Winter hits house sales

The latest Real Estate Institute figures show the number of house sales fell from 9061 in May to 7,486 in June but were well up from the 6,147 homes sold in June last year.

The median house price dipped from $188,000 in May to $184,000 in June, but was well up on the $177,000 median price in June last year.

"The total number of homes sold always tends to ease back in the winter months and, after all the excitement in the market so far this year, we view June’s returns as a seasonal adjustment," says institute president Rex Hadley.

The figures show activity fell in all 11 regions in June compared with May, but was up compared with June last year in all regions except in Wellington. The median price rose in June in all but three regions compared with June last year. It fell in Northland and was unchanged in the Nelson/Marlborough and Canterbury/Westland regions.

Compared with May, the median house price fell in eight of the regions but rose in the Manawatu/Wanganui, Canterbury/Westland and Otago regions.

In the key Auckland market, the median house price fell from $266,000 in May to $261,800 in June but was up from $253,000 in June last year. The number of houses sold in Auckland fell from 3,268 in May to 2,657 but that was well up on the 2,077 houses sold in June last year.

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