Financial Group New Zealand (FGNZ) has severed its ties with umbrella organisation The Mortgage Alliance.

The booming housing market just gets hotter: the latest housing consents figures for September show more new houses were approved than in any September since 1973.

Mortgage brokers view ANZ Bank’s $5.7 billion purchase of National Bank with near universal misgiving and are sceptical that the Australian bank will continue running both brands for long.

As expected, Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard left his Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged this morning at 5%, says that was still likely to keep inflation within the bank’s zero to 3% target range.

While the Real Estate Institute says the housing market "went from a boil to a simmer" in September, the figures remain very strong.

Despite the housing boom accelerating, much to the Reserve Bank’s vocal dismay, it is unlikely to spoil the party any time soon.

The New Zealand Mortgage Brokers Association is concerned that the current housing boom is pushing home ownership out of reach of first home-buyers.

The housing boom is taking its toll on housing confidence, pushing it to a record low in the September quarter.

The New Zealand Mortgage Brokers Association is sending a delegation to Australia to seek ideas for building a bigger organisation in New Zealand

In what is perhaps yet another sign of just how buoyant the housing market, a new form of financing deposits has emerged, the deposit bond or guarantee.

Banks are working on developing systems to allow brokers to lodge mortgage applications online. Jenny Ruth reports.

As the property boom rolls on the provision of non-conforming mortgages has become a more competitive business.

The latest housing consent figures provide yet more evidence of how hot the property market is running.

It is estimated it costs Australian banks about double to process a broker sourced loan than to process one where the customer goes directly to the bank. The situation may be even worse for banks here.

August figures show no let up in the frothy housing market with the national median house price notching up yet another record while volumes were also very strong.

The NZ Mortgage Brokers Association says it wants to go it alone, rather than join up with another advisory association.