Business Articles

Finding recent business articles is a really good way of keeping tabs on any developments relevant to both your personal and professional life.

Whether it is home loans, life insurance, income protection insurance, health insurance or personal loans - we will share with you as much interesting business articles we come across.

Opinion: October 2011
There has been a lot of Property talk and new info hitting the media in the past few weeks.

So far all the signs are looking positive - for both buyers and sellers.

For Buyers - it doesn't look as though Interest Rates will increase in the very near future, and when they do start to go up, predictions are still saying the increases will be slow.

Plus there are a few Spring properties appearing on the market.

AND although Asking Price is starting to increase, apparently selling price is still not meeting asking price.

For Sellers - on the flip side, Spring has arrived making it much easier to prepare your property for sale. It is also more attractive for potential buyers to be out looking - and yes, they were definitely out looking where I was this past weekend!

Properties are starting to sell a bit more quickly, and while you may not get top dollar, at least there is better hope of potential buyer.

Spring sales surge for housing market

OCR on hold until March - iPredict forecasts

Record low rates drive home affordability

UNDERSTANDING TYPES OF HOME LOANS

First time buyer? Need help?
A Mortgage Broker might be the way for you to find the right answer.

Opinion: August 2011
A while back I questioned whether the property market had hit its lowest point in this cycle.

Recent signs in our local Cambridge, Waikato market seem to be mirroring the recent decrease in Auckland property listings.

In the past 2-3 months the number of property listings in Cambridge have dropped approx. 15% from what had previously seemed to be an ever increasing number of houses for sale.

What this actually means to you will depend on whether you are a buyer or a seller - but it is generally accepted that when there is a shortage of listings... the seller gains the upper hand.

It does not yet seem that prices are increasing to match the demand, but at least it does seem that properties are starting to move again. That has got to be good for buyers and sellers.

Auckland houses for sale lowest in a decade - Barfoot

First time buyer? Need help?
A Mortgage Broker might be the way for you to find the right answer.

Opinion: August 2011
There has been increasing talk about interest rates in the past couple of weeks as the OCR was up for review once more.

As you probably already know the OCR has remained unchanged, but you may have also seen that some changes are starting to happen with the banks - for example Westpac and ASB increasing their fixed rates to levels comparable to the other major banks.

If an increase in interest rates is going to affect you, then you need to keep yourself as informed as you can. You need to be well-informed, not just aware of headlines and chatter.

For me, at the end of the day, the questions always remains "What affect will it have on my finances, and can I do anything about it?"

This has always proven to be a realistic way for me to "filter" out the information. Without that I find myself anxious about all the possibilities.

So it is well worth taking the time to better understand the implications, so you can make the necessary decisions and adjustments.

Interest rates could spark mortgage war

ASB raises mortgage rates

Westpac hikes mortgage rates

Bollard keeps rate at 2.5 per cent

Opinion: July 2011
Here is an interesting and helpful article for first-time home buyers, and anyone else considering buying property at the moment.

Sometimes it is hard to decipher all the information available, particularly when it becomes technical financial analysis.

I think this article is clear and simple, and coupled with the latest info release showing that Auckland property values are climbing again - this could be right on the money - the window of opportunity will not be there forever.

First-home buyers: Why the time is right

Property values up in June - Auckland leads the charge

History shows that the NZ property market follows Auckland. Auckland property values move first (up or down depending on the cycle), then the rest of the country starts to follow.

The time frames are hard to pick - how quickly will other centers follow Auckland? Now that could be the million dollar question!

But in my opinion (and personal experience), Auckland is always the first indicator of things to come...

Opinion: June 2011
If you are keeping tabs on the state of the NZ property market, or perhaps you are simply thinking about buying a house, there is always a silver lining to what may seem like doom and gloom.

My opinion is that regardless of what is happening in the market, the bottom line is what is right for you at the time.

If the property market is hot and booming does not necessarily mean you are ready to be involved.
Equally, if the property market is down and not much is happening - it may, or may not, be the right time for you to get involved.

It all depends on your circumstances at the time. Whether you have the income, whether you are ready to be a home owner, whether you have found the right house in your price range, do you qualify for a mortgage ... etc, etc.

While you need to keep an eye on the market to lessen your chances of paying too much, you also need to honestly assess whether this is the right time in the market for you, and your needs.

There are plenty of articles around talking about what is NOT happening for NZ property. But is this just simply an opportunity for you to buy well if the the time is right for you?

Continued low property sales are evident with the number of Real Estate Agents leaving the industry.
Quarter of estate agents walk out

Planning and building a house takes time. Sometimes time is not on your side, especially when the price of sections continue to climb. It is not unusual for the whole process to take upwards of a year. Planning to build? In a down market, time is on your side.
Building consents trend hits another record low

Building sector languishes despite lower section prices

Opinion: May 2011
While you can not control natural events, or the actions of others, you can make sure you and your business are prepared for the unexpected.

Floods, earthquakes, tsunami, tornadoes - we have all seen them in the news, or perhaps experienced them ourselves in recent months and years.

The reality is that there will always be something unexpected happening in the world - make sure you are prepared, and insured.

Protection At A Price

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