New Zealand (PCNZ). It alleges this is making home ownership an unaffordable dream for thousands of young New Zealanders. In releasing its policy on development
A researcher from Rotorua's Crown Research Institute, Scion, has completed a study on the modern homebuyer to discover how web surfing is affecting the real estate market. Consumer behaviour specialist Karen Bayne says homebuyers are spending more time on the
Home Loan Report: Finding a fixed rate loan at the right price can be crucial to whether you can afford your dream home or investment property. But if you have to delay completion of the purchase you face the possibility
Three councils are this month implementing a BRANZ pilot scheme offering a free advisory service in eco-design of buildings to designers, builders and homeowners. Eco-design advisers (EDAs) will work from Waitakere and Hamilton City Councils, along with Kapiti Coast District
Housing Minister Chris Carter's spokesperson told The NZ Property Magazine key findings of government studies into whether local government's use of environmental legislation is constraining supply of affordable land for housing will be released later this week. Carter's spokesperson said
Currently, I am earning a salary of around $70,000 p.a. I am interested in getting a mortgage to buy a house for investment. As the investor, am I able to use the expenses derived from property investment to offset the
My partner and I want to get into the property market. We are not sure whether we should get a cheaper investment property, rent it out and keep renting ourselves, or whether we should invest in a home, get a
I am looking to enter into business buying and then selling real estate after making renovations / improvements to the properties. Please could you give me some advice on whether I should set up a registered (limited) company and also
The Mike Pero Mortgages-Infometrics Property Cycle Indicator for the June quarter shows although house prices are still rising, the national housing market is in the second quarter of a strong downturn phase. "House prices are typically the last indicator to
A Consumer magazine survey of 10 building inspection companies in Auckland and Wellington has revealed poor standards of inspection and inconsistencies in reporting. The survey found that far from providing peace of mind for potential buyers, the pre-purchase house inspectors
The Green Party has urged the government to investigate introducing capital gains tax on all property but the family home in a bid to discourage foreign investors from buying New Zealand property. Green Party Housing spokesperson Sue Bradford argues "foreign
The Residential Tenancies (Damage Insurance) Amendment Bill currently under consideration by the Social Services Select Committee, will cause more problems than it will solve, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). REINZ's Select Committee submission says the
Home Loan Report: After a period of strong rises in home loan rates they are now starting to ease back, and by reasonably significant margins. By Philip Macalister The trend started at the end of last with ASB Bank and
Auckland-based property development and management company Prime Retail Management has taken over management of Dunedin shopping centre, Meridian Mall. Owned by ING NZ Retail Fund - a subsidiary of ING Retail Property Fund Australia - the Meridian was formerly managed
Treasury has released the results of an analysis of ownership and investment in housing based on the Household Savings Survey (HSS) conducted by Statistics New Zealand in 2001. The paper's findings on New Zealanders' assets and liabilities suggest rates of
The property institutes of New Zealand and Australia this month announced they have signed a formal strategic alliance. The agreement commits the two institutes to align their professional standards and services, and to provide a common professional development programme to
New and growing areas of specialisation identified in a University of Auckland study include subsets of property professionals such as property developers, property managers and property maintenance people. 'Jack-of-all-trades' builders are becoming a dying breed as the New Zealand building
Wellington CBD offices returned to the top spot in the Property Council of New Zealand's (PINZ) Investment Performance Index survey this quarter, reaching a new all time high total return of 24.98%, up from 21.01% in March 2005. This was
