2020 16th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey

Media Release

Demographia In The News

Hugh Pavletich In The News

 

Access New Zealand IPSOS Issues Monitors

 

 

Rising regions make NZ's housing market less affordable … Catherine Harris … Stuff NZ

 

All sectors of New Zealand housing market 'severely' unaffordable: survey … Eleanor Ainge Roy … The Guardian

 

A Look at Demographia's Latest Housing Affordability Survey … Hites Ahir … Global Housing Watch Newsletter / IMF

 

Demographia: Australian housing among world's most unaffordable … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

New survey ranks NZ's most and least affordable cities … Anne Gibson … NZ Herald

 

Tired of the traffic hassles and back-to-work blues? Thought of moving to Christchurch to get a better life and lifestyle? That city turns out to be by far our most affordable when incomes are compared to house prices.

Down south, the house prices are low but the incomes are high and out of eight areas just surveyed throughout New Zealand, Christchurch house-buyers have by far the best deal financially. …

… read more via hyperlink above …

New Zealand's biggest social scandal - Dr Oliver Hartwich, Executive Director, New Zealand Initiative

 

Ipsos NZ Issues Monitor November 2019

 

Eric Yuan, Founder and CEO of Zoom … Interview … YouTube

 

Zoom CEO's Wealth Jumps $6.6 Billion After Sales Crush Estimates … Sophie Alexander and Nico Grant … Yahoo Finance

 

Eric Yuan - Wikipedia

 

One In Four Workers Say They Are Working Entirely From Home: Gallup … Zerohedge

…How have our lives changed this past 50 / 75 years due to Malcom McLeans creation of the modern container industry ?…

Malcom McLean creates the modern container industry … VIDEO … The New York Times

 

How Judith Collins (NZ National Party Housing Spokesperson) has more in common with her arch nemesis, Phil Twyford, than one might be led to believe … Jenee Tibshraeny VIDEO INTERVIEW … Interest Co NZ

 

Whakatane teacher feeling impact of housing unaffordability 'threat to middle class' … Susan Edmunds … Stuff New Zealand

 

Kiwi homes pass $1.2 trillion in value, Core Logic says … Rob Stock … Stuff New Zealand

2 Historical Reminders…

NEW ZEALAND INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING AND FINANCING ACT 2020

…Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford explains . essential viewing…

. in 2 1/2 minutes on Facebook . . 1st Reading . . 2nd Reading .

RMA to be scrapped, Environment Minister explains new three-law plan ... Stuff NZ

 

Grant Robertson (NZ's Dep PM, Finance & Infrastructure Minister) promises 'bold' housing policy to take heat out of market ... Jo Moir ... Newsroom

 

Councils to have less reason to say 'no' to new housing … COMMENT Dr Eric Crampton … Newsroom

…A leading legal firm explains…

Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act 2020 implemented with Simpson Grierson's help … NZ Lawyer

 

The Act represents a "significant milestone" for infrastructure funding in New Zealand, the firm says

By Jacqueline So
15 Aug 2020

The government has implemented the Infrastructure Funding and Financing (IFF) Act 2020 with Simpson Grierson's help.

The firm said that the Act is "designed to support a new special purpose vehicle funding and financing model for the provision of bulk infrastructure for housing and urban development."

"It is expected to enable a number of viable bulk infrastructure projects to proceed that would otherwise be delayed by the financing and funding constraints impacting many local authorities across the country," the firm said.

Simpson Grierson said that the legislation's implementation is a "significant milestone" for infrastructure funding in New Zealand.

"The IFF model will add another tool to the funding and financing toolkits available to many local authorities," said Josh Cairns, the firm's lead partner in working on the transaction.

Cairns said that the project has become especially important, with local authority funding and financing headroom constantly being under the pump. The economic blow dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic has also amped up the pressure in many cases.

"Ultimately, the model should help local authorities to facilitate development and keep up with demand for housing, access, and services," he said.

