The House of Inspiration

New Zealand is one of the few countries in the OECD that does not regulate its property managers. Property managers are the gatekeepers of housing for some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable residents.

With home ownership at its lowest level in 60 years and the demand for rentals increasing, the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) is calling on the Government to formally review the need to regulate the property management industry, including public consultation, and announce its recommendations for reform before the 2020 election. Harcourts fully supports this initiative
by REINZ.

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Topics: Industry Update, Property Management, Landlords, Tenants, Property Manager

Here are some tips for trimming the cost of your mortgage from our partners at Mortgage Express.

As a property owner, paying off your mortgage before you retire is important. Once you hit retirement age, the last thing you want is to still be saddled with debt. Here are some ways to help reduce your total mortgage and essentially help you pay less for your property.

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Topics: Mortgage Advisers, Mortgage Express, Mortgage Advice

When you’re looking for a new home, one of the first things you need to consider is the order of events – do you sell your existing property before you buy, or after? Here are some factors to consider before taking the plunge.

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Topics: Residential, Property Tips, buying and selling

This issue of Property Focus features:

• Should you sell first or buy first? 
• Cut the cost of your mortgage
  

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Topics: Newsletters, property focus, buying and selling

Interest rates are at an all-time low but access to funding for rural property is becoming more difficult. The Reserve Bank’s proposal to increase capital requirements will reduce the banks’ ability to lend, at least until their reserves are built up, and could increase the cost of capital as the banks move to protect their margins.

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Topics: Rural, Rural market, Lifestyle and rural property

New tenancy legislation was passed on 30 July 2019 which will affect landlords and tenants. These changes take effect on 27 August 2019. The bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (RTA) and addresses tenant liability for damage, unlawful residential premises and contamination of rental properties.

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Topics: Industry Update, Property Management, legislation

Whether you love the thrill of an auction or your knees tremble at the thought, auctions have become the preferred method of selling property in most of the major centres across the country.

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Topics: Auctions, Residential, Selling, Buying, Advice

This issue of Property Focus features:

• The insider's guide to buying and selling at auction
• Bidding at auction: Tips and tricks from a champion auctioneer

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Topics: Auctions, Newsletters, property focus, buying and selling

Owning property is an excellent way to build wealth. Historically, property has been a less volatile investment with real estate values invariably tracking upwards over time. What’s more, you have the added benefit of being able to “leverage” your existing real estate investment to buy an investment property using borrowed money and grow your property portfolio even further.

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Topics: Industry Update, Property Management, Property Management Focus

If you’re planning on selling your home, the kitchen is a great place to start to add value. The kitchen is one of those spaces that can make or break the sale for many buyers, but before you make the decision to totally gut your kitchen and start again, here are some tips on how to get the best out of your existing kitchen without breaking the bank.

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Topics: Residential, Selling, DIY, Advice, Renovations