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Starting on the 1st July 2024, new DTI rules will come into effect in New Zealand, and just like with any new banking regulation they'll bring with them big changes for different parts of the housing market. So here's how DTIs could impact you.

Ask the RBNZ, and it'll tell you it's putting DTIs in place to address concerns around affordability, and keep our financial system nice and stable. But Squirrel founder, JB, reckons the new rules are a ruse for the RBNZ to meddle where it shouldn't be - in wider housing policy.

Between an OCR announcement, Budget 2024, and a bunch of other changes, it's been a huge month in New Zealand's property market. Squirrel founder, JB, explains what's been happening — and what it means for Kiwi homeowners - in his latest property market update.

It's official. Kāinga Ora's First Home Grant scheme has got the cut, in favour of dedicating more funds to social housing. So what does the move mean for first home buyers?

It's tough going out there at the moment, and we're all feeling it in one way or another. The housing market is subdued, and NZ economic data is painting a pretty bleak picture. So the question on everyone's minds is: when will interest rates start to fall again?

New Zealand economic data has painted a pretty sorry picture in recent months. But bad news for the economy will eventually be good news for Kiwi mortgage borrowers when it comes to the future of interest rates.

The Reserve Bank recently asked for feedback on a new set of lending restrictions - DTIs - it's looking to introduce later this year. Here's what the team at Squirrel had to say as part of our submission.

Over the life of your mortgage, you'll fork out at tens - probably hundreds - of thousands in interest payments. But there are tricks to help you get your home loan paid off faster, and save a packet.

The Reserve Bank is giving nothing away ahead of its first Official Cash Rate announcement of the year, in late February, but the market is increasingly anticipating rate falls to start sometime this year.

"Buy anything and wait" has been all the strategy you needed to make money in property over the last few decades. But as the world enters an extended period of low growth, doing well as a property investor will require a more active approach.

Until recently, falling interest rates meant that no matter what you were investing in you almost couldn't go wrong... Asset prices across the board just kept going up. But those lucrative days are behind us.

This article is a cautionary tale for anyone feeling tempted by the recent fall in long-term mortgage rates: fixing long-term can come with some wicked hidden costs.