Simpson Grierson's infrastructure team was chosen to collaborate with the Treasury and the Department of Internal Affairs on the Act in late 2018, and has been assisting in the development of the IFF program. The team will continue to provide advice on the IFF model's implementation.

Fellow partners Jonathan Salter and Simon Vannini; special counsel David Cochrane; and senior associates Mace Gorringe, Graeme Palmer and Lizzy Wiessing remain part of Cairns's team.

National Party pledges consolidation of several existing entities into a national infrastructure "bank" to provide finance and advice for central and local government infrastructure projects … Gareth Vaughan … Interest Co NZ

National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020 (NPS-UD) … NZ Ministry of Housing & Urban Development

 

Urban Development Act 2020 … New Zealand Government

 

MAJOR CHANGES UNDERFOOT AS THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ACT COMES INTO FORCE … COONEY LEES MORGAN … LAWYERS

 

(The Randerson Report) Resource Management System (New Zealands Planning Law): A comprehensive review … NZ Ministry for the Environment

NEW ZEALAND . WORKING FROM HOME TRENDS…

New Zealand PC Market Grows Nearly 40% Due To Work From Home Demand … Scoop NZ News

 

Working from home here to stay after 4 in 10 Kiwis did it during Covid lockdown … Stuff NZ

 

The Conversation: Have we just stumbled on the biggest productivity increase of the century? … New Zealand Herald

UNITED STATES . Nationally new lots (sections) median price $49,500 .. National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports…

Lot Values Hit Record Highs (U.S 50,000 median price per serviced Lot) … Natalia Sineavskaia … U.S National Association of Home Builders

 

Why are New Zealand houses so expensive ? … VIDEO Charlie Gates … Stuff NZ

 

Cantral Bank of Ireland - Mortgage Measures

…What do the Irish know, that the Kiwis and Aussies have yet to learn ?…

Structural Definition of an Affordable Housing Market - Performance Urban Planning

 

Federal 'Fair Housing' Policy Set for a Major Overhaul … Christian Britschgi … Reason

 

Nationalising rail networks is the 'only option' as deals stall (passenger numbers plunge 70%) … Oliver Gill … UK Telegraph (behind paywall)e

 

Rental market 'flooded' with former Airbnb properties … Susan Edmunds … Stuff NZ

 

Coronavirus: Poll shows Kiwis back harsh measures but are extremely worried about virus … Henry Cooke and Luke Malpass … Stuff NZ

 

Here's what you need to know before you consider a mortgage holiday … Susan Edmunds … Stuff NZ

 

Complicated Mathematical Models Are Not Substitutes for Common Sense … Philippe Lemoine … National Review

 

Government Salaries Explorer - The Texas Tribune

 

'Bloated salaries' at Christchurch council where 1 in 4 earn over $100k … Dominic Harris … The Press / Stuff NZ

 

OPINION … Christchurch rates: Just a little bit more? No, enough already. Stop it. … Mike Yardley … The Press / Stuff NZ

 

List of countries GDP (PPP) per capita … Wikipedia

 

Here's the typical home price in every (United States) state - and what you can actually get for that money … Business Insider Australia

Coronavirus: Selwyn considers rates freeze amid efforts to reduce Covid-19 fallout … Dominic Harris … The Christchurch Press / Stuff NZ

 

Average rents increased by more than 10% in many parts of the country in the year to March but growth was much more subdued in Auckland and Christchurch … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

Thousands of Kiwis stop loan repayments as the financial impact of COVID-19 hits … Newshub News at 6

 

Coronavirus: Cabinet approves new legislation to fast-track resource consents and boost economy as it emerges from lockdown … John Anthony … Stuff NZ

 

Dire warnings that property development will shrink without Govt help … Marta Steeman … Stuff NZ

 

Coding that led to lockdown was 'totally unreliable' and a 'buggy mess', say experts … UK Telegraph

 

OPINION Economic vandalism destroys important legacy … Danien Grant … Stuff NZ

 

New Reserve Bank figures show that household debt to income ratios continued to blow out right up till the lockdown - and first home buyers were in the frontline … David Hargreaves … Interest Co NZ

