Well you can tell daylight saving time must be drawing to an end, the mornings are that little bit darker and it is just that little bit harder to get started for the day!!!

Sales activity in the area has been subdued of recent months. Prices seem to be holding but definitely sales are slower and it will be interesting to see how this translates. One of the issues we perhaps have to look at, is the future projections for growth in our region. Some reports are that we will require an additional 17,000 houses over the next 30 years. When you consider that current house numbers are approx. 21,000 this gives some indication of the likely growth going forward. Population growth going forward is expected in excess of 50,000 30 year out; that is permanent population only not adding in visitor numbers. I believe the biggest issue we have to look at is how our infrastructure, roading, schooling, community services etc can cater for this growth.

We continue to see positions being taken in the interest rate space, current specials seem to relate to the 2-year rate with a number of lenders setting 3.99 as a benchmark. If you have fixed interest rates coming due or you are currently sitting on variable rate, give us a call to discuss, there are some great options available form all lenders, some just require some slight arm massaging to meet what is a competitive market.

As always if we can help at all don’t hesitate to contact us.

Cheers

Charlie & Michelle

Proposed changes to KiwiSaver have been designed to redistribute wealth across New Zealand, with the Tax Working Group working on new initiatives to boost savings for low and middle income earners while reducing them for higher income earners. People earning up to $70,000 a year are likely to see benefits under the proposal, most of which will outweigh the extra taxation. Despite these intentions, not everyone is on-board with the proposals, with some critics warning of new complications and unintended consequences. 

Property sales volumes continue to drop across New Zealand, with the housing market downturn leading vendors and investors to take a ‘wait and see’ approach. Sales volumes were very weak in February results, at a time when the market is usually running hot. Auckland is leading the downturn, with New Zealand's biggest real estate market recording its lowest number of sales in any non-January month since 2010. There are many reasons for the current level of caution, including growing uncertainty around Capital Gains Tax reforms, unrealistic price expectations, and a more difficult lending environment.

Plastic is absolutely everywhere, with plastic bottles, bags, and packaging posing a very real threat to marine life and sensitive global ecosystems. Due to its extreme durability, plastic products last for centuries and often end up in landfill or floating around in the ocean. Despite efforts being made to reduce plastics by eliminating single-use plastic bags, there is still so much we can do as individuals to reduce our plastic consumption and become part of the solution rather than the problem. 

The introduction of new technologies has a huge effect on the world, with mechanisation, computerisation, and the Internet changing every aspect of global culture. As forward-thinking humans, we like to make predictions about possible new technologies and how they will shape the world around us. While science fiction books and futurologists have made some very accurate predictions, there are lots of other examples that were way off the mark. From hoverboards and jetpacks through to teleportation and free energy devices, let's take a look at some tech predictions that are unlikely to ever happen.

This article is part two of a two part discussion. What we eat has a huge effect on our personal health and the health of the entire planet. With obesity on the rise across the western world and many people struggling to meet their diet and exercise goals, perhaps there's an easy way to improve our health and well-being. According to a new report published in The Lancet, eating less meat is crucial if we want better environmental outcomes and improved personal health. We have already looked at the environmental angle of this report in part one of this article, now let's analyse this important issue from a health perspective.