Blog

In my view, owning a house – or, even better, several houses – is still the best form of investment. But if you’re a first-home buyer, how do you get your foot in the door, given the minimum 20 per cent deposit and the chronic shortage of housing stock to purchase? First, you need toRead more

Many baby boomers reaching their seventies are hitting some major walls as they move through retirement. One is the ability to continue to afford the cost of maintenance on their homes. They may be asset rich and mortgage free, but they are cash poor. Locally, on Auckland’s North Shore, I am seeing an increase inRead more

The year has not begun auspiciously for wannabe house buyers – or for real estate salespeople. It seems to me as if there is still a measure of uncertainty in the residential property investment market. January sales were right down. Listings are slow and sales are down across Auckland. There are many possible reasons whyRead more

There has been a necessary correction in the price of properties and the market has temporarily flattened. This tends to happen every 10 years or so. We’re simply going through yet another cycle. Everyone is waiting for the property market to take off again. First, people were waiting to find out who would be inRead more

I’m looking forward to seeing the fresh approach of the new coalition New Zealand Government. But while there are many positive initiatives, there are for me still several question marks. Planting 100-million trees annually in a billion trees planting programme is very exciting and ambitious and, hopefully, achievable. The initiative will be beneficial environmentally andRead more

Do I think that all tenants are entitled to live in warm, dry homes, rather than the alternative – mouldy, damp houses? Absolutely, it would be inhumane to think otherwise. And ensuring that our children live in healthier houses is vital. But does this mean I back the concept of a warrant of fitness forRead more

Ask any developer, builder or architect what they think of Auckland Council’s competence in processing resource consents and you’ll get a massive eye roll in response. Both major political parties are talking up what they’ll do about housing affordability and the homelessness and rentals crisis. But what’s contributing to the hold-ups is not just aRead more

In the real estate industry it’s easy to become complacent about the way we obtain consent from customers to be included in our databases to receive our marketing material. And it’s easy to forget just how important it is to obtain all the necessary information to gain consent – and to document and file this permission in our records.Read more

Houses are still leaking – how are owners expected to fund the repairs? With houses constructed of untreated timber framing, the mould grows from the inside out. It can take five to eight years to appear. That’s why leaky buildings are still being identified today. News of a prospective reclad can come as a bombshellRead more

June 2017 Auckland real estate market is self-correcting The North Shore real estate market is slowing down considerably. This doesn’t surprise me. During an election year Kiwis tend to put their hands in their pockets and keep their heads down. They’re biding their time, waiting to see if the status quo is maintained or ifRead more

May 2017 Lateral thinking required to increase housing stock We’re in a crisis situation, people. Do the maths. Buying a house is now unaffordable for 86% of Auckland’s non-home owners. Over the past five years Auckland rentals have risen by 25%, land prices have increased 52%, building costs by 36% and house prices by 45%.Read more