Most people in New Zealand have negligible net assets and less than $10,000 cash in the bank, according to an independent analysis of government data.

Auckland's rate of house sales has fallen to the lowest level since the Global Financial Crisis, real estate agency Barfoot & Thompson says. Sales numbers in April were down by a third compared to the average of the previous three months. There were 664 sales in April, compared to 1110 in March and 944 in April 2016. Often, a drop in sales numbers is a precursor to a fall in prices. But Barfoot & Thompson managing director Peter Thompson said the slowdown had not yet had an impact on prices. "The median sales price at $850,000 for the month was down only $5500 on the average median price for the previous three months," he said. "The same trend was there around the average price, which at $917,079 was down only $25,000 on the average for the previous three months. "While prices have declined from March's all-time record highs, the fall relative to the average for the first quarter of this year is modest, and on a year-on-year basis the median price is up 3.7 per cent and the average price is up 5 per cent." But Thompson said the market had changed. "You have to go back nine years to find an April in which fewer homes were sold. Buyers are being far more selective, are taking their time over committing and are only prepared to pay the market price. "Vendors are not lowering their price expectations significantly but are accepting that to achieve an above-market sales price in the current climate their house has to be special." There were 192 new listings in April. The drop in sales numbers was felt across all price rungs, Thompson said. More than a third of sales were for more than $1 million and 6 per cent under $500,000.

As a homeowner, landlord and previously a tenant (for 20 years) I see two sides of the same coin. As a long-term tenant I always looked for a bargain. Cheap as, big as, nice as, close as - that's the mantra, the way we judge prospective tenancies.

Home ownership is important for Chinese millennials living in New Zealand - but not necessarily for the same reasons as in China.

Every time there is an advance in communication or transport technology, there is invariably comment that this new leap forward is likely to lead to the decentralisation of economic activity and the demise of central business districts.

A new six-house subdivision next to vineyards and prime farmland in the middle of the Wairarapa valley is not what you would expect of a social housing initiative, but it is one that a local hapu feels will work well with its marae.

With house prices surging, building a home has become a more attractive - and for some, a much cheaper - option for getting a foot on the property ladder. Matt Stewart reports.

A new subdivision in Blenheim will soon be underway, and it will help alleviate the region's housing shortage, the council says. Billed as a "high class" development, the Rose Manor subdivision will have 190 sections and will be situated at Old Renwick Rd in Springlands.

The glistening waters of Mangawhai are a big draw for people wanting to leave the rat race behind. Following the Kaipara District Council's botched wastewater scheme, rates went up by 50 per cent for some properties in the seaside town.

Kapiti's mayor has defended a proposed rate increase that tops the Wellington region, by accusing other councils of "eating" their own future. Other mayors, however, say they're quite happy with their lower percentage increases. As of this week, all nine councils in the region have begun consultation on proposed rate increases for the next billing year, starting in July.