Qualifications for mortgage brokers and a higher media profile for their professional body should help combat the bad press being attracted by some financial operators.

So you're not caught short when taking out a mortgage, we've put together a checklist of some common costs you'll face.
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A string of enquiries to the Consumer's Institute about mortgage "restructurers" is prompting chief executive David Russell to warn about "these carpetbaggers of the financial world".

While things are looking bright for the Auckland residential property market in coming months, confidence has softened in both Wellington and Christchurch.

You've scraped the deposit together and it's off to buy a new house. But don't forget that it's not just the mortgage lender who wants your
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Fixed rate mortgages could still firm over the rest of the year, following two consecutive months of rates rises.

Lower house prices and continued low interest rates have combined to make New Zealand homes the most affordable they've been in the last decade.

Home buyers are increasingly demanding a 'one-stop shop' offering everything from real estate services, financing and valuations through to conveyancing..
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A recent survey of main mortgage lenders shows a wide variation in what they'll lend for apartments.

Following our earlier interviews with mortgage brokers on this page, Good Returns provides some questions and answers on their service.

Customer service: two much-abused words these days, but that's what Mike Pero Mortgages says it's all abou

Mortgage lenders have continued to fiddle with their fixed rates, making floating rate mortgages look even more attractive.

With home loans in particular, people "just want to get it all sorted out as soon as possible", says BankDirect's Valerie Walshe.

Sales were up for the month but prices down, according to the latest residential property statistics.

Problems are persisting over early repayment costs on fixed rate loans.

A flurry of increases for fixed rate mortgages shouldn't tempt borrowers to make hasty decisions, says the Real Estate Institute.