The latest building consent figures suggest the recovery in building activity stuttered in July, but Statistics New Zealand says its series often shows large fluctuations from month to month so one shouldn’t read too much into an individual month’s figures.

While mortgage brokers are debating the need for formal regulation of their industry, banking ombudsman Liz Brown’s experience suggests it may not be necessary.

Property syndicator St Lawrence will decide within the next couple of weeks whether demand is sufficient to launch an alternative structure to the traditional syndicate unit trust or special purpose company structures.

The latest Real Estate Institute housing sales figures and prices show the market weakened slightly in July from June but again showed an improvement in activity compared with the same month last year.

New Zealanders are paying about $50 a month more on a standard $100,000 20-year mortgage than Australians are for no good economic reason, says WestpacTrust.

As expected, Reserve Bank governor Don Brash left the official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at 5.75%, acknowledging both the strength of the domestic economy and the worsening outlook for the global economy.

As expected, Reserve Bank governor Don Brash left the official cash rate (OCR) unchanged at 5.75%, acknowledging both the strength of the domestic economy and the worsening outlook for the global economy.

Key Law, a cut rate conveyancing joint venture between ANZ Bank, the Public Trust and Key Law principal Philip Alexander-Crawford, is being wound up after just a year.

While mortgage brokers debate the merits or otherwise of formal regulation of their industry, the major mortgage lending banks say they are increasingly acting as regulators by being choosey as to which brokers they deal with.

Mortgagenet principal Kieran Trass has branched out into the mortgage refinancing segment of the market with the attention-grabbing brand name Banxrobber.

House building activity is increasing, but off a low base, the latest building consent figures from Statistics New Zealand show.

Mortgage Brokers Association chairman Rob Tucker says he defies anyone to read the association’s code of conduct and its constitution and then say its standards aren’t high enough.

You could be forgiven for seeing worrying signs in the entrails of the latest Real Estate Institute housing sales figures and prices.

A Nelson-based mortgage broker and two finance companies are the latest to team up to offer home loans to people the banks won’t look at.

National home affordability improved for the third consecutive quarter and, for the first time in more than two years, all regions of New Zealand showed an improvement.

Phantom bidding at house auctions hit the headlines across the ditch last week when a Melbourne magistrate slammed the practice as "evil, deceitful and misleading."