Banks’ general security agreements could come under scrutiny from the Commerce Commission.

A new fintech is offering residential floating mortgages funded by KiwiSaver scheme Generate at rates well below the major banks.

While lower mortgage interest rates are allowing more first home buyers to get into the market, ASB says there is a case for holding a predicted further interest rate cut in July.

The move to longer term fixed mortgages is gathering speed although a substantial share is still on floating or short-term rates as the RBNZ has indicated two more possible OCR cuts to 2.75%.

The number of home owners with their mortgages in arrears is dropping.

In a market where available house sale listings are abundant and buyers hold most of the pricing power, first home buyers (FHBs) are ascendent.

Fixing mortgages for six months is still an attractive option compared to floating rates for borrowers, ANZ says in its latest Property Focus.

Nothing really changes for the housing market after yesterday’s drop in the OCR to 3.25%.

Investors are again on the back foot in the mortgage market when it comes to the amount being borrowed.

The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s (NZIER) Monetary Policy Shadow Board is recommending a 0.25% OCR cut tomorrow except Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr who says it should be 0.50%.

It was significantly up on the $584 million lent to low deposit borrowers in March last year and $510 lent by banks in March 2023.

“The Government halving its KiwiSaver contribution to $260 a year is not going to make or break deposits for first home or other house buyers.

The Budget Is unlikely to have much bearing on next week’s RBNZ OCR review and Monetary Policy Statement.

Businesses across the country expecting to thrive in 2025 are still in a big hole, down in the dumps and it is showing in a big new survey by the RBNZ.

Some big swings in sentiment and markets in just a couple of months has led to expectations the RBNZ will drop the OCR at its meeting next week and signal another one or two to come.

Mortgage advisers say they have been slapped in the face by Westpac powering fintech Dosh to offer home loans without any financial advice and giving a loyalty cashback reward of up to 0.20% over the term of a mortgage.