The Official Cash Rate (OCR), which influences the floating mortgage rate, and short term fixed-rates, dropped last week. Everyone has a view around what SHOULD happen, but no one's talking about what WILL happen. Most economists predict the Reserve Bank will deliver perhaps one more 0.25% cut, with Kiwibank being the outlier forecasting a 2.0%
[Originally published in the Herald - August 2025] Is Your Investment Strategy 'Age Appropriate'? The younger we start, the faster a little bit of money can grow. To take a little and make it greater, we need to understand the double-edged sword of ‘risk’. ‘Riskier’ investments or strategies can give you the edge, to avoid
It's Time Adjusted for inflation, New Zealand’s property prices have cratered over the last 3–4 years. For Kiwis with a lump of lead in the belly, take heart. This downturn isn’t just an omen of doom, it’s the sound of opportunity. For first home buyers and upgraders, the ladder has never been more visible, especially
Could This Be A Turning Point? Sometimes the future doesn’t tap politely. It knocks, and while the instinct is to keep the door bolted, at some stage we need to do better. That’s what’s happening right now in New Zealand, as John Alcock aims to facilitate the country's first property sale powered entirely by Bitcoin.
When Process Trumps People. There’s a special kind of regret that comes only after you’ve made a parenting call that would make your own mother shake her head. Picture this: a holiday, a bit of nostalgia, and a couple of shiny metal cap guns for the kids (because, of course, the best souvenirs are the
Why Does It Feel Like We're Being Watched? If you’re a homeowner, or thinking about getting onto the property ladder, consider this theory: New Zealand is an experiment. The Reserve Bank of NZ hiked interest rates quicker/faster/farther than anyone thought possible, and now our economy is paying the price. It's too much. Yes, it was
Where the New Zealand Property Market Is At: Straight Talk Property's always a hot topic, and for good reason. Ever since the '87 stock market crash, it's been the 'drug of choice' - not just for everyday investors, but for banks. At an economic level, the credit creation that occurs through the property segment is
I'm getting this question a lot lately, and it's understandable after a period of strong, rising prices, followed by a sharp pull back. For full disclosure, we've used property to build the majority of our net worth. Just because prices are down, there's no way I'm selling now. Why? Because there's no material change to what
Should you buy the dip, or sell the rip? By the time it takes for you and I to respond, chances are, the markets have already changed - hence why it’s so challenging to invest in the short term based purely on news cycles. So in this one, is Trump responsible for market corrections? Is
As we stand at the threshold of 2025, the New Zealand property market finds itself at a critical juncture. After weathering a significant storm that saw values plummet by 15-20% from their peak just three years ago, many are wondering: Will the housing market finally find its floor? The property market has been buffeted by
