Market Comment Archive

PORTENTS ARE LOOKING GOOD The residential Auckland market is defying doomsayers again and presenting as steady and still growing in value although not “heated” (at all). The Apartment market reflects a similar robustness. Look at the factors that influence the City Sales market – the new tenant market that has opened up to us this year, the suburbanites giving The City... > Read more

RESERVE BANK MAKES A FOOL OF ITSELF “A Dafter Touch?” Were we too kind to Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard in our April 06 comment (scroll back) when we generously suggested he may have a defter touch with the markets than his predecessor Dr Brash? Bollard's bizarre... > Read more

SOME BRAVE PREDICTIONS A beautiful Winter's weekend at Pauanui (yes, hiding again from the Sales staff) gave time to ponder the state of our market, the economy, after that second gin, relationships and after the third, life itself but we'll stay on the ones I can remember. While the Minister... > Read more

HERE WE GO AGAIN When I was little our leaders built a Harbour Bridge with two lanes each way and its architectural significance saw it immediately dubbed “The Coathanger”. Gloating by you ex-convicts not appreciated. When I was a bit bigger Dad took us to see the massive Japanese... > Read more

ECONOMICS AND MASOCHISM BOLLARD A DEFTER TOUCH ? Don't let him know, but we have resentfully come to the conclusion that our current Reserve Bank Governor, Alan Bollard wields a defter touch on the economy than his predecessor, Dr Brash. Or , if running a masochism practice (if???), Dr... > Read more

WHAT HAPPENED???! Three thousand six hundred and thirty-six (3,636) new apartments completed in the last year and nothing (almost) left to rent! City Sales has moved since January from 68 vacant apartments, Owners screaming for income to 14 units available today and Tenants screaming for a... > Read more

WOW!!! First Auction of 2006 and 7 sold out of 9 within 24 hours! Welcome to 2006 and what may prove a surprisingly profitable year for all. After being bombarded by the doomsayers since October that New Zealand was about to enter a recession (creating a few worrying months for underpaid... > Read more

SERIOUS MONEY TO BE MADE Due to the renewed volatility (Real Estate speak for uncertainty) in our Apartment Market we have relaxed our Company rule of not dealing with the cowboy brigade i.e. speculators. One of our greatest responsibilities is to sell at full "market price" but for... > Read more

STUPID TIMES ARE HERE Click back to March and you will see our predictions of "Stupid Times Ahead". Yes, we hate to brag but we were right again. Last week's self-serving front page announcement in the NZ Herald by a Keiran Trass (yes, "who????") predicting a 40% drop... > Read more

ELECTIION SPIN A week before the elections..aftermath tragedy of Katrina still to come??....petrol prices to triple???....new apartment buildings being completed..interest rates holding steady.. What's a poor boy to do???? There is a growing sentiment out there that this is the calm before... > Read more

UNDER REPAIR IS THAT APARTMENT "SALEPROOF"???? With many of our Apartment Complexes now over 10 years old (the market essentially "started" in 1991) we are facing the... > Read more

The Big Change Over SOME CONFIDENCE AT LAST The Auckland City Council edict on Urban Design is welcomed and has been greeted in my office with a gasp of relief! Reference by Mayor Hubbard to... > Read more