House prices just 5% below peak and set to rise
Kevans cited the "chronic" shortage of housing supply as the main driver for the rise, offsetting weaker immigration, increased household austerity and higher interest rates.
She said that despite a softening housing market last year, prompted by Government tax changes that prevented investors offsetting their losses against income, signs have emerged recently that the price cycle is turning up.
"Most measures suggest that house prices already have bottomed," she said, citing Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ) figures that showed house prices rose 0.5% in August from a year earlier.
Mortgage approvals have also been increasing, with local banks approving $839 million worth of mortgages in the week to September 2.
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