 

U.S. homebuilder confidence rises in May … Reuters / Yahoo Finance

 

Young People Are Rushing To Leave Big Cities In Favor Of "Less Infected" Suburbia … Zerohedge

 

First home buyers in Christchurch keen despite Covid-19 economic downturn … Liz McDonald … The Press / Stuff NZ

 

Nobel Prize Winner: Lockdowns Are "A Huge Mistake" … Zerohedge

 

Neil Ferguson's Imperial model could be the most devastating software mistake of all time … UK Telegraph

 

Karl Friston: up to 80% not even susceptible to Covid-19 … Lockdown TV

 

HIGHEST SALARIES FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPER REMOTE WORK (METRO AREAS) … WENDELL COX … NEW GEOGRAPHY

 

Learning from Levittow … Ross Elliott … The Pulse

 

How Taiwan was coronavirus-ready while the U.S. got caught with its "pants down" … CBS

 

Mike Hosking: Government is spinning bollocks over border blunder … NewstalkZB

 

Pandemic-Weary New Yorkers Spark Housing Boom In Suburban New Jersey … Zerohedge

 

The Coming Urban Exodus … Daniel Henninger … Wall Street Journal

 

Even before coronavirus, census shows U.S. cities' growth was stagnating … William Frey … Brookings Institution

 

Millennials moving to regional areas, report finds, as housing affordability and lack of commute lure them from the city … Australian Broadcasting Corporation

 

EMPLOYMENT BY CITY SECTOR, CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR DOWNTOWNS … WENDELL COX … NEW GEOGRAPHY

 

Public discussion needed on how to safely reopen NZ's borders - Sir Peter Gluckman … TVNZ

 

Since March the number of people leaving this country has exceeded those arriving by a substantial margin … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

77% of Aussies yearn for a house with backyard (Westpac Bank Research) … Leith van Onselen … Macrobusiness Australia

 

Kiwis prioritise home with backyard over luxury features … Westpac Bank New Zealand

 

Heartland interviews Michael Shellenburger on his new book Apocalypse Never

 

'Middle-class disaster': Inner-city professionals take biggest financial hit from COVID … Charlotte Grieve … (Melbourne) The Age

 

PERSPECTIVE: U. S. COVID-19 DEATHS AND URBAN POPULATION DENSITY … WENDELL COX … NEW GEOGRAPHY

Coronavirus: The Under-40s Dilemma … Zerohedge

The future is grim for shopping malls … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

A review of things you need to know before you go home on Wednesday; the credit squeeze start to bite, big NZGB issue, AT public transport ridership dives, swaps stable, NZD firm, & more … Interest Co NZ

 

New Zealand residents have been leaving the country at a greater pace than they have been arriving back … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

Ipsos NZ Issues Monitor July 2020

 

A Look Inside The $52 Trillion Bubble That Has "Hijacked China's Economy … Zerohedge

 

In China's Surging Property Market, Falling Rents Point to Economic Pain … Jonathan Chen … Wall Street Journal

…The important Matthew Pottinger, Nelson, NZ. Countries Housing Inflation Live Graph from 1980 . data The Economist

…essential viewing…

Australia takes silver medal (New Zealand a disgraceful gold) in global house price (inflation) race … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Au

 

OPINION: Tenancy changes a recipe for trouble … Mike Yardley … Stuff New Zealand

 

Lack of affordable housing forcing Wellington tertiary students to drop studies or leave capital … Damian George … Stuff NZ

 

Survivor City: I live on $246 a week in Christchurch. Friends in Auckland pay more in rent … Steven Walton … Stuff NZ

 

Regional rents tighten as tenants flee CBDs … Nila Sweeney … Australian Financial Review

 

Construction crisis: 'sinking' buildings and dangerous cladding | 60 Minutes Australia

 

Buyer Beware … 60 Minutes Australia

 

NSW planning minister admits high density wrecks liveability … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Inquiry. The Great British Housing Disaster (Adam Curtis, 1984) … BBC / Youtube

