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Value of homes in Hamilton and Tauranga up nearly 30% over the last year, Auckland values pass the $1m mark but the market may be cooling as new LVR rules start to bite

Property
Value of homes in Hamilton and Tauranga up nearly 30% over the last year, Auckland values pass the $1m mark but the market may be cooling as new LVR rules start to bite

The average value of homes in the Auckland region has passed the million dollar mark for the first time, according to data released by two valuation organisations.

Quotable Value (QV) says the average value of dwellings in the Auckland region is $1.014 million while newcomer on the block Homes.co.nz estimates that it is slightly higher at $1.03 million.

QV says average housing values in Auckland have increased 6.1% over the last three months and have risen 15.9% in the last 12 months.

Across the entire country the average value of all homes is $612,527, up 6% in the last three months and up 14.6% over the last 12 months, according to QV.

In other major centres the average value in the Wellington Region is $643,986, up 5.6% in the last three months and up 17.7% in the last 12 months.

Increases in values have been more modest in Christchurch where the average value is $492,766, up 0.5% in the last three months and up 3.5% compared to a year ago.

However QV's figures show the biggest gains in residential property values have occurred in the upper North Island south of Auckland, with the average dwelling value in Hamilton rising by 29.3% over the last 12 months to hit $518,387.

In Tauranga average values have risen 28.5% over the last 12 months to $633,638 and in Rotorua they are up 27.1% to $347,966.

The biggest annual rise in residential values has occurred in the Central North Island town of Kawerau, where they have risen by a whopping 50.1% over the last 12 months and 19.2% over the last three months, although that was off a very low base and the average dwelling value in the town is still just $152,647.

The next biggest increase occurred in Otorohanga where average values have risen 35.3% over the last 12 months to $263,633.

The only South Island centre where average valuations have risen at rates approaching those in the upper North Island is Queenstown, where they are up 27.2% over the last 12 months to $930,154.

The only place in the country to record a decline in average value over the last year is the Grey district on the West Coast where it dropped by 3.3% to $213,901.

QV national spokesperson Andrea Rush said although the housing market had remained strong in June and July there were now signs it was starting to cool.

"It now appears the new LVR restrictions for investors adopted by banks towards the end of July have started to have an impact in the housing markets in Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton during August," she said.

In recent weeks there has been a drop off in market valuation requests, auction clearance rates, open home attendees and loan application rates in those centres."

"The Christchurch market by comparison is relatively flat with a shortage of listings in the market resulting in not much activity apart from new builds and subdivisions."

To see QV's average valuations for all parts of the country click on the following link:

No chart with that title exists.

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154 Comments

that article talks about the average selling price in Auckland, not average house price in Auckland (including every house in Auckland)

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The value of a house is what you could buy it for on the market. Therefore the average selling price is the average price, unless you are claiming that this month there was an unusual number of properties selling at the lower end scewing figures downwards? Like a large number of unit developments hitting the market?

From the wording it sounds like QV adjust for that anyway. They are not reporting the average sale price but use the change in sale price for individual homes to estimate the entire stock.

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This doesn't take into account unsold homes, and their relative values that have increased over time. The average house price should include all homes and what they are estimated to sell at if they were up for sale. The sales average wouldn't indicate accurately across all homes in Auckland. I suppose the best way to calculate it would be to look at recent sales data in the area for each house, extrapolate this and then take an average across all houses.

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I believe the QV data is prepared exactly as you suggest.

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Are you for real???

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that article talks about the average selling price in Auckland, not average house price in Auckland (including every house in Auckland)

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From today's Guardian (oz site):
New Zealand has the world’s most frenetic property market, with prices in Auckland now outstripping London, and possibly dashing the hopes of British buyers hoping to escape Brexit.

In a global ranking of house price growth by estate agents Knight Frank, New Zealand was second to Turkey, but once the impact of inflation was stripped out it came top with 11% annual growth.

Canada was the only other country to see price growth of 10% or more over the past year. It also recorded the fastest price rises of any country over the past three months.

Meanwhile once white-hot property markets in the far east are cooling fast. Taiwan saw price falls of 9.4% over the past year, putting it at the bottom of Knight Frank’s ranking. Hong Kong and Singapore have also seen significant reductions in house prices.

Auckland is at the centre of an extraordinary property boom, with separate data revealing that the city’s average house price last month hit NZ$1m (£550,000) for the first time.

The country’s QV house price index found that the typical Auckland home was valued at NZ$1,013,632 in August, an increase of 15.9% over the year. That’s just under £560,000 and higher than the average London property price of £472,384 according to data.

