Why we need a universal basic income
The country’s beneficiary system could be scrapped if everyone was given enough money to live on by the government. That’s the pitch of Lowell Manning, president of Basic Income NZ.
New Zealand real estate hits the wall
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Real estate prices in new Zealand are dropping, sales turnover has dived, interest rates are going up and discretionary spending is down.
Auckland property prices stumble
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Real estate prices in Auckland have been stagnant since the start of the year says ASB economist Kim Mundy. She writes this week that prices in the SuperCity have “stopped …
Auckland prices slip
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The number of apartments listed for sale in June was almost double that of May, says Vanessa Taylor of RealEstate.co.nz. In June, 800 apartments were listed on its website compared to 453 in May.
Thousands of vacant homes in Auckland
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According to Stats NZ there were more than 33,000 empty homes across Auckland in 2013. Conservatively, these properties could house more than 60,000 people.
Contact Form 7 finder
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If you use Contact Form 7 and have a few contact forms spread across your WordPress site in Posts and Pages then you have probably had trouble knowing which form to correct – I know I have.
Auckland property prices hit soft spot
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Sales are down across the country by almost 15 per cent compared to this time last year, demonstrating Auckland’s cooling property market is spreading, says Chris Kennedy, CEO of Harcourts.
Roger Moore – Goodbye Mr Bond
Roger Moore has entertained me since I was a child and being a Bond fan anyway, I was as pleased as punch to see him take on the role. he was a gentleman, a top chap, and an all-round nice guy.
Let’s have a pity party for Trump
Sad Trump is being picked on Trump says no politician in history has been treated more unfairly than him. How about Nelson Mandela? Mandela was a member of the African …
Why move your site to a secure hosting plan
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If you are serious about security when it comes to your website then it is time to move your site to a secure hosting plan and obtain the prefix httpS:// for your domain URL.
Going hyperlocal really works for radio
If you want advertisers to help support your internet radio station then they will likely be the shops and businesses down the street, not across the water, or even in the next town.
Property Podcast 82
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Due to my host being hacked dozens of previous podcast posts have been lost. But here is the most recent one I can lay my hands on from March 2017. …
Why the Electro Voice RE 27D is a brilliant microphone
The first thing I noticed as I spoke was that the RE-27 gently enhanced the lower tones of my voice while delivering a crisp top end – the middle was full of beef.
How to record great video
The lower prices of everything digital means almost anyone can own an HD video camera. That’s great news, because videoing stuff can be great fun. However, some camera owners confuse technical standards with their ability to record good, clean, usable footage that is suitable for public consumption.
Dreaming of my 1973 Opel Manta
My new car was a million miles away from the one it replaced. Chalk and cheese you might say. A sports car, metallic blue, two doors, 1.9ltr engine and it …
How to improve your home’s street appeal
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With summer fast approaching and the real estate market heating up, Diana Clement has some great ideas on how sellers can smarten up their home’s street appeal.
Youi insurance pinged by Commerce Commission
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Business and personal finance reporter Diana Clement was stung by insurance company Youi when the firm took more than $500 from her account after she asked for an insurance quote.
Why a ‘tiny home’ may be right for you
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This week I chat with journalist Diana Clement about the developing trend of tiny homes. Properties that are just large enough to live in, are cheap to build, easy to maintain and efficient to run.
Homeowners too casual about hiring builders without a written contract
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New Zealand homeowners are too laid back when it comes to written contracts for building work and assume being licensed means builders have a higher standard of training, skills and experience than is currently required under the Licensed Building Practitioner scheme.
More homes in Auckland means more road congestion
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While there has been talk of congestion charging for Auckland’s motorists, it seems the idea will not see the light of day for a 10 years, having been put on …
Market cools and questions over contaminated building sites
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There’s a chill in the air The housing market is expected to cool in the coming months, according to CoreLogic’s Jonno Ingerson — but the chill won’t last. He predicts …
Low mortgage rates may be coming to an end sooner than you think
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A former member of the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee is questioning wide-spread expectations that interest rates will remain low.
Fukushima radiation disaster in Japan
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Anti-nuclear campaigner Harvey wasserman talks to Steve Hart about the Fukushima nuclear powerplant disaster. The interview was recorded in March 2014.
The world of home lending is upside down
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The mortgage world is in topsy-turvy territory. It used to be that fixed rate deals cost more than the floating rate (borrowers would pay more for the certainty of knowing …
One third of Aucklanders looking to leave city
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A third of Aucklanders have considered leaving the city to live elsewhere, according to a survey carried out for The Spinoff and Jennings Murphy by SSI.
Smart meters – still waiting for the benefit
I think it was 2012 that I received a letter from my electricity provider telling me the ‘good news’ that I was to have a smart meter fitted to my …
Interest rate race to the bottom
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As the Reserve Bank races to the bottom by cutting the official cash rate – now at 2 per cent and likely to drop to 1.5 per cent by the year end – I am starting to wonder if this is the best course of action for the country and society.
Imprisoning immigrants is big business
According to the makers if this 30-minute documentary, the detention of migrants has become a multi-billion dollar industry in which “immigrants are sold to the highest bidder and traded like …
Historic rate cut and home buyers hit by LVR rules
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There were no surprises when Graeme Wheeler, Governor of the Reserve Bank, cut the official cash rate to 2 per cent — yet another historic low for New Zealand.
Limits raised for home-buyer grants
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Prime Minister John Key regularly says that throwing money at problems is not the solution.
Yet at least one of his ministers appears to think differently. Nick Smith who has yet to answer my email seeking assurances to the quality of steel being used in residential properties, has been flashing the cash big time by upping the ante on the HomeStart scheme.