REINZ boss O'Sullivan says first-home buyers could give up on property ownership

REINZ boss O'Sullivan says first-home buyers could give up on property ownership
By Fiona Rotherham Nov. 13 (BusinessDesk) - Departing Real Estate Institute chief executive Helen O’Sullivan said the Reserve Bank’s decision to continue the loan-to-value ratio restrictions on home loans could see some first-home buyers give up on the idea of ever owning a house. RBNZ governor Graeme Wheeler yesterday said the LVR regime in place for a year had been successful, with house price inflation falling nationally from just under 10 percent to 4.9 percent, while in Auckland it had halved from 17 percent to 8.5 percent. Although...