Spiralling prices – up NZ$20,000 a month over the past quarter – and the falling pound are likely to deter Britons hoping to emigrate.

In the aftermath of the EU referendum result, Immigration New Zealand revealed a spike in the number of queries from British nationals. In the 49 days following the Brexit vote on 23 June, more than 10,000 British nationals registered their interest – compared with 4,599 during the same period the year before.

Faced with priced-out locals unable to buy and forced to pay steep rents, New Zealand’s central bank imposed strict new deposit requirements in July, making investors put down at least 40% of the purchase price in cash. Chinese investors have been among the keenest buyers of property in Auckland.

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Not at all surprising given the million dollar views - the house across the street!

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Across the street if you're lucky, usually it's the back end of four other damp houses.

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Really ? This is so different from many other articles including yesterday's Barfoot & Thompson article on this site putting the average Auckland house at $900k

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Their data is only related to the average house price sold by them, not average values of all houses across Auckland.

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Yee ha, I need stronger straps to keep my house from taking off. I now have 84% equity so I can borrow $665K to finance another rental.

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I assume that's sarcastic. No serious investor would ever buy now - not in Auckland anyway.

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So long as there are straps holding the roof to the house. You don't want your roof lifting off and landing on the street like the big storm in 1975.

Rockstar economy achieved.

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TBS
That extra rental could probably accommodate your ego...

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YES!!

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Investors will continue to buy for the intensification that will continue to happen in AKL for years to come.

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Ha ahahah hahah ha ha .....ha ......ha ha ha ......? (music stops)

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Roll on the Tiny Houses...

http://www.knoxnews.com/business/clayton-home-building-group-unveils-ti…

Tiny houses USA style

$40,000 for 400 ish sq feet (36.7 sq metres) is $USD1,000/sq ft

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WAYMAD...Try under $10 us dollars per square foot, bargains are out there, $https://www.tradetested.co.nz/double-garage-6-4m-x-7-2m-widespan-dark-g…
6249 nz For 45 square metres, under $130/metre, do the upgrades, though, might be a bit more,..hey, you got to go the skylight pack, water tank, solar shower, floor slab, gas cooker, long drop loo, backblocks land section, then its my likely my retirement home, or rent the same in Manurewa at $20,000 per year?
https://www.tradetested.co.nz/double-garage-6-4m-x-7-2m-widespan-dark-g…

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Hi Greg, do you know exactly what areas are included in the "Auckland region" referred to in this article?

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30% in 12 months,,
Yippee ky yay other buckets.

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That graph is cool.
From 2011 to now we have seen exponential growth in the house price index..

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Have you not been taking lessons from our dear leader? You dont go back to 2011, you start counting at 2001as whats happening right now is all clearly Labours fault!

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That period is pretty linear, by the looks. What's your point?

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.

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Sales numbers are down in Tauranga July 2016 (138 properties sold) vs July 2015 (215 sold). Prices also slipped 12K from June to July 2016. That's according to the Harcourts flyer that gets emailed to me. Pretty obviously whats driving the markets. Chinese money pouring into Auckland, retiring baby boomers, low interest rates, and savage LVRs.

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It is very sad story. Many people will get excited but actually it is tragedy for future generations and for Auckland. The ignorance of government and lack of actions over last years is just unbelievable (both lending and immigration....)

I removed the letters from my mailbox - 8 out 9 were from real estate companies offering to value and sell my house! GO AWAY and save the trees! I'm not going to sell and buy, or buy and sell...
These people actually forgot that there are other ways of functioning rather than buying and selling houses...

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Dear Jerry - join the club........thought it was just me......the letterbox and the radio too.
Now, I rely on the playback feature to listen to a radio program......'cos like the video recording on TV you can scoot over the adverts, or they are already edited out.
About 9 years ago when people really wanted to live in this particular area, the same scenario occurred and I actually felt harrassed as if 'they' wanted me out, gone.....stopped answering the door even.
Had to give myself a talking-to while it lasted, cranking up the old FU factor.

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Totally agree. An absolute self indulgent feeding frenzy that our kids will have to pay the price for.

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Completely forgotten indeed! Money churning is the order of the day. Production, productivity, long term benefit, solid economic base, are a few of the terms that used to reflect a strong economy. Interest income has become the holy grail of what once were industrialist economies. The financialization of world economies is almost complete, and we are poorer for it!