 

Coronavirus: Nearly two-thirds of Auckland's COVID-19 border, isolation staff had never been tested a week ago … Michael Morrah … Newshub

 

Migration's impact on housing demand is now almost negligible, which should ease housing supply pressures over coming months … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

"Ghost Town": Shocking Dystopian Video Of NYC Shows An Abandoned And Boarded Up 5th Avenue … Zerohedge

 

Nolte: Retail and Restaurants Flee Democrat-Run New York Forever … Breitbart

 

Mortgage deferrals hammer Aussie banks … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

'Staggering' number of households behind on their mortgages (in New Zealand) … Rob Stock … Stuff NZ

 

4 Corners demolishes Andrews (Victoria, Australia) Government … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

FURTHER UPDATE

 

Aussie property looks cheap compared to New Zealand ... Leith van Onselen ... MacroBusiness Australia

 

South Australia smashes record for new home building approvals ... Steven Marshall, Premier of South Australia

 

Steven Marshall, Liberal Premier of South Australia ... Wikipedia

 

Australia Building Approvals ... December 2020 ... Australian Bureau of Statistics

 

The New Zealand authorities have been urged for decades to sort out land supply and infrastructure debt financing, to restore essential construction industry confidence, so that production systems ( like they have in North America and Australia ) are restored.

Back mid 2018, Generation Homes CEO Kevin Atkinson explained aspects of why the New Zealand still has the high cost and inefficient cottage building culture, and what needs to happen, to start on the path od restoring an efficient and responsive production building systems in New Zealand .

Kevin Atkinson: New ways of financing are needed to boost house building ... Kevin Atkinson OPINION ... NZ HERALD

 

Value of NZ's housing stock up 11% in a year to $1.28 trillion - four times that of the country's annual GDP ... Jenee Tibshraeny ... Interest Co NZ.

 

(Opposition leader) Judith Collins calls for emergency housing law change in first speech of the year . VIDEO ... Henry Cooke ... Stuff NZ

 

Plan flexibly, build more or pay the price ... Dr Eric Crampton of The New Zealand Initiative COMMENT ... Newsroom New Zealand

 

Average New Zealand housing values rose by $554 a day during January, topping $800,000 for the first time ... Greg Ninness ... Interest Co NZ

 

Aussie property looks cheap compared to New Zealand ... Leith van Onselen ... MacroBusiness Australia

 

U.S. Housing Market's Combined Value Hits $33.6 Trillion in 2020 ... Michael Gerrity ... The World Property Journal

 

Covid 19 - Unpacking the city ... Phil McDermott of Cities Matter

 

New Zealand Property Focus: Housing affordability - Unpluggering the solutions … ANZ Bank Economics Division / Interest Co NZ

 

ANZ housing report says urgent action is needed to make housing more affordable including ramping up supply and curbing immigration … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

Thoughts on working from home … Andrew Atkins blog

 

The dawning of a new age of suburbia … Ross Elliott … MacroBusiness Australia

 

APS managers won over by working from home … Judy Skatssoon .(Australian) Government News

 

Working during the Pandemic:: From resistance to revolution? … University of New South Wales (Canberra) pdf

 

Varcoe: Downtown tower values take another 'whack,' along with retail stores in taxing downturn . Chris Varcoe . Calgary Herald

 

New laws will give employees in the State the option to permanently work from home … Martin Wall … The Irish Times

 

More freedom and no commute: Just some of the perks of remote working … Padraic Hoare … Irish Examiner

 

'Striking a balance' key to proposed remote working legislation … Nicole Glennon … Irish Examiner

 

'Ireland is a remote working country' - Remote working app to be launched by Government … Jack Quann … Newstalk Ie

 

88% of civil servants feel as 'effective' working remotely - survey … RTE

 

Almost ALL civil servants want to be allowed to continue working from home after the lockdown ends with seven in 10 saying they are doing LONGER hours by not coming in to the office … Daily Mail

 

