Category: News

Five buying tips to beat inevitable market rebound

With the latest 0.5% cut in interest rates, New Zealand buyers must start to think strategically about the best time to jump into the market.  Now the Reserve Bank of New Zealand has trimmed rate by a full 1% in the last few months, you have precious few moments to consider your strategy before prices…
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Why smart upgraders will make their move now

Premium brands always do well in market downturns – and that’s true for  the “dress circle” properties in the Queenstown area. The value growth down south has been stellar while other areas of New Zealand – most noticeably Auckland and Wellington – continue to feel the impact of high mortgage costs. The announcement of a…
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Rule change to improve property appraisal accuracy

A significant change has been made to the home appraisal process, which will affect both first homebuyers and upgraders. Lenders will now be required to implement a borrower-driven process for requesting a Reconsideration of Value (ROV).  Essentially, owners of homes can now contact their lender and ask for their home to be revalued so that…
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Can a rate cut ignite the NZ property market?

Signs of an immediate uplift in the momentum of the New Zealand property market have emerged following the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s decision to cut the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 0.25%. Taking the OCR to 5.25%, the mid-August move by the Reserve Bank was the first rate cut in more than four years.…
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Investors lead the charge in buoyant Australian market

Keen observers of real estate often use trends in home loan applications as a predictor for the short-term performance of property prices. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for May indicates Australia is having a strong winter ahead of an anticipated busy spring selling season. Significantly, the data illustrates that while there may…
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Investors under pressure as Biden bids for 5% rent cap

Facing voter frustration at housing affordability, the White House has pushed legislation to Congress seeking to cap annual rent increases at 5% and punish corporate landlords by withdrawing their federal tax breaks if they ignore the limit. The Biden administration also pledged to repurpose public land in Nevada so 15,000 affordable housing units can be…
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Rate cuts start to swing the market mood

With interest rates now 0.5% less than just a few weeks ago, Canadian homeowners and buyers are poised to spur the market back into action. Whether the two recent rate cuts from the Bank of Canada will be sufficient to electrify the market remains to be seen. However, Canada is one of the first developed…
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Market starts to move as buyers circle after rate cut

Residential sales have been predicted to rise by more than 6% this year as the Canadian real estate market begins to bounce back from a quiet start to the year. Two interest cuts that have taken the cash rate to 4.5% are expected to entice more sellers into the market to meet the pent-up demand…
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Why it pays to study local price trends in current market

The latest data from digital marketplace Wowa suggests a two-speed real estate scene across Canada right now. Even with two recent interest cuts that took the benchmark to 4.5%, parts of the property market remain red-hot while others appear stuck on the cool side. Wowa’s Housing Market Report released in June found national transactions totalled…
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Values keep rising as more homes come onto the market

American homeowners continue to see the value of their homes rise as buyers remain poised for the beginning of interest rate reductions by the Federal Reserve. Anticipated falls in mortgage costs have yet to materialize as the Fed remains concerned about the risk of inflation due to the nation’s strong economic performance and buoyant employment…
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