Housing Policy
An interesting time for our market today with the announcement of the extension to the current Bright Line rule of 5 years to 10 years. To be fair, most people saw this coming and certainly if you are a true investor and in it for the long term, this certainly isn't going to have a dramatic effect on your current situation.
The First Home Grant cap which most buyers in our area have not been able to use for quite some time now due to the rapid increase in house prices has also been adjusted from $400,000 for our area to now $500,000. I will just add that the Manawatu/Wanganui Median house price for February 2021 was at $545,000 so I will let you do the math's on that one.
What perhaps we didn't see coming was the removal of interest deductibility from investment property mortgages. This certainly won't be sitting nicely with Investors across the country as some Landlords now claim the interest as an expense as this reduces the amount of tax they pay.
What do you think of the housing policy changes released today?
A full run down of all changes and dates of these new legislations can be found here:
www.interest.co.nz...
Spring gardening tips
Dreaming of a garden bursting with colour and fresh produce? Shane Fairbairn, Ryman Healthcare’s Landscape Manager, shares his top tips to make it happen. You’ll be set to create a gorgeous, relaxing space in no time - grab your trowel, and let’s dig in.
Click read more for more information.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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84% Yes
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14.7% No
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1.3% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.