(United Kingdom) Survey finds working from home to quintuple by 2025 … FMT

 

One in four people to work from home permanently … UK Daily Telegraph

 

Many UK office workers would accept a pay-cut for remote working … ITProPortal

 

Remote working can slash operational costs by one third . Capgemini Research Institute / Consultancy EU

 

Capgemini Research Institute

 

Will work-from-home give a boost to female employment? … S A Sayar* … The Times of India

 

Work from home revolution is a surprise boon for India's women … Saritha Rai . Bloomberg / The Economic Times

 

Auckland Council building up for sale as thousands of staff work from home … Todd Niall … Stuff NZ

 

Tiny trailer homes are no solution for a first home affordability crisis … OPINIOM (WATCH HORROR VIDEO) Rob Stock … Stuff New Zealand

 

The next six months are make or break for Labour … Pattrick Smellie … Businessdesk / The Spinoff New Zealand

 

Ardern pledges to care 9% more by 2030 … Danyl Mclauchlan … ( Summer Reprint ) The Spinoff

 

Residents express hopelessness as houses in poverty-hit Otara sell for $1m … Jordan Bond … Radio New Zealand

 

'Desperation' for homes driving rent prices up in small-town New Zealand … Vita Molyneux … Newshub

 

Building Consents Issues - November 2020 - Statistics NZ

 

November 2020 - Building Approvals … Australian Bureau of Statistics

 

House construction booms, apartment construction busts … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Sydney and Melbourne property listings surge … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Affordability crunch: Will house prices hit a limit ? … Miriam Bell … Stuff NZ

 

Mortgage Measures - Central Bank of Ireland .

 

COVID will kill CBDs. And that's a good thing … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Action needed to halt rocketing house prices - CoreLogic … Miriam Bell … Stuff NZ

 

The Work-From-Home Boom Is Here to Stay. Get Ready for Pay Cuts … Noah Buhayar … Bloomberg

 

Study: Silicon Valley is mostly working from home - and service industry is paying the price … Lloyd Alaban … Spotlight San Jose

 

Remote working in the Bay Area … Bay Area Council

 

San Francisco's 35% Plunge in Rents Shows Effects of Tech Fleeing City … Sophie Alexander … Bloomberg

 

Texas Real Estate Update September 2020 … Real Estate Center A&M University

 

Lot Values Hit Record Highs (U.S 50,000 median price per serviced Lot) . Natalia Sineavskaia . U.S National Association of Home Builders

 

House Down Payments Soar To 20 Year High As Banks Crack Down On New Loans … Bloomberg / Zerohedge

 

THE IPSOS NEW ZEALAND ISSUES MONITOR - NOVEMBER 2020

 

(New Zealand) Home ownership at lowest level since 1951 … Miriam Bell … Stuff NZ

 

The national median house price increased ( artificially inflated ) by $24,000 last month ( annualized x 12 = $288,000 ) … Greg Ninness … Interest Co NZ

 

Jacinda Ardern is at her best in a crisis. Now she must tackle housing affordability … OPINION Clint Smith … The Guardian

 

Capital's median house price tipped to hit $1m by the year's end … Matthew Tso … Stuff NZ

 

Housing Affordability Section … Stuff New Zealand

 

COVID-19 helping drive regional growth as flexible work sees people look beyond the city … Nathan Morris … ABC Southern Queensland

 

Australia is witnessing a record regional jobs boom. Here's where to find them in every state … Andy Park … ABC

 

Regional Australia Institute

 

Detached house building approvals hit a 20-year high … Nathan Jolly … Elite Agent

 

Western Australian building biggest new homes in Australia … Colin Brinsden … Perth Now

 

Addressing the housing crisis: What NZ can learn from other countries … Miriam Bell … Stuff NZ

 

Working from beach: Employees urged to work even more remotely … Adam Jacobson … Radio New Zealand

 

1 in 4 Americans will be working remotely in 2021, Upwork survey reveals … Lori Ioannou … CNBC

 

Pew Study Shows Favor Towards Remote Working in Certain Industries … Nikki Johnson - Bolden … OHS Online

