Australian properties – notably Sydney and Melbourne are undergoing a large “correction” right now. It is understandable to have concerns that the same could happen here. 

There is no doubt that property prices are softer at the moment – certainly in Auckland – but the main difference between the largest cities in Australia and ours here is the amount of building that has occurred. In Sydney, especially, there exists a large over-supply of property. In Auckland, the ongoing issue of under-supply remains.

One of the fundamental laws of economics is that where demand outstrips supply there is going to be an increase in price, over time. The simple fact is that, especially in Auckland where the bulk of immigrants settle and internal urban drift occurs, we are not going to have enough houses for the foreseeable future. This has not changed since prices were at their highest. Sentiment has changed and the heat has gone out of the market for the moment, but the fundamentals remain the same – a relative shortage of dwellings coupled with continuing low interest rates should combine to increase prices over time.

The positive for potential purchasers is you might be surprised about how much you can borrow right now. Coupled with a dip in house prices it could add up to a good time to buy. 

Banks measure how much you can borrow based on your total income against total outgoings. This figure is then indexed against the interest rates which are applicable at the time you apply. The lower the interest rates, the more you can borrow – and right now they are at historical lows. 

The other thing to remember is that every bank has different lending criteria. This means that one bank may lend you a lot more that another on the same day, given exactly the same circumstances. The mistake a lot of people make is to assume that if they get turned down for a loan by the bank they've been with for a long time that they cannot get a loan from anyone else. Every bank has different criteria and it does not make much difference to them how long you have been with them if you do not fit their lending rules. 

The key is to make sure that you get an overview of a number of different lenders to ensure that you have the best opportunity to borrow the most, given your individual circumstances. We are specialists in the area and have access to a number of different lender's calculators & criteria and can let you know, in one quick phone conversation, much you can afford to borrow.

Proposed changes to KiwiSaver have been designed to redistribute wealth across New Zealand, with the Tax Working Group working on new initiatives to boost savings for low and middle income earners while reducing them for higher income earners. People earning up to $70,000 a year are likely to see benefits under the proposal, most of which will outweigh the extra taxation. Despite these intentions, not everyone is on-board with the proposals, with some critics warning of new complications and unintended consequences. 

Property sales volumes continue to drop across New Zealand, with the housing market downturn leading vendors and investors to take a ‘wait and see’ approach. Sales volumes were very weak in February results, at a time when the market is usually running hot. Auckland is leading the downturn, with New Zealand's biggest real estate market recording its lowest number of sales in any non-January month since 2010. There are many reasons for the current level of caution, including growing uncertainty around Capital Gains Tax reforms, unrealistic price expectations, and a more difficult lending environment.

Plastic is absolutely everywhere, with plastic bottles, bags, and packaging posing a very real threat to marine life and sensitive global ecosystems. Due to its extreme durability, plastic products last for centuries and often end up in landfill or floating around in the ocean. Despite efforts being made to reduce plastics by eliminating single-use plastic bags, there is still so much we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption and become part of the solution rather than the problem. 

The introduction of new technologies has a huge effect on the world, with mechanisation, computerisation, and the Internet changing every aspect of global culture. As forward-thinking humans, we like to make predictions about possible new technologies and how they will shape the world around us. While science fiction books and futurologists have made some very accurate predictions, there are lots of other examples that were way off the mark. From hoverboards and jetpacks through to teleportation and free energy devices, let's take a look at some tech predictions that are unlikely to ever happen.

This article is part two of a two part discussion. What we eat has a huge effect on our personal health and the health of the entire planet. With obesity on the rise across the western world and many people struggling to meet their diet and exercise goals, perhaps there's an easy way to improve our health and well-being. According to a new report published in The Lancet, eating less meat is crucial if we want better environmental outcomes and improved personal health. We have already looked at the environmental angle of this report in part one of this article, now let's analyse this important issue from a health perspective.