New Zealand’s property market has been through a brutal reset, but a long downturn does not mean permanent structural collapse. The next property cycle will place greater importance on timing, affordability, cashflow, debt structure, and local market selection.

A negatively geared property requires an owner contribution when its expenses exceed its rental income. However, short-term cashflow does not show the complete investment outcome. Debt reduction, rental growth, inflation, market cycles, and long-term capital growth can also influence its performance.

Accountants play an important role in protecting financial stability, but their advice may focus on short-term risk rather than long-term property cycles. Learn why a property investment accountant may still say no and what investors should consider before making a decision.

The latest average KiwiSaver balance by age data reveals how New Zealanders are tracking towards retirement. Members aged 61 to 65 have an average balance of $77,927, but thousands have saved considerably less. Kevin Lum explains why KiwiSaver can provide a foundation and why another long-term asset may be needed.

LVR restrictions allow banks to make a limited share of residential loans above standard thresholds. However, borrowers may experience these portfolio limits as blanket deposit requirements when banks apply stricter internal policies. Kieran Trass examines the difference and asks who should be accountable for borrower-based credit restrictions.

Moving from a first home to a second property marks a shift from stability to portfolio growth. Staircase explains how lending, equity use, and risk change at each stage of property investment. Understanding the first property vs second property strategy helps investors expand sustainably.

Many investment losses don’t come from the asset itself, but from complex structures investors don’t fully understand. A recent case of a Kiwi investor losing $750,000 is confronting. But it raises an important distinction. The loss did not come from owning residential property directly. It came from investing in something less tangible, less transparent, and less controllable. That difference matters. Because in investing, the danger is rarely the asset class itself. It is t

ON THE MARKET – February 2026 Edition A clearer view of the New Zealand property market as recovery begins to take shape in 2026. NZ Property Market Recovery: Early Signals in 2026 As we begin 2026 the property market feels markedly different than it did over the past couple of years. For most of the last cycle people were asking whether the market had actually hit a bottom. Interest rates were still elevated. Buyers were cautious. Sales were subdued. Listings piled up. Confi