 

Working from home will permanently shape our cities … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

ANZ (NZ) whacks property investors … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Oracle joins HQ movers to Texas from Valley, expands work-from-home options for workers … WRALTechWire

 

Distress looms over U.S. commercial real estate in 2021 …Joy Wiltermuth … MarketWatch

 

MANHATTAN APARTMENT RENTS DIVE TO DECADE LOW AS INVENTORY SWELLS … BLOOMBERG / ZEROHEDGE

 

Midtown Is Reeling. Should Its Offices Become Apartments? … Matthew Haag and Dana Rubinstein … The New York Times

 

Available Toronto office space has quadrupled in 2020 as work from home continues … BlogTO

 

NYC OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT HITS HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 2003 AS GOLDMAN FLEES FOR FLORIDA … ZEROHEDGE

 

Please, no more stories about young people buying houses … ANALYSIS … Hayden Donnell … Radio New Zealand

 

Record house prices not caused by Reserve Bank - Adrian Orr … TVNZ

 

Median Multiples - Interest Co NZ

 

Vacant apartments tower over Melbourne and Sydney … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Buying a house: How much deposit do you need? … Susan Edmunds … Stuff NZ

 

Over Half of People Want to Keep Working From Home Despite Feeling Less Connected to Coworkers (Pew Research) … Natalie Colaross … Newsweek

 

How the Coronavirus Outbreak Has - and Hasn't - Changed the Way Americans Work … Pew Research Center

 

A New Setback for Big Cities as Return to the Office Fades… Peter Grant … Wall Street Journal (behind paywall)

 

Trickle of office workers return to CBD but most staff stay home … Rachael Dexter, Rachel Eddie, Benjamin Preiss, Ashleigh McMillan . The Age Melbourne

 

People Fleeing Big Cities Risk Overwhelming Small Towns … Van Badham … Bloomberg

 

Which prime ministers oversaw the biggest house price increases? … Rob Stock … Stuff NZ

 

Estimated number of new homes consented per 1,000 residents up in June year … Statistics New Zealand

 

Your home probably earns more than you do … Susan Edmunfs … Stuff NZ

 

How much debt is too much for Kiwi households to bear? … Daniel Dunkley … Stuff NZ

 

The Urban Trail: Work-from-home is likely to alter urban planning beyond the pandemic … * Liz Price … Washington Business Journal

 

September Transit Ridership Down 62 Percent . Randal O'Toole . TI Org

 

Aussies working from home have been starting earlier and finishing later, according to research from Atlassian … Sharon Masige … Business Insider Australia

 

Covid-19: How coronavirus made us splurge on caravans and boardgames, and save for house deposits … Dileepa Fonseka, Jane Matthews, Amy Ridout … Stuff NZ

 

There's plenty of green beyond Wellington's green belt … Rob Mitchell … Stuff NZ

 

Covid-19: South Auckland shoppers shun the city in favour of community spending … Troels Sommerville … Stuff NZ

 

Wanted: Bigger houses, to work from home … Colleen Hawkes … Stuff NZ

 

NZ can build enough affordable homes - Christchurch proves it … Bernard Hickey … Stuff New Zealand

 

Charting Australia's housing construction glut … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

Aussies pull pin on capital cities … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia

 

HomeBuilder drives house construction boom … Leith van Onselen … Macrobusiness Australia

 

'A real shift': Women the big winners as work comes home … Bianca Hall & Ross Millar … (Melbourne) The Age

 

Philip Nolan: Working from home could just be the thing to save rural Ireland … Philip Nolan … Extra.Ie

 

Govt needs to target our soaring cost of living … Lana Hart OPINION … The Press / Stuff NZ

 

Why house prices are likely to rise post-election … Janine Starks OPINion … Stuff NZ

 

Subnational population estimates: At 30 June 2020 … Statistics New Zealand

 

Jacinda Ardern scores stomping win. Now she must deliver … Leith van Onselen … MacroBusiness Australia