Let it Be
Letting fees are a thing of the past. Labour’s Phil Twyford has outlawed the practice of charging tenants an upfront fee for a non existent service. It’s about fairness and it’s about time.
housing affordability
Redeveloping Public Housing
The Government is getting ready to battle the most rapacious economic force in this country, real estate capitalism, for the good of people.
Housing Band Aids
What lies behind the homelessness crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand? Is it a housing crisis or are the homeless to blame? If the problem is a housing crisis, why is there an assumption that the homeless themselves need extra services to secure and maintain rental housing?
Ardern cautious on capital gains tax
Jacinda Ardern will not campaign on a capital gains tax, but will seek advice and will not rule it out in a first term. The Nats have introduced a week form of CGT already. A more robust version needs serious consideration.
Lies, damn lies, and National’s housing affordability statistics
RNZ: The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment ignored advice from the Reserve Bank over its new housing affordability measure, and made houses appear to be more affordable than they actually were.
There is no housing problem!
But only in Nick Smith’s head. See the finally released government Housing Affordability Measure (HAM).
Housing affordability data suppressed?
Bill English would have you believe that there is no housing crisis. He desperately needs you to believe it until after the next election. Is Nick Smith deliberately suppressing housing data?
The cusp of something “special” in Auckland
Could be that the Auckland property market is turning downwards.
Dire warnings of the bleeding obvious
Warnings from the government and the Reserve Bank that first home buyers are taking on too much debt. Prices are too high, wages are too low, interest rates are rising. These warnings are effectively telling the average first home buyer to give up.
Housing “affordability” blowout
Andrew Little was on RNZ this morning talking housing affordability. “The amount people are having to borrow for their first home has increased 43 percent in the last two years.”
Land banking – National gives up on housing crisis
As the average Auckland house price hits $1 Million, the Special Housing Areas fail, and Real Estate agents openly promote land banking, what does National do? Why, they give up, of course.
Unitary Plan – affordability requirements removed
What are the Nats doing removing a proposed requirement for affordable housing – exactly the housing that Auckland desperately needs!?
If you need a good laugh this morning
“Nick Smith reckons Akld housing’s more affordable now than before National came to power”
NZ first in the world!
Auckland house prices – the good ol’ days ’05
Home ownership rates have been crashing since the 1990’s. Auckland house prices have been classed as “seriously unaffordable” since 2006 or earlier. The answer is to make sure that houses are no longer considered a financial asset for capital gains.
An Open Letter to the Real Estate Whistleblower
We don’t know who the real estate whistleblower is, but we do know they have done New Zealand a significant service. Courage takes many forms, but risking your career to alert your country to a hidden crisis should be recognised for the bravery it is. Thank you, you’ve done us proud.
Parnell Ponzi; When are National going to Act on Housing?
National need to act now to end the housing crisis. The market has failed and doing nothing is going to blight the future of Kiwis. The answer is easy. End speculation, build houses. But do National have the guts to do the right thing?
Twyford Responds
Labour’s Housing Spokesperson Phil Twyford responds to accusations of racism and points to the way forward. The Labour Party will limit foreign speculation, build affordable houses and replenish the State Housing stock.
China Crisis
Good on Labour for saying what needed to be said. Can they, the Greens and NZ First save the next generation of Kiwis from being tenants in our own land?
Includes Bonus Seinfeld reference!
If you thought the Auckland property bubble was bad now…
… then prepare for it to get a lot worse.
Affordable – in your dreams
Even under the best assumptions National’s “affordable” houses in Auckland are not actually affordable for the average paid worker. Nick Smith is dreaming.
Mortgagee sales
A marked drop in mortgagee sales recently. Good news?
Rushed policy is bad policy
National’s policy opens the door to more effective capital gains tax, thus irritating investors and their base, while probably not achieving anything in practice. The worst of both worlds. Bonus question – does this policy effectively underwrite losses when the property bubble bursts? Plus another bonus John Key lie!
The housing dream
The “Kiwi dream” is over – the housing crisis just gets worse and worse.
Nat housing policy panned
Labour and The Greens are clearly setting the agenda with a strong focus on housing affordability. National are struggling to catch up. But their new policy has been met with a chorus of criticism. They are going to have to do a lot better than this.
National’s “housing policy” is to reverse its previous cuts
Reaction to housing policy
Labour will be pleased at the reaction to its Latest housing policy, from Vernon Small, John Armstrong and (knock me down with a feather) Colin Espiner. Opinion polling is also in favour.
Speculation
I know many of the liberal left don’t like or can’t accept the thought that banning non-residents from speculating on residential property in […]
Labour’s new housing policy – Shearer on Q+A
David Shearer on Q+A just set out new policy on housing, proposing restrictions on overseas buyers. It’s another big policy move from Labour…
A tale of two housing policies
Houses are seriously unaffordable, especially for first-time buyers. Labour’s policy settings will help first-time buyers, the Reserve Bank under the current government is proposing tougher requirements that will make matters worse for them. Parties of the Left need to take this issue and run hard!
Mana housing policy needs work
Mana’s housing policy is ambitious, and leaves National’s inaction looking increasingly isolated and out of touch. But there are too many gaps in this policy as currently stated. Needs work.
Where is National on house prices?
With a 10% increase in the median house price last year, we’re firmly back on a damaging house price binge. Labour has policies that address the issue. Where is National?
Kiwi dream RIP
Owning your own home was the foundation of the “Kiwi dream”. Now it seems that we’ve let that dream slip further out of reach than almost anywhere in the world. Houses in Auckland are less affordable than in New York. Demand in the rental market is far outstripping supply. What should the government be doing?