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Housing Market
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Are we already in a credit crunch?
Lenders to consumers are having to take into account all potential changes in an applicant’s income and that is hitting people intending to take maternity/paternity leave along with those approaching retirement.
Beyond the purchase price: The 5 big costs to be aware of as a first home buyer
Buying a home is (probably) going to be the biggest investment you’ll ever make. As a first home buyer, when you’re already fronting up such a hefty chunk of change, you’ll want to make sure you’re not getting stung by any unexpected costs along the way. Let’s take a look at the things you need to factor into your budget to avoid any big surprises.
What you need to know when buying (or selling) a leaky home in New Zealand
Even though it first came to light nearly 30 years ago, New Zealand’s leaky homes saga stills casts a pretty grim shadow over parts of the housing market. If you’re looking at buying (or selling) a leaky or at-risk house and want to school up on the things to watch for, this guide is for you.
Breaking up is never easy: Navigating mortgages and divorce
If you're going through a divorce, you probably have a whole lot of questions about navigating changes to your mortgage, and where to next. We’ve got you covered.
Market update: Year-end brings mixed bag for borrowers and buyers, at the mercy of new lending restrictions
As 2021 draws to a close, it looks as though we may finally be starting to see that long-anticipated easing of the housing market come to fruition.
The slowing market is a good thing - Tony Alexander
There are five strong forces acting to pull back the level of intensity of buyer demand for residential property at the moment. But just because the boom has ended does not mean a crash is on its way.
Government law change will cause more harm than good for homeowners
Sign JB's petition. The Government has made changes to responsible lending laws to protect vulnerable borrowers, but they have used a sledge hammer instead of a scalpel. This is an example of over reach, and will cause far greater harm to Kiwi homeowners and small businesses than it will protect vulnerable borrowers.
More lending restrictions coming
The Reserve Bank have recently invited people to make submissions on their proposal to introduce debt to income requirements which banks must apply to new borrowers.
Mortgage decline rates set to skyrocket as responsible lending changes bite
Let’s start with a question, should your bank have the right to judge the way you live? The Government has made law changes to protect vulnerable borrowers that come into effect on 2nd December, but that will have adverse consequences for homeowners and especially first homebuyers.
Rising mortgage rates will eventually dominate FOMO
With investors backing off it is understandable that the pace of increase in house prices has slowed down. In the six months to September 2020, average house prices around New Zealand rose by just 4%, including a 3% fall over the April-May months.
Updated NZ mortgage rate forecast for 2022
In last year’s mortgage rate forecast, we predicted rates would drop below 2.00% and stay low, which they did for most of 2021. Our house price prediction wasn't so on the money, but that one comes down to a matter of timing. Here's our latest analysis.
Is it better to fix or float your home loan?
In this article we’re looking at how to pick the right fixed home loan rate term in a rising interest rate environment.
