1. Investors are definitely back and taking action in the Hawke’s Bay property market. What’s been the driving force behind this? For an investor, it’s all about whether the numbers stack up. The IRD's kicked it off with changes to the Brightline Test and the interest deductibility rules. Prices have since bottomed out and the Reserve Bank is finally coming to the party, reducing interest rates.

2. Most of us use free online valuations such as OneRoof, QV, or homes.co.nz to get a rough estimate of what our properties are worth. A word of warning though. Did you know real estate agents can log in to certain online valuation websites and add information that may influence those valuations?

3. I recently offered a rental property we are selling to a tenant to buy. I know several other investors who have done this to their good tenants. Why might you want to do this? The obvious reason is that you can save a lot of money on real estate commissions. Your tenant will keep paying the rent right up until they move in so there is also no vacancy period. Finally, if you’ve had good tenants maintaining the property it’s nice to give back-they most likely would have contributed to the capital gain you’ve made. From a tenant’s perspective they know your property and have become part of the local neighbourhood. They can also look to obtain finance while still renting the property. Your tenant also doesn’t have to compete with other buyers and doesn’t have the hassle of open homes and private viewings.

As we enter the festive season Eagle Eye would like to wish all the readers a very Merry Christmas and may all your property aspirations for 2025 come to fruition!

Note: The above comments are for general information purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. We recommend consulting a registered financial advisor when considering your mortgage options.