Builders more upbeat, 70% say inquiries have perked up

Builders more upbeat, 70% say inquiries have perked up
Fletcher Living expects to sell 700 units this year. (Image: BusinessDesk)
Brent Melville
Two-thirds of builders view the availability and costs of mortgages as the key barrier to starting new building projects, but most are starting to see prices stabilising after last year's dramatic slowdown.That's according to a survey of 13 of the country's biggest builders by investment firm Forsyth Barr, which highlighted a lack of pre-sales on the back of declining house prices last year.Latest numbers from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand show prices were down annually by 9% to this June, with listings down by 21.2%...

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