Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) stories
Widening the KiwiSaver HomeStart grants could help more first-home buyers bridge soaring deposits as rents climb and rates stay low.
Auckland’s more permissive zoning is helping ease prices, widen lending and give first-time buyers a better shot at home ownership.
Borrowers could see lower mortgage rates after the Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate to 1.5% and hinted at another fall this year.
Auckland’s weakness is masking stronger gains elsewhere, with provincial house values rising 8.2% over the year and interest rates low.
Auckland's weaker market is likely to drag on national property sales, even as CoreLogic sees New Zealand prices edging up about 3% this year.
Low mortgage rates should keep property demand supported after the Reserve Bank left the official cash rate unchanged again, though risks remain.
Building consents must stay high if New Zealand is to make a dent in its housing shortfall, with the industry already running at full tilt.
Low interest rates and looser lending are expected to cushion New Zealand property values, with first-home buyers set to gain most.
A Law Foundation-backed report says faster regulation could help New Zealand avoid missing out on blockchain jobs, trade and tax benefits.
Fewer premium floors and stronger demand are set to keep Auckland office rents rising until new supply arrives in 2020.
Reserve Bank says it won't issue a digital currency for now, but may do so in the future, as digital payments and cryptocurrencies grow in popularity.
Confidence has climbed past pre-election levels, with survey respondents expecting house prices to rise in every market over the next year.
Business groups say the proposed commission could cut costly overruns, improve procurement and give investors greater certainty over the pipeline.
House sales have slumped by nearly a quarter nationwide, prompting REINZ to urge a review of lending curbs for first-time buyers.
The Reserve Bank is letting the finance sector, regulators and other authorities steer their own course through cyber issues and security.
Limited housing growth in Auckland is being blamed on poor infrastructure funding, with the OECD urging new ways to pay for public works.
Tourism and migration are propping up growth, but record household debt and weaker investment threaten New Zealand’s longer-term outlook.
Labour shortages, pricier materials and tighter credit are threatening to slow New Zealand's $37 billion building pipeline.
Homebuyers could be locked out for longer unless ministers rethink Reserve Bank rules after governor Graeme Wheeler's exit.
Rising renter numbers are fuelling fears that fewer first-time buyers could reshape communities and dent the economy for years to come.
