Lesley Harris
First Home buyers club on property price cap changes
The new budget is changing the rules for property price caps on two schemes to encourage first home buyers to invest.
This comes as the boom in housing prices is wrapping up with experts predicting a… Audio
Finance hard to get, but lower house prices beacon of hope for first home buyers - advocate
House prices continue to fall nationwide as interest rates climb.
The average home decreased in value by 2.2 percent over the past three months, according to the latest QV House Price Index - but the… Audio
First home buyers unconvinced housing price growth will slow
With average house prices across New Zealand now exceeding one million dollars, pulling together a deposit and then servicing a mortgage underscores how challenging the market is, an expert in the… Audio
Delays for overhaul of First Home Grants
The planned overhaul of First Home Grants has been put off until next year.
The number of grants approved this year is on track to be the lowest since the scheme began seven years ago, despite a caps… Audio
Is the housing market tipping? First home buyers doubtful
The average nationwide property price has tipped over $1 million dollars.
Despite that, some property analysts say the latest house price figures and number of properties for sale suggest the… Audio
Increasing building costs another blow to first home buyers
The government's first home buyer grant for new houses is being squeezed by the rising cost of building materials. The cost of bricks, timber and steel is steadily rising, with price increases of up… Audio
First Home Buyers Club spokesperson on First Home Grants
It might soon be harder to get a mortgage, as the government has given the Reserve Bank approval to tighten loan-to-value ratios and move to bring in debt-to-income ratios.
The Finance Minister Grant… Audio
Caps for grants 'completely unrealistic' - First home buyers
A first home buyers group says the price caps for the first home grant scheme are completely unrealistic in today's market.
It was introduced by National in 2014 to help first home buyer raise a… Audio
First homes getting further out of reach - QV figures
It's getting even harder to get on the property ladder. The latest QV Quartile Index shows in the main centres, the five biggest price increases in the last 12 months all occurred at the lower end of… Audio
Government announcement needs to focus on home financing, not just investors - First Home Buyers Club
Lesley Harris from the First Home Buyers Club hopes today's announcement will include financing help for first home buyers.
However, she says this is a complex issue, with no easy fixes.
She spoke… Audio
Housing plan fails first home buyers
The Green Party is calling for action on the overheated property market.
Their four-point plan includes ensuring that those buying an extra property put down a deposit, and an indefinite extension on… Audio
KiwiBuild in danger of becoming worthless - mortgage advisor
A senior mortgage advisor is warning that the government's flagship Kiwibuild project is in danger of becoming worthless. There's now more uncertainty about the programme after the Housing Minister… Audio
Banks declining first-home buyers over debts
The hopes and dreams of some wannabe first-home buyers applying for mortgages are being dashed because of credit card debt and personal loans. Advice website The First Home Buyers club surveyed almost… Audio
Are SHAs helping first home buyers?
First Home Buyers spokesperson Lesley Harris joins Checkpoint to discuss the impact SHAs had had on people hoping to buy their first homes. Video, Audio