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Realestate.co.nz had a softer than expected start to spring

Property / news
Realestate.co.nz had a softer than expected start to spring
House buyers

The housing market appears to have had a fairly quiet start to the spring selling season with new listings, stock levels and average asking prices all rising slightly compared to August.

Property website Realestate.co.nz received 7812 new residential listings in September, up from 7444 in August (+4.9%) and barely changed from the 7881 (-0.9%) it received in September last year.

However it is still well below the 10,050 new listings the website received at the peak of the last boom in September 2020 and suggests the market still has some way to travel before it gets back up to the pre-Covid  level of September 2019 when 8901 new listings were received.

There was the lowest ever number of new listings for the month of September in nine regions last month: Waikato, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu/Whanganui, Wellington, Wairarapa, Central Otago/Lakes, Otago and Southland.

The total number of residential properties available for sale on the website increased to 23,564 at the end of September from 22,750 in August (+3.6%) which was its highest level in three months but still down 9.0% compared to September last year.

The national average asking price increased for the second month in a row to $864,606 in September, up by $9462 (+1.1%) compared to August but down by $49,060 (-5.4%) compared to September last year.

"What's interesting this year is that we are seeing a softer start to spring than expected," Realestate.co.nz spokesperson Vanessa Williams said.

"The election, suspected post-election Reserve Bank movements, and interest rate rises, appear to be dampening the influx of new listings that warmer weather usually brings to market," she said.

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73 Comments

Report published at 5 am !  Kudos Greg !  Shame many think this doesn't deserve their 33cts/day support.

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17

You're clearly hurting seeing the latest results, so feel the need to start landing blows 

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16

The amount of posts you make about this topic anyone would think that you are on interest’s payroll. 

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14

He is a master at buttering up.. so doesn't mind banding backwards...

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9

Not sure if he's necessarily on their payroll.  Just a bit of a "teacher's pet".  One time he cold called on them with a lunch shout, which sure is a nice gesture.  Who knows, maybe he took a break from daily lunch shouts to nurses and firefighters?  Or maybe he's trying to grease up David.  

"If you're ever looking for a community moderator David, let me know 😉".   

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15

Yvil acts grumpy in print and chummy in his Yves Facebook photos. He's a bit weird.

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4

Are you friends with him on Facebook or something?  

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0

Yes but gladly not one of his chums

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0

Yes, I went to see the team at Interest just before X-mas a few years ago, and I shouted them coffee and pastries for morning break, as I really enjoy reading Interest. I got to meet the team and spoke to David Chaston for a while.  I also learned that they normally don't even stop working for a morning break.  Your claim about "teacher's pet" is pathetic NZDan, grow up!  How about just giving credit where credit is due and doing nice things for people who deserve it ?  

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16

It's true though, nice morning tea break gesture aside the consistent tone of your comments on here are very much "teacher's pet".  Just an observation, don't take it personally.  

I guess for my remark, I'll be first on the ban list when you become community moderator.  

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8

"you're a teacher's pet" but "dont take it personally".  Again, pathetic! 

You easily write 30 posts a day, that's 1 ct per post, can't you afford that?  Do you think Interest don't deserve it?   Be a man and contribute now.

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10

How I or anyone else spends their money is none of your concern.  Has David asked you to come on here to try shake everyone down, or are you doing it to puff up your online ego?  

If David is not happy with ad revenue alone he's more than welcome to write me a personal email to discuss. 

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11

To be very clear, David has not asked me to help raise funds for Interest, but he has asked you (and others), multiple times on here.  It's a shame you don't value Interest enough for contributing 0.33 $/day.

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3

Like I said, mind your own business.  David is more than welcome to discuss via private email in a little more detail.

I'm sure the last thing David wants is for you to ruin the readership experience for other commentators because you're constantly trying to guilt trip people into subscribing.  

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2

Why don't you practice what you preach? Stop being a narcissistic person for a start..

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6

Maybe do that for your Motel tenant's?

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3

Play the ball not the Man

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15

"The amount of posts you make about this topic anyone would think that you are on interest’s payroll.

Nope Albert, I try to help gather revenue for Interest without getting paid for it, imagine that !  I do it out of a sense of fairness for them and because I don't want Interest to go bust, what a terrible person I am !