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Yes do people not realise that extremely high house prices and rents are very bad news. Actually it's slowly killing our business as we can't get staff

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That 30% corrextion is coming - Any moment now (2009)...any moment now(2010)....any moment now(2011)...any moment now (2012)...any moment now (2013)...any moment now(2014)...any moment now (2015)...any moment now (2016)....oh to hell with it! I'll buy a house now. Oops! Too late. Renting for ever. Thanks doomsters.

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Well that's because no one knows when the correction will happen. Are you saying it will never ever happen for infinity and beyond? No one ever again will be able to afford an NZ house?

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What I am saying is think for yourself. If you need a home. Then buy a home. If you don't have money then get money. Job not paying enough? Get a better one. Can't get a better job? Get a better education. Hair line receding? Good! you're a man now. Etc...Stop listening to doomtards!

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Wouldn't it be great if life were that simple. Lots of people are earning as much as they can but are unable to afford a place commutable from their place of work. It's not a case of not working hard enough - it's just not being able to save enough in time. Being rejected from the bank. If it were as simple as you say why are so many people frustrated?

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Your comment boils down to "duh, just get rich!"

The cost of a home is outpacing median income at an alarming rate. Simply demanding that everyone work harder misses the point by a mile.

No matter, we can simply import cashed-up migrants who are wealthier than the avg kiwi and they can buy the homes.

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It's a risk either way, unless you can actually get more money, funnily enough the easiest way to do that seems to be through real estate :) Buy now, or wait for the crash to happen. It would be preferable for most non investors to wait, however investors are always going to trade amongst themselves amist the golden age of profits until doomsday hits.

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Yes you are right - we doomsayers have been predicting a collapse. I lost of bottle of champagne betting it would drop by 10% by July. However, the reality is that it will fall - economics is more powerful than gravity (if you doubt that remember we can send a man to the moon but we cant afford to). Either population growth will reverse in Auckland because skilled workers dont want to live there (think of teachers who are leaving); or prices will stop increasing so that investors get no capital gain and no return on their investment; or prices fall (probably a mix of all three). The longer the bubble continues the bigger the fall. My concerns are for the young couples who have just bought - but no sympathy for the investors. In fact, a fall will help explode the myth that you cant lose in property and therefore move investment to productive parts of the economy.

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ex socialist, you're right it will fall. sometime, maybe we won't be on this earth anymore to see it happen, but you're right, I'll let you be right and focus on making money

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The great divide just got bigger. I'm not sure I can describe the pain I feel reading this. It was only about 6-7 months ago I saw $900,000 as the average price and felt sick. I wondered then if it was sustainable. It seems it is, it seems they'll keep going too.
It's absolutely game-over for someone like me. I'll never have a home, I'll never be able to paint the walls, plant my own garden or have a dog. It sounds stupid but that's it, that's the end. It's heartbreaking.

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Stop being weak and a grow a pair. Plenty of opportunity out there.

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Grow a pear?

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Keep saving and stay positive.

I'm sure many people in the US back in 2004-5 felt as you do now and look at what happened;
http://americanfullhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/May_2011HousePr…

There is no certainty about where Auckland house prices will go (don't let anyone tell you otherwise) but one thing many agree on is that valuations are very stretched at the moment. The higher prices go the more pressure there is on the RBNZ and National to implement change. Loan to income restrictions for example would almost certainly bring prices down and would not be as bad for first home buyers as people make out.

Keep saving and stay positive.

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If owning a house is such a desire, have you considered emigrating?
Have you considered that prices also go down and that in 5 years time you could buy the same thing for 60 or 70% less than now?

Have you considered that not being able to buy (ok, let's say not being able to save enough for a deposit, because buying really is a long term operation when you're renting the money during 30 years) could be a good thing that stopped you from doing something really stupid like buying at the peak of a market?

I get the frustration, but you can keep saving and see how things go. In a market where more than half of the buyers are investors I wouldn't be surprise to see panic selling and prices crashing as soon as the tendency changes.

Don't forget to live, there's more to life than property ownership!

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You willp be pleased you didn't buy in Auckland; but you can get a pleasant three bedroom house in Wellington for $350K

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In a year's time you will be pleased you didn't buy in Auckland; but you can get a pleasant three bedroom house in Wellington for $350K.

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Stop feeling sorry for yourself and save to buy a $300k home (you need to save $60k). There are heaps and heaps of nice houses for $300k where you can plant your garden and enjoy your dog, just not in Auckland or Qtown, look for a location you can afford. (Northland, Taranaki, Rotorua, Canterbury, Otago etc ...

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On repeat. It is not possible for me to leave Auckland. I don't have to disclose my reasons to you but trust me, if I could I would GO.

