The West Coast of the South Island is known for its whitebait, wet weather and wilderness. These days it is also becoming recognised as a place for wise investment.

The Document Factory is a series of CDs chock full of documents and forms property investors can use. Diana Clement reviews the CDs and comes away suitably impressed.

Anyone who’s serious about property investment needs data. And that data isn’t always easy to find or interpret. Infometrics Property is designed to do that for the residential property investor.

Weed out the good deals from the bad ones using Rental Analyst software. The package allows you to analyse single properties or entire portfolios and compare numbers of properties

A well-kept secret is the best way to describe the Property Return$ free online property management software. The product allows users to manage the financial side of their residential and commercial properties from any computer connected to the Internet anywhere in the world.

Slow to start but a powerful finisher in the recent property boom Rotorua might just be reaching a plateau. Adrienne Jervis reports.

Early indications point to a slowing market in Canterbury this year but the news for investors is not all negative. Janine Ogier reports.

Northland’s property market has had a roller coaster ride in recent years but Andrea Fox detects better times ahead for New Zealand’s northernmost region.

Spring officially started yesterday and it can’t be long until the banks launch into their traditional home loan marketing campaigns.

Christchurch-based real estate company Simes has launched its commercial property portfolio, valued at $70 million, to the market.The Christchurch portfolio, consisting of 24 properties, is the largest offering of property for sale or lease in the Christchurch market for the past two years.

Local authorities are abusing their power to levy development contributions, says the Property Council of New Zealand (PCNZ).It alleges this is making home ownership an unaffordable dream for thousands of young New Zealanders.

A researcher from Rotorua’s Crown Research Institute, Scion, has completed a study on the modern homebuyer to discover how web surfing is affecting the real estate market.Consumer behaviour specialist Karen Bayne says homebuyers are spending more time on the Internet than ever before, which raises interesting questions about how to capture their attention.

Home Loan Report:

Everyone who buys real estate - whether as an investment or as a family home - wants to see the value of their property grow and grow.

Three councils are this month implementing a BRANZ pilot scheme offering a free advisory service in eco-design of buildings to designers, builders and homeowners.Eco-design advisers (EDAs) will work from Waitakere and Hamilton City Councils, along with Kapiti Coast District Council, to offer practical advice on sustainability principles in housing.

Housing Minister Chris Carter's spokesperson told The NZ Property Magazine key findings of government studies into whether local government's use of environmental legislation is constraining supply of affordable land for housing will be released later this week.Carter's spokesperson said there was a variety of research going on around the country into different aspects of the "whole 'unaffordability' question - why housing affordability is dropping by the wayside."