Recent entrants to the housing market are vulnerable to rising interest rates, and 5% home loans could swallow up 50% of new buyers' household income, according to the Reserve Bank.

The Reserve Bank is ready to tighten lending restrictions if the dampening effect of reintroduced LVRs does not rein in soaring house prices.

ANZ has seen manic home loan volumes and mortgage advisers are accounting for a greater share of its business.

Rotorua landlords who wanted compensation of $3,500 for a Mitsubishi Canter stolen from their tenancy premises have been knocked back.

House prices are still streaming upwards, increasing by 3.1% across the country last month.

Data is starting to show property investors are pulling back from buying existing houses.

The Reserve Bank has warned that "a high proportion" of recent mortgage lending has had high debt-to-income and LVR ratios, making borrowers more vulnerable.

ANZ New Zealand saw post-tax profits rise by 42% in the half-year to March, underpinned by a buoyant housing market and strong home lending book.

A lack of underwriting capacity and the new licensing regime have caused professional indemnity premiums to skyrocket for advisers, according to a leading insurance broker. 

New Zealand lenders bounced back from the pandemic to increase profits by 35.1% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December.

After 15 years with the business, Alister Van Der Maas has resigned his role with the business.

Mortgage advisers will have to wait a little longer to discover if and when the Reserve Bank will introduce debt to income ratios and interest-only lending curbs, according to economists.