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Then buy an investment property...oh sorry you can't because we just introduced 40% lvr's...

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How much do you think this will go for?
https://youtu.be/B5hegt3DQk8

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2.3M

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Really? If owning a home is that important to you, get the hell out of Auckland! There's a great big world out there - some of it is even in New Zealand. It's not "heartbreaking" at all. You've just got blinders on. If you tell me that you *must* stay in Auckland, I won't believe it and will conclude that owning a home is truly not your top priority.

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Our Hon PM Mr John Key must be grining as first step of the mission is accomplished so will his asian friends. Next target 1.5 million.

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yeha we're now rich...hang on though, you only get the money if you sell, there's record levels of mortgage debt in NZ placing us in precarious position if prices go down, non home owners from NZ will never be able to afford to buy now, poverty and homelessness are spiralling, family formation is likely to stall, young talent is likely to leave, occupations that are essential like police and school teachers won"t be able to be filled on Auckland. But don't worry, JK has a plan. Just replace the locals with immigrants. Boom they work for lower wages too.

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Part of the issue that no one discusses is that of inheritance. Most people now receive monies from their parents estates in their 50's and sometimes 60's. They themselves have often paid off their own mortgages and are not looking to move. They are often reluctant to invest in the stockmarket so prefer to buy a second property as their pension.
That another factor happening in the market. The baby boomers having had a bonanza on their own properties are then having it off again off the estates of their parents.

Of course there are exceptions to this but helps explains the high level of investors in the market. Some use their inheritance to helo their offspring get on the property ladder.

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So, naysayers, what say you now?

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Gold is the money of kings, silver the money of gentlemen, barter the money of peasants, debt the money of slaves

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MK: That is so so so wrong... If you want to make money you need debt

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wrong , you need knowledge

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What absolute carp

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In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king

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The Reserve Bank are a bunch of idiots whose machinations and market interventions have cocked up this whole market spectacularly , and in so doing perversely helped the non-kiwi buyer corner the market by removing possibly as many as 95 % OF ALL New Zealand buyers from the Auckland market.

You see the LTVR rules are a simple barrier to entry for New Zealanders and these rules do not apply to people borrowing or syndicating in Asia to Invest here .

And I am not talking about " non resident Foreign buyers ' , I am talking about foreigners with residence and work visa's who are simply shifting syndicated money to NZ to buy these properties .

Yes , that's right you dumb @r$#$ sitting in your glass tower at the RBNZ, like the young accountant ( aged 24) who graduated last year , and who has bought a 3 bed unit in Shakespeare Road Milford for $840,000 in cash , which his folks borrowed and syndicated in Hong Kong and sent here for him and his ( student ) brother .
The clever bugger then rents out the 3 rd room to a fellow countryman from HK for $350 pw

Their cost of borrowing is basically close to zero , they pooled family funds in HK and borrowed about $200k from the bank in HK at around 3% ( using a HK property as collateral for the loan)

He proudly told me this way was way cheaper than him and his brother renting " dirty rooms from a Kiwi in Glenfield' , and that the unit was already worth more than $400,000 more in just 24 months

It all boils down to a cultural disconnect between Chinese and Western culture and attitude to savings and investing

Chinese are avid savers , often saving as much as 30% of their wages and are not scared to syndicate their money with family in investments .

We Westerners are just the opposite , we have debt instead of savings , we don't like syndicating with people to invest , we are mistrustful of group investments , and worst of all we have idiomatic sayings about not lending money to family or friends

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Would this not be in the ball park of the Government? At the very least both?

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... yes , agree with you , Mr B. ... the Reverse Bank has screwed up mightily ... they ought to have kept increasing the OCR from 3.5 % up towards 5.0 % , to dampen down lending to housing and to dairy conversions ...

The NZ residential property market is a bug in search of a windscreen ...

... Uncle Ollie has nailed it , when he says that the catalyst for the collapse may not be anything earth shattering or Black Swannishly , it might just be a change in investors sentiment when the price rises slow down , or ( heaven forbid ! ) actually start to fall ..

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I agree with Boatman and yourself GBH, our government has screwed up in their housing policy, and many others, which favors the wealthy, but I don't think it was a mistake. I think this happened by design, not error! Just as it happened in the USA a few years ago, unseating the middle class which ruled for many years, but no longer do!

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Hello GBH......while what you are suggesting on the interest front would have worked pre the GFC and QE I fail to see how the RBNZ could have increased the OCR against the international interest trend of declining interest rates and when inflation as measured is so low? They did try and go against the trend and increase the OCR and all it did was cause predictable problems.

