Category Archive

Banks and the Reserve Bank have for a long time viewed mortgage debt as ‘safer’ than other types of debt. That means that banks have been able lend more and at lower interest rates than they can for other types … Read More

For many years now some of us have been banging on about the fundamental policy bias that has led to an over-investment in property. Still on the political front nothing material has been done to deal to this cancer because … Read More

Why German House Prices have been Flat The picture below says it all – German house prices have been flat (in real terms) for the past 30 years, while over the same time ours have increased by 150%. This despite … Read More

Labour’s housing policy hit all the right political notes; more social housing, more affordable housing, a tax-based rap over the knuckles for all those ‘nasty’ investors and of course a ban on foreign buyers. The question is can they deliver? … Read More

Economist Arthur Grimes yesterday suggested building 150,000 new homes to reduce Auckland house prices by 40%. This idea was described as ‘just crazy’ by the Prime Minister. Is it? Affordability We know that in Auckland the median house price is … Read More

In the wake of the Brexit vote- Britain leaving the European Union – we have had another night of falls in the pound and red ink on stockmarkets around the world. Some of this reaction is predictable – markets always … Read More