Whakatane is prospering as coastal property seekers deterred by congestion in the Western Bay of Plenty head east.

It's probably happening to all home owners these days. You suddenly realise that, even after subtracting the mortgage if you've got one, you are worth a tenth of a million dollars, or quarter of a million, or even a million.

Reserve Bank boss Alan Bollard has told house buyers twice in the past week not to expect prices to increase forever. James Weir looks at what's driving the housing boom.

If you want to go to a property seminar how do you pick a good one?

...Some people believe real estate agents come along once the developments are completed to negotiate the sale of apartments from developer to purchaser. Yet the involvement of some agents starts well before the projects have begun. It’s often the agent who identifies the potential of a site and does the hard work to develop the target market and the kind of product that might suit them, even before taking the concept to the developer.

When investors and owners are contemplating selling a property or a portfolio of properties, careful consideration should be given to setting an appropriate strategy for divestment. Relying solely on an agent to obtain the best price is not always the best option. The most effective outcome for a client is to employ a combination of the right agents and best methods and ensuring that the sale and purchase agreements are watertight.

It's easy to tell that a property boom is going on. Just look at the number of advertisements for property seminars, promising riches in every suburb.

The house-building "super-cycle" will not collapse until 2005 and perhaps even continue until 2007, according to the latest economic analysis.

A Christchurch family that returned to its rented home to find its furniture dumped on the street has won an apology and cash from the landlord.

Vacancy rates in fringe-city Auckland office blocks could rise due to the slump in foreign language schooling, says a real estate consultant.

Large apartment blocks could deteriorate if urgent action is not taken to overhaul the laws governing them, says a council official.

Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard is again warning property investors that they risk falling prices and higher interest rates.

Property investors are sinking big money into average sections and lower-quality houses as prices and demand escalate.

The property boom may be great for sellers, but it is testing the patience – and the financial resources – of buyers.

New Zealand's booming housing market is being fuelled by a shortage of properties and is definitely not a bubble about to burst, according to the ANZ Bank.

New building figures released by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) today show the construction boom warned of by Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard yesterday is not slackening.