People who are complaining about being priced out of the market are priced out by all the rules, regulation and compliance.......there is a choice to be made.......expensive compliance or affordable houses........ if anyone can build a house and avoid the compliance they will have an affordable house.

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That and the fact there are over a billion people in china and 1.5 million usd millionaires

http://m.scmp.com/news/china/money-wealth/article/1867321/china-be-top-…
I
Large economy with a large amout of wealth so NZ prices are still cheap compared to their major cities.

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Stop comparing Auckland property with any Chinese property. They are different markets and it shows a very unsophisticated investor who compares his home town / country with that in which they are investing when making an investment decision ( many years ago when I visited the Soviet Union I could purchase the entire McDonald's menu for 32 roubles - at the time the tourist rate was 32roubles to 1 USD - for us as visitors it was cheap, to the locals it was expensive. There's always the anecdote about people complaining about prices in London until you realise you have to consider what a local earns).

It is the purchasing power of the locals that ultimately determine the price of a burger or an asset. Investors will not be able to continually sell to themselves using the bigger fool theory - eventually sentiment will change. Look at Vancouver and the high end market which has dropped dramatically and all because of a tax (the market wasn't sustainable - will have to see what happens in the long term)

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I disagree - The market is globalized now. I'm emigrating to Germany in a few weeks. My partner and I are trying to decide whether to buy in Munich or Auckland. The prices in Auckland are very similar to Munich now which is unbelievable considering the comparative difference in productivity and wages but there you go. Also we can borrow in Germany at ~1.5% for 10 years. I'm sure countless others are making similar decisions.

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I think you prove my point - how can the prices be similar with different productivity and wages - either one market is undervalued or the other market is overvalued - take your pick. While people may think the market may be "globalized" - I don't think it is - it is a myth - houses and land can't be shifted from one country to another. It doesn't mean that you can ignore what the local can afford - driving up prices in the belief that there is a bigger fool means you are the fool. You have to look what the local can afford not what a foreign investor thinks the property is worth in their own local market.

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You could be right, but the empirical evidence suggests that prices among western financialised tier 1 cities are equilibrating.

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What does western teir 1 cities have to do with this article which are s talking about new zealand towns and cities?

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Re: globalisation - Just consider that google maps was launched only 11 years ago in Feb 2005. The implications on that one technology on foreigners buying houses in New Zealand is massive. We have no restrictions on foreign buyers at all! the only country in the OECD. The pace of technology change is vastly outstripping peoples ability to comprehend whats happening imho.

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Don't forget the fact that these millionaires can now live in New Zealand, as opposed to where ever it was they lived before, the best place in the world! Win-win, and win situation all around!

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Sustainable while 29%+ properties are bought by foreign students and temp.visa workers.

Sustainable while these students and temp workers spend approx 13bn a year on 13,500 homes purchased. That's 1billion kiwi a month.

Sustainable while these buyers are not CLASSIFIED as foreign buyers yet are in Australia and Canada have woken up and started charging these groups stamp duty. After all they are not nz citizens.

Sustainable while nz has the lowest purchase tax on earth yet Australia and Canada are charging stamp duty on foreign purchasers

Sustainable while investors are buying 46% of the market and there are no loan to income ratios

Sustainable while key talks about the Percentage change in house prices under labour however forgets to mention the absolute change and that prices are up 500k in Auckland under his term. That's the same as every single government before Key got in power

Sustainable while key says foreigners are buying 1% of properties and he still is clueless about whether we can charge stamp duty to chinnese buyers under FTA

Sustainable while household debt is 230billion and growing at 8.8% pa

Very sad state of affairs for all kiwis young and old.

#jkexit

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That has got to be one of the best summaries of the situation that I have read. Well done.

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Cheers pocket aces.... People need to write to the opposition MP'S to wake them up. First party to target foreign buyers and classify them correctly by including students and temp visa workers will do very well out of it. May be the thing that finally kicks key out. Doing nothing hasn't worked for them over the last few elections.

Nz citizens have had enough.... 1million would be great if wages had grown accordingly however they haven't. The average wage since key took over is probably up 25k with house prices in Auckland up 500k. Isn't that crazy.

#jkexit

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#jkexit indeed Joe, lets get rid of unpatriotic money churners, and send them back to the USA, where they belong!

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The egalitarian dream for New Zealand is over. Welcome to our new feudal reality.

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Yippeeee. My son wants his allowance increased and my wife wants another credit card.

