Here you will find what the council has proposed or will be doing in your area. This includes road widening; views and notable trees to be protected - which of course can affect how and where you build on a particular site.
As mentioned in a previous post, a PIM (project information memorandum) will give you most of the information on a site so I would recommend obtaining one of those first for those looking at building a new dwelling or sub dividing a section.
I recently sold a house in Derrimore Heights which is on the flight path. Most homes in Papatoetoe and Manukau Heights are on the flight path which most people are aware of however for those new to the area who don't know, it's always a great idea to jump online to view the current district plan. The real estate agent showing you the home should always have that information for you.
Quarry zones or mineral zones are also included in the district plan which may affect the soil so if your planting a vegetable garden for instance, you may think twice before digging in!
For instance, if your a light sleeper you may want to look at the streets that are directly on the flight path. I know when I moved to Papatoetoe and the first plane flew over the house I woke up with a jolt but after a few days sleep took over and now it's just a matter of sometimes having to pause the movie we are watching until the bird fly's past!
So all you do is click the link here and type the street you are in or looking to buy in and it will give you the map number and open up a file of all the information the council has on that street and surrounding streets - easy as that!
The latest statistics have reported a 13.6% drop in in sales as we come into the winter season. Seasonally, this is quite common as people do (generally) prefer to list in the summer or spring months where you see the majority of activity.
The average sales price during May was $702,966 (down from $708,603 in April 2014) and that was down from $725,728 in March.
Auckland particularly has been very short of new listings and this appears to be continuing but again, quite common for this time of year.
The latest figures show that the 'speed limits' on high loan-to-value lending introduced by the Reserve Bank in October appear to be continuing to dampen sales volumes but in South Auckland, we have seen auctions continue to sell and while listings are tight, properties do continue to sell. The median price, which has jumped all over the place recently, rose to $645,000 from $619,550 in April 2014. It now sits slightly below the record $652,000 set in March.
The median is up 13.2% on a year ago, which further suggests that overall prices are not being hugely effected by the LVRs.
The LVR may also be lifted by this time next year which will increase the number of willing purchasers.
In South Auckland, primarily Papatoetoe, Goodwood Heights, Clover Park and Totara Heights, it is still firmly a sellers market. Quality homes in good locations are going out the door and therefore the auction method is the preference with the majority of real estate agents in these areas.
Well, that is the last blog post from me as I will be in Spain from 10th June to the 14th July. Keep warm and I look forward to updating you on the market upon my return!