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Regional centres suffering: Harcourts

Tuesday 17th of June 2014

The real estate agency has released its statistics for June, which show sales numbers dropping in the regional centres and prices rising. It said this was a sign that the LVR restrictions were affecting entry-level buyers.

Chief executive Hayden Duncan said: “Harcourts has long said LVR restrictions would not have the intended affect in Auckland and Christchurch, two markets driven by low supply of housing and high demand. The provinces have borne the brunt of the restrictions, which have prevented first home buyers from achieving home ownership.”

He said Auckland had enough housing stock to last 3.5 months at the current pace of sales. In Christchurch, it would last 4.6 months. “This highlights how limited the pool of housing is in these two cities, with well-priced properties sold quickly.”

The agency’s northern region, which includes Auckland and Northland, reported 1% more new listings in May compared to the year before and 2.5% more auction and tender listings. There was 25.1% more property on hand in May this year compared to the same time the yerar before, but 6.7% fewer sales. The average price for the region was up 12%, to $696,047.

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