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Yes Auckland is ridiculously expensive, so is Qtown. But there are many, many places where you can buy a very nice 3 bdrm house for $300k. If owning a house is really important to you then buy one in Northland or Rotorua or Bay of Plenty or Waikato or Hawkes Bay or Canterbury or Otago or many other places... It's your choice, you will also enjoy nice capital gains as these places have not yet gone up much in value and THEY WILL catch up

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And then what?

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You should enjoy accelerated earnings with the leverage...take the profit in a few years and buy in auckland if that what you want,

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I meant for the next generation of people who at that stage are looking to get a house...

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Yes, I can buy a house in any of those places. In fact many investors have already hit the regions as they flee Auckland driving up prices everywhere.

But, you need to differentiate between a house and a home.

If I move to somewhere else, can I get a meaningful job? can my wife get a meaningful job? Do I have family? Friends? Entertainment? Travel options?etc.....

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Shame so much foreign money is channelled into non productive assets .... existing real estate

Allow them to bring in the money to create jobs in the regions... 50/50 partnerships with nz firms...

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... yes , we need money to be channeled into businesses , into creating value added goods to export , into jobs and innovation in provinces far flung from the bright lights of Auckland ...

The NZ residential housing stock is now valued at $NZ 1 Trillion ; but the combined value of all the companies listed on the NZX is just $NZ 127 Billion .... that says it all , really ...

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I find this issue and its offshoot, homelessness, crime has the capacity to divide NZ as the springbok tour did
those of us that went through that know how ugly NZ became and how families and friends were broken apart.
interesting part is same the party in charge and same apathy to what is happening around them

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There is no real homeless in new Zealand as we have state housing...and what I mean as homeless is cardboard box stuff, not sleeping in a nice garage waiting for a statehouse

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so those living in cars in your mind are just travelers, by the way there are plenty in parks or under bridges. you might want to leave your nice warm house one night and have a look around'

https://bigsleepout.org.nz/leaderboard

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'Sleeping in a nice garage'? You would be fine with that would you? Trying to keep your children warm with limited access to water, toilets etc. You try tell them face to face that they aren't homeless.

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why are they in a garage in the first place? have they applied for state help? are they on a waiting list for state housing, have they asked the government for help to get into emergency housing, remember some people might prefer a garage than government housing...the NZ government houses anybody without a home: http://www.housing.msd.govt.nz/housing-options/emergency-housing.html

government quote:
"What help will you get? If you need help we may be able to refer you to an MSD emergency housing place for up to 12 weeks while you find longer term accommodation. During that time we can work with you and the emergency housing provider to help you plan your move to longer-term housing. When in an MSD emergency housing place you’ll pay no more than 25% of your income for rent. If you’re on a benefit, this amount will be redirected from your payments."

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you shouldn't be sleeping in a car and should have emergency housing supplied by the government? e.g. hotels, hostels, motels etc, that's my understanding

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sharetrader: let me quote the website you copied: "There are more than 100 people sleeping rough in Auckland’s city centre" only 100? and we have a homelessness crisis in Auckland a city of 1.5 million? Team, I am sorry but I can assure you each of those 100 are probably known to police, government agencies etc and are refusing aid due to: alcohol, drugs, mental illness or who knows what, what I can assure you is if they wanted a roof over their head they could get it TODAY...

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That is 100 sleeping rough in Auckland's CITY CENTRE! That is ALL that counts, they probably will be practically all substance abusers of some sort, it does NOT count people in cars in places like Pulman Park Papakura, more than a hop, step and a jump from the city centre, and not the only place this happens. These people include families and working people. It does not include people in garages, please do NOT confuse garages with homes. It does not include people in boarding houses, or caravans or any other manifestations of not homes you can think of. You are deluding only yourself!

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All these people you speak of our entitled to government assistance for state housing are they not?

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With a head so far into the sand, only a little push and it should come out somewhere in Spain

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I feel a little sick reading comments like this. Do you sleep in a 'nice' garage,waiting for a state house? Perhaps you believe that those who go to the foodbank are doing so for a bit of a laugh between gourmet dinners at top restaurants?
Drop your blinkers and look around. It might just shock you out of your narrow view of those less fortunate in life.

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He lives in Germany, with several investment properties in the north island, so looking around won't help much.

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why the personal attacks and why not just speak about the issues, that is what really annoys me about this website is that just because I have a contrarian opinion I am singled out as some elitist fantasist....do you think I would like to sleep my family in a card board box? I have children as well don't you know....however please give me an example of a family of 5 (or a family of young children) in new Zealand sleeping under a bridge....just one example will be good enough?

