Property

The following is a selection of articles mainly from January 2005 to the present. To explore this topic in more depth and access earlier columns, please use the search box.

Articles

NZ Herald 11 May 2013

Q&As: Does rental property have tax advantages over shares?
- What happens if somebody wrongfully gets KiwiSaver tax credits while living overseas
- Does it work to set up a family trust so your kids can get student allowances?

NZ Herald 4 May 2013

Q&As: Which is riskier, moving to a posher suburb now or waiting?
- Retired man's preference for shares may be riskier than he realizes
- You can't cash in KiwiSaver to buy Mighty River Power shares

NZ Herald 27 April 2013

Q&As: Steer clear of foreign exchange trading
- Pensioner should also steer clear of finance companies offering high interest
- How you can avoid partial assets sales shares in KiwiSaver
- Not saying "I told you so" about investing in gold
- Buying a home still a good idea for couple in late 40s

NZ Herald 20 October 2012

Q&As: Reader's returns in the stratosphere
- Bach reading reveals very long-term data on gold prices
- To buy or not to buy when house prices look bubbly

NZ Herald 6 October 2012

Q&As: Is now a good time to buy a first home?
KiwiSaver versus mortgage repayment trade-off for self-employed and non-employees
2 Q&As about changes to ANZ mortgage conditions

NZ Herald 22 September 2012

Q&As: The hazards of comparing share and property investments
- 4 Q&As on whether we're headed for financial catastrophe
- Who can get the Carer's Benefit, and how much is it?

NZ Herald 4 August 2012

This week we are publishing the second excerpt from a small book Mary Holm has written for the Reserve Bank called "Upside, downside: A guide to risk for savers and investors". It will be given away free to the public in September. This column will tell you how to get a copy then. Today we look at examples of risky investor behaviour. The normal Q&A column will resume next week.

NZ Herald 21 July 2012

Q&As: Repeated property do-ups unlikely to bring tax-free gains
- Are shares really better in the long term than property or bank deposits?
- Reader is confused over KiwiSaver first home subsidy price limits
- Sleepless nights over a charity donation

NZ Herald 12 May 2012

Q&As: NZ gets good value from many NZ Super recipients
- How parents might help their adult children with the two items that cost more now
- Last week's correspondent should leave the country, or change their thinking
- How to calculate KiwiSaver tax credit in your first year in the scheme
- Some KiwiSaver providers help members with tax credit
- A welfare payment by any other name ...

NZ Herald 14 April 2012

Q&As: Should reader buy a NZ house now - while still overseas - or later?
- 3 readers' varying views on student loans
- 2 readers seem to be a bit muddled about the new KiwiSaver tax credit

NZ Herald 24 March 2012

Q&As: Is it better to go for the most expensive house you can, or the cheapest?
- Adult son in sheltered workshop should keep up with KiwiSaver
- Slight risk of holding back on using student loan repayment bonus

NZ Herald 10 March 2012

Q&As: A reader's 10 rules on property investment make good sense
- 3 Q&As on the fairness of wealthier people using student loans
- Was the word "renter" misused in last week's column?
- Research centre is looking into issues about overseas pensions and NZ Super

Syndicated column 3 December 2011 - Columnist is wrong - mortgage repayment is well worth it

Contrarian investing - when you put your money into investments that most people are getting out of - sometimes works well. Such investments are usually cheap. But should we extend that to borrowing when most others are repaying debt?

NZ Herald 29 October 2011

Q&As: Parents hoping to deduct payments to baby for "working" for them are dreaming
Tax dodgers and protesters aren't in the same camp
Couple in sixties should grab the chance to get their own home
Why returns are disappointing on KiwiSaver cash funds

Money column for October 29 2011

NZ Herald 22 October 2011

Q&As: Putting your savings in the kids' names, to reduce taxes, is not a clever idea
Should Christchurch Red Zone dweller buy another home?
Getting by on stone soup
Comparing gold and silver investments with KiwiSaver

NZ Herald 30 July 2011

Q&As: Two questions to ask before trading up to a more expensive house
- A pilot joins the call for annuities for retiring KiwiSavers
- Mercer explains its alternative to conventional annuities
- A KiwiSaver provider gives children a break on fees
- A reader is taken aback over a headline about steady incomes - and I'm taken aback that she cares!

