The start of the new year has meant a rent rise for tenants around the country. The latest Trade Me Property Rental Index shows the national median asking rent increased from $420 to $435 between December and January, after very little change through 2015. Head of Trade Me Property Nigel Jeffries said it was expected. "It's a trend we see each year as many landlords look to adjust their rental incomes at the start of the year."

The British-born, Auckland-based CEO of a $4.4 billion Australasian company says New Zealand's tax regime is so far ahead of Australia's that all his new recruits want to move across the ditch. Fletcher Building chief executive Mark Adamson also tipped a bucket on any talk of an Australian infrastructure boom, saying the state of Australian politics has dented his confidence that projects will actually be delivered.

HSBC has launched a 3.95 per cent home loan rate, which it claims is the lowest offered in New Zealand for over 50 years. The new rate applies to the bank's fixed 18-month loan. Like all home loan 'specials', it comes with several strings attached.

Good value housing and a city buzzing with life spurred Dan Ferguson to move from Sydney to Wellington. He is by no means alone. Statistics New Zealand figures show 2301 people migrated to Wellington from Australia in 2015, an increase of 86 per cent from 2012.

Sunny Gisborne has been revealed has the best place in the country for would-be landlords looking for a good return. Industry website realestate.co.nz analysed the returns on residential housing in every region and found Gisborne came tops in January, with a 5.78 per cent return.

A well-known pub and a site soon to be taken over by former Conservative Party leader Colin Craig are among the latest group of new housing areas planned for Auckland. Building Minister Nick Smith and Mayor Len Brown have announced the second to last tranche of Special Housing Areas (SHAs), under the three-year agreement the Government and the council signed to tackle the city's housing shortage.

Prime Minister John Key is warning investors chasing gains in the Auckland housing market they could face a "nasty surprise" as he appeared to tip a cooling of booming price increases.

Million-dollar properties in Hawke's Bay are in hot demand, as interest from national and international buyers strengthens, a real estate agent says. New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty Hawke's Bay managing director Fraser Holland said despite short working days during the holiday period, sales had not slowed.

New Zealand banks are moving quickly to lower mortgage lending rates after the Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut its official interest rates. Fletcher Building has completed the $A150 million sale of Rocla Quarry Products assets to Hanson Construction Materials following clearance from the Australian Competition Commission and the Foreign Investment Review Board.

Building consents for new homes in New Zealand totalled 27,132 last year and construction value is now topping $NZ1 billion ($A914.20 million) a month, the government says.