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Statements that you make about aucklands problems show how removed you are from the real Auckland, do you want pictures of families living in cars, videos names, you don't have to look far try google if you can not see for yourself in person

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You're backtracking already, before you tried to say there was no homeless in NZ, now unless you are a family of 5 that is homeless apparently you either don't count or aren't really homeless.
If you make ridiculous comments about things like this don't be surprised if people get just a little annoyed with you.

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I am not backtracking...there are no REAL homeless in NZ, not like proper New York / London homeless...you know people in card board boxes, can you define what you mean by homeless? I define it as being under a bridge or in an alley, can we have a sensible debate about what homelessness is? not being able to balance your budget to afford a tenancy and being evicted and then staying in emergency housing and then moving into a state house I can not classify as being homeless...because you actually have always had a roof over your head...yes I agree bad things happen to people, a money earner dies or you get a terminal illness and have children, you get laid off etc etc, but give me an example of where the government wont come to your aid? e.g. single mum, with 2 kids living in a card board box does not happen in NZ...

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Oh so it is just YOUR version of homeless that you are going by. Pffft

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Someone sleeping rough I consider homeless, someone in emergency housing waiting for a state home I do not consider homeless

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Do you even know the difference between home and shelter, I doubt it. And YOUR definition of homeless does not change what it is!!!! End. of. story.

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There have been several articles in the NZ Herald recently.

today there's this:-

Hundreds of children homeless
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=150…
"In 2013, there were at least 41,000 homeless New Zealanders, or about one in every 100 New Zealanders."

Sorry if I caused offence, it was just a quick off the cuff comment.

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None of those children are homeless, they all have a roof over their head...thats what emergency housing is for...for me homeless is living in a a cardboard box, we should be proud that new Zealand treats those in need so well like we do

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A "roof" over one's head does not automatically mean a "home". There is a huge difference between a shelter and a home. If you are talking actual homeless, the number is far, far greater than what we are hearing of! In fact, I would consider everyone who rents a property that can be sold out from underneath them at any moment to be pretty much homeless, as well.

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Did you read the article Ace? It said most of the people with out their own homes were families connected to gangs or where a parent has gone to jail, it also states students as the biggest percentage of homeless, in their consideration this was a total of 90 people either living rough of in a mobile home, in both these cases these people are entitled to emergency housing they are homeless by choice

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That explains why he clearly knows nothing about the topic, but feels free to offer an opinion anyway.

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if you see the people sleeping in cars many of them it is their own choice, the government has emergency housing...please bring me one example of a child under 5 sleeping in a cardboard box in New Zealand?

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This will probably get edited off, but I have to say it. Idiot

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Sticks and stones, Ace

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Or calling it as I see it.

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Can I have some of the drugs you are on Keywest, they appear to be pretty strong ones.
You don't get out much do you?

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I don't take drugs, but you will find many people that are homeless are drug users, just seems to go with the territory of doing something that takes away from affording a roof over your head

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Prime candidate for douchebag of the year award.

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why? because I try to articulate to you that there are no TRUE homeless in NZ I am somehow a female cleaning product? if I was to summarize the interest.co.nz comments section it would go something like this: JK sucks# and he gives money to Chinese launderers, because he likes NZ'ers being worse off, lets vote JK OUT #EXIT JK, #goodbye JK EXIT# and his property investor mates#EXIT#

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Textbook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

Newsflash buddy. New Zealand has a homelessness problem. People are suffering. Even working people.

Do you know why people hate John Key? Because his attitude is very similar. Smug denial.

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Ok, so part of my modest little business, is maintaining commercial grounds that includes public car parking. One odd thing i have noticed in the last 24 months, and not before,is the number of bottom end cars that have "A full compliment of bedding and pillows etc stashed inside,and obviously used",circumstantial evidence is, that these car owners are using their cars as their Primary bedroom. And its lots and lots of them. Look around for yourselves.Personally, I have to rent 50 km from my place of work, in a dwelling which is hardly classifiable as legal, or in any way a regular home,and In my fifties, cleaned out by a divorce ,ex got the house at the bottom of market price,and solo father to school age children. .Completely locked out now of ever getting back into a home ownership situation, despite long hours working,and very modest expenditure. Not all feel as smug about the state of housing supply in Auckland. Its better than the "car/bedrooms ",which are everywhere here. Just look inside them, see the bedding sets,they are infront of you, in every public carpark, the ones that are still drivable and have reg +wof. Probably so many more that are just parked up, unseen.