NZ Herald 23 July 2011

Q&As: Calling all KiwiSaver providers: Please let us know if you have plans to offer annuities or similar
- Other payout possibilities for retired KiwiSavers
- Couple who have returned to NZ but still own UK house should sell it, buy here and get on with enjoying life
- Dwindling children's KiwiSaver accounts possible but unlikely

NZ Herald 16 July 2011

Q&As: Retired couple with house in Christchurch's red zone have several options to weigh up
- Three Q&As about KiwiSaver for children and grandchildren
- One adviser firm accepts pay-for-performance fees, at least to some extent

NZ Herald 18 June 2011

Q&As: Why chimpanzee can outdo professional stock pickers
- Reader might be able to beat the market in property investment, but he has little chance in shares
- Which KiwiSaver providers offer index funds?
- Do KiwiSaver changes favour those on high incomes? It depends how you look at it.

NZ Herald 21 May 2011

Q&As: Self-employed probably fare worst in KiwiSaver changes, but scheme still really hard to beat
- Likelihood of more government changes not a good reason to stay out of KiwiSaver
- Abolition of gift tax reduces paper work for family trusts, but doesn't eliminate it
- "Provincial perspective" on changes in house prices over the decades

NZ Herald 14 May 2011

Q&As: Foreclosed property seminar reminds me of investment warning lists
- Government's proposed changes don't affect current KiwiSaver decisions
- Do banks lend more than their total deposits?
- Am I brainwashed, and perpetuating myths about family trusts?
- Fair enough that housing is not cheap here, says American who moved to NZ

NZ Herald 7 May 2011

Q&As: A house looks ridiculously cheap in 1958, but let's put that into perspective
- Retiree hit by inflation acknowledges that it could have been worse
- Too hard to get by in New Zealand? Fix it or leave, but don't whinge
- A family wants out of its family trust, which is complex, expensive and not benefitting anyone

NZ Herald 23 April 2011

Q&As: Why it takes both partners working to afford a house these days
- Buying a house with a co-owner might prove tricky
- Did I muddle pounds and dollars?
- Big lottery winner would have some negotiating power with a bank - but only so much
- Difficulties of borrowing to invest in shares
- Winners of seminar tickets

NZ Herald 16 April 2011

Q&As: You need to compare rental properties and share investments on the same basis
- How does KiwiSaver work for kids, and will the parents "trap" them into something they won't want as adults?
- Should we look at house prices versus household income, rather than individual income, when looking at affordability over time?

NZ Herald 5 March 2011

Q&As: Should couple sell their house, and buy again later?
- The high price of not organising your automatic payments well
- When you should and shouldn't repay your student loan quickly - and future prospects
- 2 Q&As on what happens to KiwiSavers when they retire

NZ Herald 14 August 2010

Q&As: What happens when your employer doesn't forward your KiwiSaver deductions to Inland Revenue
Do I still recommend share investments after the Feltex case?
I shouldn't have said "nobody foresaw the downturn" in the last column
Queensland might be good to retire to, but is it a good place to invest?
A brickbat about BRIC funds

Money column for August 14 2010

NZ Herald 7 August 2010

Q&As: Does it make sense to try to pick where Baby Boomers will retire and buy property there?
How KiwiSaver works if you move from employment to self-employment
Should couple use lump sum to repay a commercial mortgage or for other investment - and how KiwiSaver affects this?
Some alternatives for investing in emerging markets

Syndicated column 17 July 2010 - Getting into gear not always wise

The four most hateful words are said to be, "I told you so." So I'll put this another way: One of my key messages in seminars, books and columns over the years - that borrowing to invest is more dangerous than many people realise - is easier to "sell" these days than a couple of years ago.

NZ Herald 12 June 2010

Q&As: A way for couples on higher incomes to get KiwiSaver first home help
Man with terminal illness can probably withdraw all KiwiSaver money
KiwiSaver contributions holidays more flexible than reader realises
More thoughts on why house prices have outgrown rents
2 readers challenge the use of the term "Mum and Dad investors" - and we seek an alternative

NZ Herald 5 June 2010

Q&As: 3 Q&As on the KiwiSaver help for first home buyers - why it's so good, but also why some people aren't eligible
A possible explanation for house prices outgrowing incomes

NZ Herald 29 May 2010

Q&As: People in their early sixties are mad if they are not in KiwiSaver.
One reader says it's too hard to buy a first home in Auckland, but two others have suggestions on how to do it
The cost of building hasn't risen since the 1970s, but shortage of land has pushed up prices, says a reader.
Follow-up on last week's comment about a job vacancy in Wanganui