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7

It’ll be a scheduled article. Just like how the kid doing the paper run doesn’t write the articles.

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8

The herald is delivered by car these days, not many get the paper. And if you buy one on a Saturday you'll need spare arms and legs

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Yvil, at least you're not running around labelling "tickless" posters "Bludger", "leech", "parasite" or even "freeloaders". Its good to see you limit the self embarrassment and moderate your tone. Anyway, whatever the outcome of your fruitless efforts, if people want to bypass subscription while trawling through paid adverts then good on them. I personally don't care and neither should you. Its a free world and I guess the only really disappointing thing for me is you insist on going through life viewing yourself as superior to others. It's a long way to fall when humbled. 

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8

Whats going on in Wellington? A 42% drop in housing stock?!

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4

Everyone playing the waiting game. The Wellington market often grinds to a halt in election years.

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7

Wellington fantastic were the whole market should be.

Another 8% we will hit were I believe the market needed to go for young Kiwis.

All very well done by the red team.

If the younger Generation want to own a home they need to vote Red as the Blue team about to throw them under the bus again if they get in.

 

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16

I hadn't realized just how elastic house listing supply is. Atleast in the short term

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3

What was done well by the red team?

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5

Black and White - This is the utter nonsense garbage posted by people like you on here. Here's a fact - House prices had RECORD increases ( I think it's something like 98%) during labour's most recent term. So if you're advising people to keep voting for them, that's the dumbest thing I've heard of.

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So if you're concerned about unaffordable housing you should vote the Blue team, sponsered by the RE industry, who propose to undo all the good policies now in force and let foreign buyers back in. Gotcha.

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9

People will choose to vote on issues that are most important to them and their lives.

Most property investors will more likely choose to vote to restore their previous tax advantages in the existing house market. 

This will create an advantage to these non owner occupier buyers over occupier owner buyers in the existing house market.

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3

Precisely. Anecdotally I have seen a large shift in the last 2-3 months in colleagues and aquaintances who appeared to be assessing options for the election and having rational discussions, suddenly revert back to old ways of thinking and voting. Amazing what behaviours can be seen when it comes crunch time. Until we break this mentality, history will be doomed to continue repeating itself.

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They also went up by a record amount under Helen Clark's term as well.  Labour = soaring house prices. Especially in modern times when Labour = unlimited immigration. 

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3

Basic 4 bed House in forest hill on Aucklands Northshore Westlake school zone  went from $500k in 2010 to $2.5m by 2O16 under 3% of the market Mr John Key.The whole of the Northshore was like that under John Wee

All dirty laundered money from his international friends.

This is were the deterioration of the property market started.

I agree the printing of money and cheap money for covid have done no good for the Property market but at least they have done something to stop it.

Now your friends at the National party want to start the Ponzi again that is dumb.

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4

are you surprised? 

 

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The ticket clippers must be starting to panic. Low listings will be people holding waiting for tax free foreign sales under NACT.

Can't pay tax can we...

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9

On the positive side next years tax bill will be a lot smaller. Some may even get a refund.

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0

The answer is far more obvious and simple than that.  People are not selling their current house and buying a new one because they no longer meet the servicing requirements for a new mortgage, with test rates at 9%+.  Especially if they are trying to upsize.

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13

Recent owner occupier buyers of 2020-2021 may now not have sufficient equity to upgrade or move in the next few years due to evaporation of a large proportion of their equity resulting from house price changes.

Also, 1 year mortgage interest rates at 7.0% are back at levels last seen in Nov 2008 - that is almost 15 years ago.

Many borrowers in the last 5 years may have assumed that they would not reach this level. 

Saw property investment calculations done in 2021 by property promoters assuming interest rates of peaking at 4.0% in the next 10 years to 2031. 

 

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6

Are you gloating or lamenting over this?

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Unfortunately, there will be cashflow stress and mental stress on highly leveraged households. If highly leveraged households are unable to hold on, some will need social housing. 

This all happened previously to close relatives and saw up close how this affected the parents and the children. 

Sadly, some will also resort to self harm.

 

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Yep. It clearly has. The figures quoted above are incorrect as well. Please update interest team. 