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Very pertinent comment and all the best to you

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yep, its a good site with interesting viewpoints but very heavy on comments from frustrated people repeating over and over or logging on as different people.

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I suggest, if you haven't already, you have a wee read of JimmyH's comment just above

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You don't take drugs keywest, well something is certainly impairing you, it must be something else then.

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Oh My, this home that I paid $500k for in 2001 is now worth over $2.5mil. I can't even afford my own home!!

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Just imagine if you had to buy today? Now just think our young generations to come and what we have allowed our politicians to do, they are elected by the people for the people, all the people, but under MMP they now only are for there core support

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Interesting to see on the news tonight the PM has now said he wants house prices to come down. I expect we will see Loan to Income brought in by the end of the year which will mean a pretty significant decline next year. I think the market has just peaked.

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Perhaps John Key has finally realised that he can't ignore what people are saying.

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Who'd pay a damn bit of attention to anything that lying sack says.

Let's see what he does. Big fat nothing while making insincere distracting noises, no doubt.

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Exactly right, he will talk a lot, but under no circumstances will he actually do anything that makes a difference about it.
The only way for anything to change will be if he is not there anymore.

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"Key wants house prices to come down"....must have come through National's latest political survey.

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Key will make it harder for kiwi's to purchase a house, meanwhile our real estate is still for sale to anyone, anywhere in the world. Up to 5ha, no questions asked.

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repeated.

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John Key will soon be history.

Denied, lied and manipulated everything which was possible being in power but stiĺ no action

http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/pm-wouldnt-mind-auckland-house-prices…

Nowhere to hide Mr PM. Also one will run out of deception. History will remember you as................

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I wish I had the faith in our countrymen you seem to have. They have disappointed me regularly with their selfishness and lack of foresight.

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New Zealand tops world house price increase

Some good comments on there:-

"It's all the west has to offer now. Neoliberalism has made us uncompetitive. There's nothing left to sell except our land and our image."

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426 comments so far, the world is learning the reality about New Zealand.

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Sorry but loan to income will make things even worse if you want to buy a home.
It will give the overseas buyers even more opportunity as they don't borrow the money from NZ banks.
First home buyers will be shut out for ever.
Forget the Auckland market as no value now and living standards are horrible.
Get out of the rat race as there are far better opportunities in the South Island

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First home buyers are already shut out barring a serious price correction. Labour will ban overseas buyers, vote accordingly.

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I think a starting point for any party is to propose a serious sales tax like Canada's for all overseas buyers including these "penniless students" and then take it on from there right up to a ban if necessary.

At least with a sales tax NZ is getting some serious tax revenues to start paying off the govt debt that Key has ratcheted up from $ 10 Bn to $100,000,000,000 during his tenure to cover for his misguided drop in income tax for his wealthy mates.

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Have you ever thought about becoming an x-naga???

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Have you ever thought about becoming an x-naga???

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Not sure what that is.

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did you not watch nick smith this morning he conceded that a FHB can not buy a house in Auckland.
his message get out of Auckland
Auckland housing 'out of control' but no changes needed - Smith
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/auckland-housing-out-of-control-but-n…

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Not the first time he's essentially told working families trying to get established to go eff themselves. How long before he's strung up from a lamppost?

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The French had the right idea...Chop!!

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What makes anyone think that a different prime minister would make a difference? What makes anyone think that the government is here to help? Have you not seen enough over the past 30 years of changes to convince yourself they are following a plan? And that this plan entails a group getting richer, and please note I said richer as opposed to wealthier (because wealthier they are not!), whilst the rest of us bicker and moan, asking for more taxes, on our never ending trek to a diminished lifestyle, even if we can now afford better cars! What's the point in living on a 2.5 million dollar home that one paid 1/2 million for? It's the same house, in the same neighborhood, only now we are paying rates on 2.5 million dollar value instead of the price we paid, or even what the house in really worth. It is time to wake up and get rid of useless money churners and start taking responsibility for our lives without expecting Papa government to help us. They are not here to help us, they're here to help themselves before the solids hit the fan and these Ponzie economies we live under, go under permanently!

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Time to follow Vancouver's lead ....15% tax on the purchase of existing houses or apartments ...only exemption, if it is the PRIME family home (NZ or worldwide of NZ passport/citizens) which will have to be proven on purchase, before signing of sales agreement.

Then "tweak" the mortgage interest tax rebate back to 50% of what it is currently and "grandfather" it out to zero.

My job is done here ...over and out.

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Vancouver sales tax 15% and include penniless foreign students and temp visa workers

New builds are exempt to encourage supply

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