As you'll read below, banks are still making a lot of money; but we'd like to assist you to save money and time!  

With residential mortgage interest rates at record lows, we’ve been quite busy with people of all ages buying a house to own a home, or as an investment property to rent out. Some of those buying to own have said they wish they had of done it sooner and felt they were paying their landlord’s mortgage, and in some cases the loan repayments were less than what they were paying in rent! 

The property sales market continues to pick up pace, especially in the provincial regions, with signs of picking up more and house prices still increasing.  Mortgage interest rates are likely to be cut further this year and will continue to enhance the property market.  Bank Economists believe the NZ Reserve Bank  will be cutting the OCR early August and again in November, so that’s likely to bring the mortgage rates even lower.  All this causes more demand for property ownership and a shorter supply of houses on the market.  More demand and less supply tends to increase property prices, and, with a shortage of rental accommodation the rents that tenants pay will increase too.

If you would like to own a home or rental investment, then  call us today and we do not charge you for our services. For those of you we have already assisted, we still have a referral program to reward you for helping us save on advertising costs by recommending our free service to new customers. If you have a loan requiring a new fixed term we’d like to negotiate a great rate for you. - This can normally be done when  your current fixed term has 6-8 weeks before  it expires.

New Zealand's banks keep making healthy profits, despite a drop off in lending numbers and lower returns from interest. The banking sector recorded $1.45 billion net profit after tax (NPAT) during the March quarter, with this big sum coming as a surprise to many. The big increase in profits was primarily driven by growth in non-interest income, as the banks continue to diversify in the current low interest environment.   

Signs of life are returning to the Auckland housing market, with prices rising across the city for the second month in a row. While prices are still down on a quarterly and annual basis, confidence seems to be returning as the market gets ready for spring. Even though the gains are modest at this stage, they come during winter when the market is normally struggling.  House prices are also up across New Zealand on a monthly basis, with quarterly prices down and modest gains recorded for the year.

Video games and video game culture continues to influence the wider world. More than a pastime for bored teenagers and lost adults, video games are now recognised as both a professional sport and a powerful form of addiction. This dichotomy highlights the complex relationship that exists between gamers and their favourite hobby, with video games best understood as a warped mirror that reflects society rather than a positive or negative force in their own right.  

Lab-grown meat, also known as cultured meat, has been called the future of food by leading scientists and industry experts. Produced by the cultivation of animal cells rather than the slaughter of animals, this new and novel form of meat is likely to hit the supermarket shelves in the not too distant future. Despite the many environmental benefits attached to lab-grown meat, our attitudes surrounding high-tech meat will need some major adjusting before this food source is widely accepted.