Here is the source: https://news.realestate.co.nz/blog/new-zealand-property-market-2023-sep…

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7

Haha .. they've changed the green and red to blue and cyan.

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My two cents:

Been out and about sniffing after some properties and have put in some tentative, unsuccessful low-ball offers. It seems that vendor expectations are still in lala-land, as though it is still 2021. As seen on Facebook’s property investors group (I keep an eye on them), many vendors are hard on the hopium that National will be able to bring back the good ol’ days of the ponzi… but I don’t think National will be able to effect any considerable change. Then fear will set in.

In the charts section of Interest.co.nz, I highly recommend looking at the housing data. The median price and income to house price affordability over time charts especially speak volumes. I see no evidence in any of the data that suggests it is not an epic housing bubble.

Our strategy therefore is to take our time and wait for better opportunities. Property is still hideously overpriced in this country and we will not overpay. 
I think it will correct over time, but if it doesn’t and I am wrong we will consider leaving NZ. Not only to avoid overpaying for a rot box, but also for the questionable quality of life such a society would offer future generations. We know many people who have already left or are intending to do so in part due to the cost of housing.

All are good people, smart and capable workers which NZ cannot afford to lose.

Interesting times.

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48

The whole country is in Lala-land especially the Kiwi work force they have totally lost there reputation  as hard working people.

The new work force coming into the country at the moment make them look very average.

Kiwis want to work half as much and be paid twice as must a very bad Covid hangover plus the greed has set in.

If the Kiwis don't be careful there will be know jobs for them in the next 5 years.

We need a huge recession to wake the average Kiwi up

 

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13

It’s not that greed has set in. It’s just that housing (renting or buying) costs so much so you need to get paid well.  
 

Agree that we need a recession as a rest.

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17

Yes but it's the greedy cartel banks ANZ,BNZ,ASB,Westpac and the greedy people that played this silly game of where we have ended up since the GFC

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3

Agree if the banks don't lend no one can buy. National will not be in forever if they do get in and the younger generation will vote once they get older and see what devastation the older greedy generation has done to them. I just cant believe how bad NZ has become in the last 20-30 years. 

I don't blame National entirely but they are definitely the party that adds fuel to the fire. If Luxon was a man of his word he would sell his portfolio as this should be the best amount of money he can earn. He would invest in start-ups, and grow the start-up ecosystem and drive new business and exports. But no, the best business in NZ is to rip off other NZers and the younger generation.

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14

I don't get that, I work with loads of young people and they all work hard. I think thats a self perpetuating myth to bring in cheap labour to increase businesses margins.

It seems to me that instead of increasing efficiencies and productivity, its easier to hire cheaper labour. Also people want to buy more now, they want the big non trailable boat so they talk it up at the fishing clubs. The bbqs are bigger, the utes are bigger and the bach's are flasher.

All these people are blaming the youth.

But we do need a recession for house prices to drop.

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22

Hi swapacrate,

We’ve just has a recession and house prices did drop - by about 18 percent, if the monitoring agencies are correct.

TTP

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2

....how much do you think they'll drop in the next recession we're about to have? For the good of the financial system it would be imperative the RBNZ higher for longer interest rate stance means an outright house price crash is avoided - right? 

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8

Recession not started yet TTP

You wait to next year.

Grab a seat the Party about to stop.

 

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1

No doubt some youth are good (my own daughter included). But I personally know a number of youth who have decided to opt out of the work force after leaving school to play video games and abuse substances instead, all funded courstey of the New Zealand tax payer via the very lax Job Seeker benefit under this current government.

As a result we are importing unskilled workers by the thousand from overseas. 

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1

That’s been my experience as well. Had our eye on a place on the North Shore. Auction cancelled because no unconditional bidders expressed interest. Listed for deadline sale the next day. We were the only unconditional offer. Vendor rejected it and has now listed at a price $50k below 2021 cv. I also had a friend who owns a house in the area and is looking to sell suggest that it was a bargain because it was under CV. I told him that prices have dropped quite a bit and I’ve seen some places selling for their 2018 prices and he seemed to not really believe me.