NZ Herald 22 May 2010

Q&As: Three Q&As on options for would-be first home buyers struggling to afford a home - go cheaper, and go further away. (Bonus: a job opening in Wanganui)
An angry reader misunderstands where I'm coming from
Two Q&As ponder how building costs and land development costs affect house prices
Further explanation about how PIRs work

NZ Herald 15 May 2010

Q&As: Why house prices must - at some point - come down further
Newly retired person loses out, for a year, on PIE tax
How a rising NZ Super age might affect KiwiSaver
Temporary workers in KiwiSaver at a disadvantage

NZ Herald 8 May 2010

Q&As: Two readers' bright ideas on how to negotiate with real estate agents
Everything you need to know about tax on PIEs, which include almost all KiwiSaver funds

NZ Herald 24 October 2009

Q&As: Are house prices less likely to fall in posher suburbs?
Financial advisers paid by commissions can't do as well as someone who is independent
Two Q&As on why recently issued preference shares are not good investments

NZ Herald 10 October 2009

Q&As: A reader challenges my advice last week about postponing a first home purchase for three years
How to get around the income cap on the KiwiSaver first home subsidy
How to get around the three-year requirement for KiwiSaver first home assistance
Another reader challenges me - on my advice on whether to sell a Mangere Bridge house or a Whangamata house
The merits of coin tossing
Maybe Lotto will make reader's decision easier

Syndicated column 6 October 2009 - Good news goes unheralded

One of the findings in a recent survey caught my eye. Only 12 per cent of New Zealanders surveyed said the value of their financial investments had grown in the previous six months, with 42 per cent saying the value was unchanged and 46 per cent saying it had fallen. The vast majority got it wrong.

NZ Herald 3 October 2009

Q&As: Couple wondering whether to buy a home now or in three years could gain thousands from joining KiwiSaver
You can't get in early on the KiwiSaver first home withdrawal and subsidy

NZ Herald 26 September 2009

Q&As: Is it better to sell a Mangere Bridge property or a Whangamata property?
Reader who switched to riskier fund, and saw immediate loss, wonders if she should switch back
Share markets have performed really well lately
Two letters about KiwiSaver and "total remuneration", in which employees more or less pay their own employer contributions

NZ Herald 19 September 2009

Q&As: Even a reader's accountant seems confused about how gains on share sales are taxed. The law needs to be changed.
Property fan who did badly in the share market broke one of the basic rules of share investing
Did I mislead readers about the advantages of dollar cost averaging?

Syndicated column 25 August 2009 - Secrets of real estate agents

Sorry - this is my third column in a row about real estate commissions. It's just that readers keep responding. Lately it's been agents or former agents, letting us in on their secrets.

NZ Herald 15 August 2009

Q&As: Reader explains why he won't invest in shares
Data suggest New Zealand doesn't actually over-invest in property
New Zealanders' lack of interest in shares hurts more than just individuals
Help is available for horseracing "addict"

NZ Herald 8 August 2009

Q&As: 2 Q&As on whether New Zealanders over-invest in property
Is 50 too old to take out a mortgage?

Syndicated column 28 July - A fairer deal for all on real estate agent commissions

Now - with real estate agents hungry for listings - might be a good time for home sellers to negotiate a new way of paying agents.

This is not about kicking a man when he's down. What I'm proposing shouldn't leave an honest agent worse off. In fact, if she or he is good at their job, it will leave them much better off.

NZ Herald April 18 2009

Q&As: The pluses and minuses of the government's new student loan repayment bonus.
2 Q&As on the woes - and possibilities - for first home buyers.

Syndicated column March 24 2009 - You can indeed go wrong with bricks and mortar

I first heard people saying, "You can't go wrong with bricks and mortar" years ago, when I lived in the US. I bet the saying isn't quite as common there these days, now that millions of people have, indeed, lost huge amounts because of property.

Yet we still hear that untrue "truism" in New Zealand. And in the last few weeks, as some people are trying to convince us that the house price slump is over, it keeps popping up.

