Absolutely positively a harbour to envy
Aucklanders walking Wellington's waterfront might marvel at its metamorphosis - and lament the lack of change at home.The Lambton harbour edge is a crowd-pleaser, from the northern end of Wellington's CBD and its Frank Kitts Park...

Landlords taking money we need - exporter
A $10-million landlady who complained about tougher tax rules has copped plenty of criticism from Weekend Herald readers - including a scathing attack from a software exporter who lives a couple of houses down her street.Seventy-three-year-old...

Lots of houses, not enough buyers
New Zealand is awash with unsold houses which could take nearly a year to clear.The Institute of Economic Research's principal economist, Shamubeel Eaqub, said Real Estate Institute figures out yesterday showed the market had...

Shortage fuels house price rises
SYDNEY: Australian home prices will keep rising due to a building and land shortage, according to a unit of the Property Council of Australia.About 200,000 homes are needed to make up for shortfalls from past years, in addition...

Property problems: Agents must not misrepresent properties
Each week national law firm Simpson Grierson answers commercial property questions which can be emailed and headed "property problems". This week's question is answered by senior associate Daniel Kelleher and solicitor Kim Wight who...

Tenders for a bite of industrial complex
Tenders are being called for one of Hawkes Bay's biggest industrial complexes, housing well-known names in the food processing and production sector and situated at the hub of the Tomoana industrial precinct in Hastings.The property,...

Lab structure suits food or drug firms
Medical research company Virionyx has consolidated its operation into smaller premises, leaving its licensed and purpose-built medical manufacturing site close to Auckland's international airport for a new occupier with close to $1...

Corner building attracts plenty of attention
Situated on a high-profile corner, a 1731sq m office building at 621 Great South Rd, Manukau, is being offered for sale with lengthy leases in place to a mix of long-established tenants.The building is listed in Bayleys' latest...

Celebrated fire station selling as hot property
The historic and well-known former Ponsonby Fire Station at 1 Williamson Ave, Ponsonby, which has had a number of commercial and residential uses over the years - including originally housing the area's local fire station and council...

Sale of the century for historic hotel
Formerly known as the Devereux boutique hotel, a century-old historic building and 20 self-contained studio units on the same site at 267 Remuera Rd are being marketed for tender either separately or as one complete package.Built...

Around the block: Banking on Huapai
A 169sq m retail unit occupied by the National Bank and located off State Highway 16 between Kumeu and Huapai has sold for $710,000 at a 6.5 per cent yield through Richard White, Bayleys Auckland. The bank has a three-year lease from...

Dust off your dollars for colonial gem
The character building housing the historic Queens Ferry Hotel, which claims to be Auckland's oldest pub, situated at 12 Vulcan Lane in the CBD, is being offered for sale by auction at the end of this month.The building is being...

Private buyers bag commercial assets
Leased-up commercial properties in good locations around Auckland are proving a magnet for private investors and syndicates in a "still tough" market, say directors at CB Richard Ellis, who are marketing four diverse properties in...

House prices steady in February, sales recover
House prices are staying steady across New Zealand, says latest figures from the Real Estate Institute. Sales numbers during February recovered from their lowest level in nearly two decades, but the national median price stayed...

Period-piece restaurant to pay for fort
A historic North Shore Army building with sweeping views over the Hauraki Gulf is to be opened as a restaurant.The Department of Conservation plans to lease a World War II era officers' mess hall - which is empty apart from occasional...

High Court nullifies 'landmark conviction'
Welllington real estate agent Tim Whitehead has won a "discharge without conviction" by appealing to the High Court over his landmark convictions for misleading home buyers.Whitehead complained to the court that legislation passed...

Experts scoff at claims of crisis in rent market
An Auckland property manager is warning of a looming rental housing crisis - but his claim has been rejected by market watchers.Wayne Boberg of property management business Bobergs First National tracks the rental and houses for-sale...

Questions hover over $160m ASB block
The planned $160 million ASB headquarters should be a good deal for its developer and landlord but there are some concerns, an analyst says.Jason Lindsay, research analyst at Credit Suisse, said the $1.8 billion Kiwi Income Property...

Work starts on Bacchus leak problems
Teak Construction is working on the leaky 51-unit Bacchus apartments and retail block on the North Shore.The luxury $6 million Browns Bay block, not far from the waterfront, suffered extensive problems after Multiplex Constructions...

No more ground rent for owners
Land at one of New Zealand's largest high-density housing estates has been converted from leasehold to freehold title.Beaumont Partners, directed by Auckland developer Nigel McKenna, has sold land at the 258-unit Beaumont Quarter...