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24

Agree - what people can borrow - is still the biggest factor in determining house prices. Starting to see a number of mortgagee sales across NZ including one that listed last week in lower hutt who had paid almost $1.3M in late 21 for a house that had sold in 20 for only 900K. 

Interestingly nobody has asked national their position on DTI's and I'm under the impression the RBNZ intends to implement these in early 24 - I'm also aware one major bank is already using DTI's. If they are implemented the chances of the housing market getting anything more than green shoots are low. 

 

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22

it's only natural when buyers want bargains and sellers want higher offers. this is the point, the housing prices linked two groups of people, buyers and sellers, when one wish cheaper houses, the others wants it higher.

the house prices has already dropped about 15% to 20%, and we've done a 'correction'. it is time to consider how likely another 'correction' is on its way.

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4

Highly fekn likely champ. Many more people facing this awful prospect

 

https://reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceNZ/s/DFLaTqXqFS

 

 

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4

Before I even clicked on the link I knew what post it would be.  I got the notification on my Reddit earlier today.  

Not the first I've seen (particularly on FHB Facebook page) and certainly not going to be the last either.  

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Is so sad, these poor people and so many like them have been pulled in by the fake FOMO so many spruikers peddle (and continue to peddle).

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That is classic. 

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6

Only one donor with directorships in property-related industries donated to the Labour Party. Mark Todd of Ockham Residential donated $50,000. A representative from the company said Todd believed legislation "which reins in the lord bit of landlord" was a good thing.

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12

Hardly a suprise when Ockham Residential is sucking at the taxpayers teat to build all their buildings. 

“It would be hard to do this type of building without government assistance, and we appreciate that commitment, and changed attitude, from government towards it.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/131950275/how-ockham-resident…

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2

No surprise re: Meehan. Steven Joyce is on Winton’s board. 
If National win, Meehan’s ‘Sunfield’ development will be rubber-stamped.

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8

I hope that analysis gets a lot of coverage. Everyone should know and understand what games are being played around both property and our so called democracy. Young people should drop all sense of loyalty/patriotism to this country and leave - it doesn't deserve them. 

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19

Thats a travesty all these people with families and future generations, it feels as we are moving NZ back into the dark ages, where Government is ruled by a feudal system. Pushing everything out of reach of not only average people but even people who do quite well from an academic point of view, especially if they have no parents to help. The only way to buy a property now is to have a house previously before all this rort started. 

We have seen houses that were sold for 90,000 15 years ago with $800,000 price tags now. Better off knocking house down they are so bad. Then you also have people that have bought at probably their peak buying power of $500,000 on 3% interest now trying to flog same house 3 years later at $800,000 at 7% interest. Back of a cigarette carton maths, is equivalent to selling the house at over 1 million dollars with 3% interest. This house of cards needs to fall hard.

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27

Real Estate will start to reprice down alot more quickly now that many vendors are either reluctant, or are being pressured by finance, and if it don't, alot of young talent will leave, which will be very bad for the economy (scarcity of qualified skills is already killing employers). Lots of vendors still in denial. Its an ugly soup.

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16

in short, the new listings are lower than 2019, and total stocking not so much neither.

 

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Thousands of people and investors borrowed a million or more over last 4 years with mortgage interest rates now at 7% or higher this will cost you over $1500 per week rather than $900 per week,only a matter of time before this financial burden become to much for many. Average wage earners take home pay is around  $1100 per week and many are needing to refinance now.

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15

So in Australia house prices are once again at record highs, having recovered all the pandemic losses.  Same in the USA. 

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I think NZ has over reached back 2021, hence no price increases yet.

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Prices went up until July 2022, so I'm not sure which pandemic loses you are talking about.

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Where is the RBNZ on the DTI scheme?

Still dragging their feet?

Or are the retail banks playing hardball and telling the RBNZ where to go?

(For those that don't know - the big four will have the RBNZ write regulation their way. This is why our banking system - along with the insurance system - is totally dominated by the Aussie Oligopoly.)

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6

This thread is as bad as the Winnie the pooh jack tane Q&A intervier shocker..... anyways back to NewstalkZB

 

TLDR   Housing market is still a mess, affordabiulity at record lows, prices at eye watering levels and .... don't look down.

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