NZ Herald November 8 2008

Q&As: PIES have many more pros than cons, with tax breaks and, in some cases, a government guarantee
Single parent with three rentals might want to sell one - but not for the reason she suggests
Plus: readers' views on KiwiSaver

NZ Herald October 25 2008

Q&As: Does KiwiSaver allow for earlier withdrawal for someone with Down syndrome?
Would having savings in KiwiSaver affect entitlement to benefits?
Does it make sense to look at productive and non-productive KiwiSavers?
Some property investors stand to gain from the current climate.
Plus: Readers' comments on KiwiSaver

NZ Herald September 27 2008

Q&As: Why KiwiSaver mortgage diversion is such a good idea.
Should the government intervene to stop house prices from falling?

NZ Herald April 5 2008

Q&As: The best KiwiSaver fund for a 23-year-old depends on her house-buying plans.
Angry Blue Chip investor muddles my opinion with a reader's opinion.
A reader suggests why online tax payments sometimes go wrong.

NZ Herald March 29 2008

Q&As: Do Blue Chip, finance company and other investment victims deserve what's happened?
2 Q&As on "nicer" ways to invest than rental property.
Electronic tax payment problems not common.

NZ Herald February 23 2008

Q&As: A middle-of-nowhere section might not be the best choice for a 25-year-old's savings while he studies.
Have delays in processing KiwiSaver contributions hurt savers in the recent tumultuous markets?
How to top up your KiwiSaver contributions so you get the full tax credit.

NZ Herald December 8 2007

Q&As: Why 20 shares are much better than two.
Reader claims diversification is not a great idea. I disagree.
Is land a lower risk investment than a share fund?

Syndicated column November 13 2007: Preparing for a possible property price plunge

The volume of house sales is slowing. Houses are taking longer to sell. And some apartment prices are falling. What if house prices are next to fall?

NZ Herald November 10 2007

Q&As: Is now a good time for a 36-year-old to buy a house? And if so, should it be a bigger house, so she can take in tenants?
Four Q&As on how KiwiSaver works - or doesn't work - for those living overseas or planning to live overseas.

NZ Herald May 26 2007

Q&As: The inter-generation battle rages on in six Q&As, and we also get several readers' ideas on how Gen Xers can cope with high house prices.
Succinct advice from a reader's Dad who suffered in the Depression.

NZ Herald May 12 2007

Q&As: Three readers defend baby boomers and suggest how today's young could afford to buy homes.
A Generation Xer speaks up for her generation.
A reader worries that apartments may lose value.

NZ Herald May 5 2007

Q&As: Auckland houses may be unaffordable, but apartments aren't.
One man is happy with is inexpensive home.
Homeowner feels anything but smug about being in the housing market.
War is declared between the baby boomers and the younger generation.
Last time New Zealand tried to control rents, it was disastrous.

NZ Herald April 28 2007

Q&As: Would-be homeowners may need to lower their standards a bit - with some help from Monty Python.
Inflation hits property at least as much as share funds.
Californian astounded by our "real estate mania".

NZ Herald April 7 2007

Q&As: Rent control would do more harm than good.
The cost of staying out of the housing market.
Reader insists it's worthwhile to try to time foreign exchange movements. It's all his!

Syndicated column April 17 2007: Obsessed with property? Not us

New Zealanders are not as property mad - or as mortgage mad - as we've been led to believe, recent research shows.

NZ Herald April 14 2007

Q&As: A tax on house sales, to subsidise first home owners, is a lovely idea that wouldn't work.
Renting and saving elsewhere can leave you better off than home ownership.
Semi-retired couple who sold their home and rent are probably doing fine.

NZ Herald March 31 2007

Q&As: Have you got what it takes to borrow to invest in a share fund?
How frequent traders in international shares will be taxed under the new rules.
How Inland Revenue might catch property traders.

NZ Herald March 17 2007

Q&As: Landlords, beware! Changes being considered in rental property taxation.
Reader feels unfairly punished by Reserve Bank's interest rate hike.
The word "secured" in a debenture ad is hardly a warning sign. The company is just following the law.

NZ Herald February 10 2007

Q&As: The warning signs in investment ads
Should we adjust investment returns to allow for inflation?
How best to assess long-term returns on shares and property
How to tell if an Australian company qualifies for the tax exemption

NZ Herald December 9 2006

Money column for December 9, 2006

Win a ticket to a seminar
Q&As: Should retired couple invest in a commercial property? Why take on that risk?
Can we predict NZ dollar movements?
When is it best to change money from US to NZ currency.
A US website that evaluates international charities.
Yet another charity offers a Christmas gift programme.

NZ Herald November 4 2006

Q&As: Two on why many rental property investors should pay tax on their gains when they sell. It's the law!
How to teach teens about budgeting.
Allowing for tax when calculating returns on term deposits.

