Whether New Zealand is still in a recession or not will be known on Thursday when GDP figures for the second quarter of this year are revealed on Thursday.

As the residential market turns around from a deep downturn, properties for sale are spending less time on the market and prices have increased for the first time in 10 months.

The self-styled “most open minded lender” Bizcap has written 5,000 loans for small businesses worth about $235,000,000 since its arrival in New Zealand two years ago, but has also had a number of defaults.

Unsecured loans are the way of the future for small businesses, Lend Capital co-founder Bill Baker says.

The latest REINZ property market figures shows a convincing turnaround in fortunes.

Mortgage borrowers and businesses will feel more pain as inflation stays high until the end of next year, Treasury says in its pre-election economic and fiscal update (Prefu).

Any new government after the October election must rein in an out-of-control Reserve Bank and narrow its focus to long-term price stability, says the New Zealand Initiative.

National won’t scrap the Commerce Commission’s market study into banking competitiveness and would wait for the final report before a possible further probe.

The commercial property sector is deeply concerned about Labour and National policies to remove depreciation for commercial and industrial buildings.

Optimism there will be OCR and interest rate cuts next year could be misplaced.

In a bold plan, the Dunedin City Council has started early discussions with Treasury about Government help as it investigates a $132 million five-year voluntary property acquisition scheme to adapt to climate change.

More houses were sold by Barfoot & Thompson, Auckland biggest residential agency, last month than in the March last year.

Resimac New Zealand general manager Luke Jackson doesn’t think there will be a big influx of foreign buyers snapping up the country’s higher priced houses if National wins October’s general election.

There is still a discernible economic chill in the air as Kiwis clamp shut their wallets and cut discretionary spending, Kim Mundy, ASB senior economist says.

A seven month run of indications that bank lending is becoming more readily available for home buyers has been tempered by test interest rates.

House prices in New Zealand are among the most unaffordable in the world.