Net long term migration slumped 44% to 1,050 in February from 1,860 in January on a seasonally adjusted basis as fewer foreign students and those with working visas arrived, while more non-New Zealand

By Emma Geraghty Banks are increasingly looking for ways  to make it easier for baby-boomer parents to help their children buy expensive houses in the wake of the property boom.

Recovery in the housing market remained soft in February with house sale volumes at their lowest since at least 1992, figures released by REINZ today show.

A website has been launched this month called 

New vehicle sales grew in February at their fastest rate in almost 5 years as the end of the recession and strong consumer confidence triggered a rush back into showrooms for new passenger and commercial vehicles. Surprisingly, the Suzuki Swift was the best selling car ahead of the Holden Commodore and Toyota Corolla. The signs of robust consumer spending on such big ticket items will be one factor watched by the Reserve Bank as it considers when to start increasing the Official Cash Rate later this year. Car sales in January and February have surged after almost 2 years of being in the doledrums during New Zealand's longest recession in the post-War era. New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) figures obtained by Interest .co.nz show there were 5,659 new car sales in February, up 12% from the same month a year earlier. This is the fastest annual growth rate in any one month since August 2005, except for a one-off 13% rise in April 2008 linked to changes the previous year in fringe benefits tax rules.

Growing housing shortage in Auckland forcing poor into garages and over-crowded houses

Permanent long term (PLT) arrivals exceeded departures by 1,950 on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, up from 1,720 in December 2009,

Timaru-based South Canterbury Finance has announced it has paid off its United States Private Placement facility a month early. This gets it out from some unfavourable terms, imposed after it breac

A net of 50 % of respondents to the February survey expect better times ahead, this is up 11 percentage points from December 2009, the highest business confidence level since April 1999. Manufacturin