NZ Herald October 28 2006

Q&As: A reader finds a flaw in my "avoid the rear-view mirror" argument. Or does he?

Would NZ's tax revenue actually increase if we all invested offshore?
Inland Revenue says it can't fix everything at once.

Syndicated column October 10 2006: Moving money across the globe is a risky tactic

The situation of a reader may not seem relevant to many others. But there are lessons here for practically everyone.

NZ Herald March 18 2006

Q&As: Man panicked and bailed out of share fund. No!
Real Estate Institute denies that it's hard to buy a house in NZ.

NZ Herald February 25 2006

Q&As: Is compounding interest over-rated?
Credit cards v eftpos.
How long is long-term? Returns on different assets.

NZ Herald February 4 2006

Q&As: Man who has made $3 million from shares.
How much risk for a 53-year-old?
How good is advice from banks?

NZ Herald January 28 2006

Q&As: 27-year-old overseas doesn't need more than 4 rentals in NZ.
Should more conservative 26-year-old get revolving credit mortgage?

Syndicated column January 17 2006: Readers rally to back houses

It always happens. Whenever I write about investing in houses and shares in the same column, people say I'm unfairly negative about houses.

In my final column last year, I wrote that the rise in house prices over the previous year was slower than the rise in: New Zealand shares, hedged overseas shares and unhedged overseas shares, all including dividends. That surprised me, and I thought it might surprise you.

NZ Herald January 14 2006

Q&As: Should man, 53, go with bank and seminar rental recommendation?
Young couple ponder buying share of family farm.
should Mary answer all readers' letters?

NZ Herald November 19 2005

Q&As: How well do share funds perform?
Comparison of investment performances.

NZ Herald November 12 2005

Q&As: The pros and cons of self employment and income splitting.
Comparing shares with property is tricky.
How movements in the dollar affect investment in international share funds.

NZ Herald September 10 2005

Q&As: How to go about investing your student loan.
How to find rating information on finance companies.

Syndicated column August 23 2005: Is it dumb to diversify shares or property?

Diversification is not all it's cracked up to be, according to a man who read my last column, which praised the spreading-your-risk idea.

"Bill Gates didn't diverse much, and it didn't do him much harm," he writes. "The fact remains that the richest people on the planet have become that way because they haven't diversified.

Syndicated column August 9 2005: One bad apple - New Zealanders are bad at diversifying

Most New Zealand shareholders are frighteningly undiversified. About 24 per cent of share investors own shares in just one company, and another 36 per cent hold shares in two to five companies, according to recent research by the stock exchange, NZX, and sharebrokers ABN AMRO Craigs.

Why does it matter? Two reasons:

NZ Herald June 18 2005

Q&As: When does tax on capital gains apply to share investors?
When can share investors deduct newspapers and investment reports?
Are shops allowed to charge more if you use a Visa card?
The role of luck in house price rises.

NZ Herald June 4 2005

Q&As: 2 on renting v home ownership - including the psychology of the choice.
The professor who set last week's question gives me a grade, and notes that house prices have fallen lots elsewhere.

NZ Herald May 28 2005

Q&A: Is home ownership always good?

Syndicated column April 19 2006: The inherent differences between property and share investments

There's a fundamental difference between investing in shares and property, a reader says in an email.

"With a stock there is always the risk of bankruptcy of the entity you invest in, and the investment you make becoming worthless," he writes.

NZ Herald April 2 2005

Q&As: Different banks' policies on early repayment of fixed mortgages.
The man in last week's Q&A could stick with properties.

NZ Herald March 26 2005

Q&As: Man in mid 50s can afford to drop out - but what about emotionally?
Is reader silly to stick with renting?

NZ Herald January 22 2005

Q&As: Man with many rental properties does it the right way.
Why do economists bother to make foreign exchange forecasts that are often wrong?

Holm Truths autumn 03

Emotions and investing: The way we feel affects our investing in ways we are not aware of

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Term deposits v corporate bonds

Holm Truths summer 02-03

Lessons from past mislead: Investing in what did well last year, or selling what did badly, usually does more harm than good

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Low v high insurance excesses

Holm Truths winter 01

Free lunch a rewarding spread: It's wise to spread your investment money around

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Shares v share funds

Holm Truths autumn 01

Terms of enrichment: How long you want to tie up your money affects what you invest in.

Also in this issue: Great Debate - Shares v rental property