From today the owners of leaky homes will be able to seek repair funding from the Government's leaky homes Financial Assistance Package.

The residential housing market has started a cyclical recovery, with rising turnover and prices, decreasing days to sell, a spike in listings shortages and the entry of first home buyers into the market, according to BNZ.

Just over a month after the sudden closure of Jericho Property Management another property management firm, Trump Assets Management, has closed its doors.

A round-up of leading economists' views on the RBNZ decision to leave the OCR unchanged.

Reserve Bank governor Alan Bollard took a bob-each-way approach to reviewing interest rates which has left economists and financial markets scratching their heads.

Rents are at a two-and-a-half year high "and will go higher", according to the latest ANZ Property Focus.

BNZ economist Tony Alexander has rejected the argument that a capital gains tax would result in additional money being invested in productive assets.

Labour has unveiled its tax plans, including a capital gains tax and they look worse for property investors than originally thought.

The supply of rental housing grew only half as much as demand nationwide in the June quarter with the Auckland market showing a severe shortage of rentals, according to figures from the TradeMe.

With written sales 30% higher than June last year, Auckland is leading the real estate market recovery, according to Harcourts.

Analysis, comment and prices from QV Valuations staff across the country.

Property values increased in June driven largely by the Auckland market, according to the latest QV report.

Property investors have been warned to be wary of inflated property valuations when considering whether to invest in either properties or companies which had significant property development portfolios.

Labour proposals for a capital gains tax on investment property have been criticised as unfair on both investors and tenants, "who are going to end up paying for this."

June saw the number of properties on the Auckland market slip to their lowest level in nearly four years, according to Barfoot & Thompson.

Property investors are back in the market and doing battle with first home buyers for properties at the lower end of the market, according to First National general manager John Stewart.