Property Investment stories
Investor activity may stay buoyant through the 2020 election, with Colliers saying housing policy shifts have usually had only a limited effect.
House prices and sales have climbed to four-year highs in New Zealand, despite earlier fears of a post-COVID downturn.
Lower deposit rules and weak bank returns are drawing small investors into housing, helping keep prices elevated across New Zealand.
Smaller homes may offer investors better returns as weaker price growth puts rental yield back in focus amid uncertainty, CoreLogic says.
Property sales jumped in May as lockdown eased, but volumes remained 46.6% below a year earlier and days to sell hit record highs.
Lower deposits and record-low borrowing costs are giving first-home buyers their strongest opening in more than a decade this winter.
With mortgage rules easing, the Government is being urged to soften New Zealand's foreign buyer ban to help revive property sales and investment.
Buyers in Auckland’s Belmont are being offered sustainably built terraced homes with electric bikes as New Zealand eases property viewing restrictions.
Queenstown looks most exposed, with tourism reliance and Airbnb saturation making its property market vulnerable to a COVID-19 downturn.
New Zealand commercial rents and capital values are expected to keep falling as occupiers and investors stay cautious amid coronavirus uncertainty.
Easing loan-to-value rules is only part of the fix, with commercial landlords warning wider support is needed to prevent a deeper downturn.
Transaction volumes are expected to fall sharply after lockdown, with weaker demand and limited listings likely to push prices lower.
New Zealand property owners are being urged to avoid panic decisions, as low rates and support measures may help cushion the lockdown fallout.
Online property searches have surged as lockdown restrictions curb listings, while average asking prices in March still rose 5% year on year.
Market turmoil has scuppered Centuria Capital’s NZD $180 million bid for Augusta Capital, sending the fund manager’s shares down 8.3 percent.
Tenants face a temporary freeze on rent rises and evictions as New Zealand's four-week COVID-19 lockdown halts viewings and house moves.
Lower borrowing costs are expected to bolster New Zealand property demand, with record-low interest rates giving buyers greater certainty and confidence.
Targeted advertising can speed up a home sale and lift the final price, as interest from online-only listings often fades quickly.
New Zealand home values kept climbing in February, lifting the average house to NZD $722,475 and worsening affordability for buyers.
Demand for affordable Auckland townhouses is squeezing supply, as first-home buyers snap up projects off the plans before building begins.
