For the housing and mortgage markets, it’s been a year of fits and starts: by as early as March it looked like a convincing recovery in activity from the depressed 2000 was underway, but then followed a rather fitful winter.

November real estate figures provide conclusive evidence that the Reserve Bank’s interest rate medicine is reviving the housing market.

The level of home ownership in New Zealand has slipped to just two-thirds of the population.

Another housing boom could be on the cards, according to Deutsche Bank chief economist Ulf Schoefisch.

ANZ Bank is making a special effort to attract business from mortgage brokers by offering to pay them $300 if they don’t get an answer on any loan application within 24 hours, as long as that loan is subsequently drawn down.

New Zealanders borrowed an additional $374 million in mortgages in October, bringing the total owed on housing to $66.954 billion, according to the latest Reserve Bank figures.

The latest residential building consent figures showed a marked bounce-back in October from September’ lows, although, as with sales of existing houses, not quite to August’s levels.

Good Returns is hearing that a real-estate-based get-rich-quick scheme known as "hydraulicing" is rife at the moment.

For discount retailer The Warehouse, online mortgage broker E-Loan became a redundant option into financial services after it signed its exclusive agreement in May with WestpacTrust to be its partner, says non-retail general manager Bruce Gordon.

Morningstar Research boss Graham Rich is filing for damages against the group’s US based majority shareholder, Morningstar Inc.

Seldom have the signs boded better for the Auckland housing market, according to Mortgagenet principal Kieran Trass.

The median house price bounced back strongly in October after September’s alarms, as did activity, although not quite back to August’s levels.

As expected, Reserve Bank governor Don Brash cut his official cash rate (OCR) half a percentage point, saying slowing global growth is already affecting the New Zealand economy and will continue to do so.

It's a reasonably safe bet the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates this week.

Queensland personal finance writer Anita Bell paid a flying visit to New Zealand this weekend to preach her money-saving message at Auckland’s Golden Age Expo, which was targeted at people about to retire.

Since the beginning of the year, mortgage rates have fallen considerably as the Reserve Bank lowered its official cash rate from 6.5% to 5.25% and is expected to cut it a further half a percentage point to 4.75% later this month.