Annual rent movement highest in 11 years "High rental price increases should not come as a shock to anyone", says Andrew King, Executive Officer of the NZ Property Investors' Federation (NZPIF). "While Statistics NZ has pointed to the Healthy Homes legislation, this is only one change that has pushed rental prices higher." 25-01-2020 more >>
Reserve Bank to ease loan-to-value ratio restrictions in January 2019 From 1 January 2019 the changes are - up to 20 percent (increased from 15 percent) of new mortgage loans to owner occupiers can have deposits of less than 20 percent and up to 5 percent of new mortgage loans to property investors can have deposits of less than 30 percent (lowered from 35 percent). 28-11-2018 more >>
No new housing surge says Tony Alexander The Reserve Bank surprised most people yesterday with its move to ease up the loan to value ratio (LVR) credit controls introduced in October 2013 then strengthened in October 2015 and July last year. 30-11-2017 more >>
The Reserve Bank is undertaking a modest easing of the LVR restrictions from 1 January 2018 Reserve Bank Governor says "Over the past six months, pressures in the housing market have continued to moderate due to the tightening of LVR restrictions in October 2016, a more general firming of bank lending standards and an increase in mortgage interest rates in early 2017. Housing market policies announced by the Government are also expected to have a dampening effect on the housing market. In light of these developments, the Reserve Bank is undertaking a modest easing of the LVR restrictions" 29-11-2017 more >>
Reserve Bank defers start of proposed changes to investor LVR The Reserve Bank is deferring the start of the proposed changes to investor loan-to-value restrictions (LVRs) nationwide from 1 September to 1 October 2016, based on feedback from the banking industry from its recent consultation on the proposals. 12-08-2016 more >>
Reserve Bank restrictions hurt tenants and small investors One of the Reserve Bank's tasks is to keep inflation between 1% and 3%. It appears that the purpose of the LVR tightening is to allow the Reserve Bank to lower interest rates, thereby stimulating the economy and lowering the NZ dollar. 19-07-2016 more >>
Investor LVR limits to reduce financial system risk The Reserve Bank expects new lending limits for Auckland property investors will reduce heightened financial system risk, and help moderate the Auckland housing market cycle, Deputy Governor Grant Spencer said today. 24-08-2015 more >>
Reserve Bank responds to submissions on LVR rules The Reserve Bank today published a summary of submissions and final policy positions in regards to changes in the Loan to Value Ratio restriction rules (LVRs), and the asset classification of residential property investment loans in the Capital Adequacy Framework. 21-08-2015 more >>
LVR restrictions will benefit rest of the country New Zealand’s largest real estate company, Harcourts believes that the new LVR restrictions will do little to solve housing issues in Auckland but that the changes should provide some benefit to the rest of the country 15-05-2015 more >>
Not appropriate to ease LVR restrictions yet The New Zealand financial system remains sound and continues to operate effectively, Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler said today when releasing the Bank’s November Financial Stability Report. 12-11-2014 more >>
Housing pressures are easing gradually Pressures in the New Zealand housing market are easing gradually but risks remain, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, Grant Spencer, said in a speech today. 09-05-2014 more >>
LVR rules not working: Harcourts Provisional data from New Zealand’s largest real estate group Harcourts for the month of February shows there is continued pressure on the housing market in Auckland and Northland. The group said its average sales price had reached $644,613 – up 13% on the same time last year. 05-03-2014 more >>
Investing becoming more popular More people are interested in buying investment properties since the loan-to-value rules kicked in, the latest BNZ Consumer Confidence survey shows. It found a net 45% of the respondents are confident that the economy will improve over the next year. 05-03-2014 more >>
Impact of rules revealed Napier and Wellington have experienced the biggest drops in first-home buyer numbers since the loan-to-value restrictions kicked in, Property IQ data shows. Both have reported a drop of 5.4% in first-home buyers since the rules took hold. 24-02-2014 more >>
Interest rates drive prices down: Westpac New Zealand’s housing market is firmly in slowdown mode, Westpac’s chief economist says. Dominick Stephens said data from QV and REINZ confirmed the beginning of a trend. He said the fall in sales was most noticeable in the cheaper end of the market and had hit all regions except Queenstown.
20-02-2014 more >>
First-home buyers missing out: Survey Reserve Bank loan-to-value (LVR) rules have had a big impact on first-home buyers, but not made much difference to investors, the latest BNZ/REINZ survey of real-estate agents shows. 17-02-2014 more >>
LVR rules affecting FHBs most: Alexander First-home buyers may be edging back into the market but are still bearing the brunt of the Reserve Bank’s loan-to-value restrictions, a new survey shows. BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander said the results of the first BNZ/REINZ survey of real estate agents for the year would be released next week. 13-02-2014 more >>
QV blames LVR rules for slowing growth Growth in property values slowed considerably in January, QV says, pointing the finger and loan-to-value restrictions and rising interest rates. It has released its latest statistics, which show nationwide values have increased 9.6% over the past year and 2.2% over the past three months. 10-02-2014 more >>
Pressure on both sides: ANZ There’s a mixed outlook for the property market, if ANZ’s latest Property Focus is anything to go by. The bank’s economists have issued their monthly Property Focus, reporting pressure from both directions on house prices. 31-01-2014 more >>
Record price for lifestyle blocks Loan-to-value restrictions have the potential to affect the lifestyle property market but there is no sign of them doing so yet, the Real Estate Institute’s rural spokesman says. 24-01-2014 more >>
Too soon to draw conclusions: Alexander There is no way of knowing how long loan-to-value restrictions might affect the housing market throughout this year, BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander says. He said house prices would continue to rise as the imbalance between demand and supply at current prices showed no sign of letting up. 23-01-2014 more >>