The New Zealand Mortgage Brokers’ Association’s first chief executive Megan Salt says she won’t be approaching her new job with all guns blazing, but that it won’t be completely new territory for her.

The New Zealand Mortgage Brokers’ Association has appointed Megan Salt as its first full-time chief executive.

Against all expectations, housing consents in June leapt to their highest level for any month in 30 years

Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard is promising more increases to come.

Once again, economists are unanimous in their expectation that the Reserve Bank will hike interest rates for a fourth time this year when it reviews the Official Cash Rate (OCR) on Thursday.

The latest house sales figures appear to confirm a modest slowdown is underway with both the national median house price and the number of homes sold falling in June and the number of days it takes to sell a house continuing to creep up.

Superbank launches its home loan product which will reward customers for loyalty by reducing the rate each year.

Mike Pero Mortgages won’t be the only listed mortgage broking firm in Australasia for much longer – Australia’s Mortgage Choice will be listing on the Australian Stock Exchange next month.

A recent Australian High Court decision declaring that a product known as a "split loan" is illegal is having ripple effects in the New Zealand market, although similar products are still available here.

Good Returns sister site ShareChat (www.sharechat.co.nz) regularly runs Investor Interviews with key ceos. In this one Jenny Ruth talks to TOWER managing director Keith Taylor.

Economists currently think short-term wholesale interest rates, and therefore floating mortgage rates, are heading higher, especially since the New Zealand economy has been growing faster than expected and global growth is picking up.

Although housing consents are still at historically high levels, housing construction activity has declined for the fourth month in a row.

While the level of housing activity remains high, the housing market is easing "at a fairly hasty clip," Bank of New Zealand chief economist Tony Alexander says.

The lenders mortgage brokers recommend their clients don’t necessarily follow the same pattern as the lenders’ overall market shares, suggesting that brokers are having at least some influence in determining those market shares.

Real Estate Institute president Graeme Woodley says the latest latest house sale figures will disappoint "a body of commentators and those anxious to promote real estate books and investment seminars, who had been predicting a collapse in the residential property market."

Nearly 18 months after it launched its first product, Superbank is gearing up to offer home loans.