Record
mortgagee sales a 'genuine cause for concern'
A
record number of property owners are being forced to sell up as banks
move to foreclose in mortgagee sales.
TVNZ,
9
June, 2012
New
figures published today by Terralink International show there were
524 mortgagee sales in the first three months of this year - the
highest first quarter number on record and almost six a day.
Terralink
managing director Mike Donald said the figures were "genuine
cause for concern" and worse than during the same period in
2010, at the height of the recession.
They
indicated the economy was still struggling to pick up and he expected
more cash-strapped homeowners to lose their properties in forced
sales.
"How
many other properties are close to being forced into this situation?
We can't answer that question.
"The
concern is that while we think we may be through the effects of the
recession, it's still proving to be pretty tough out there."
The
figures indicated the economic recovery may be a long way off, with
banks trying to "drip feed" forced sales to avoid flooding
the market with cheap properties and depressing prices.
"In
fact, things have never been worse for property owners. I challenge
anyone to look at these figures and tell me things are getting
better," Donald said.
With
41 foreclosures, Wellington recorded a 71% jump compared with the
first quarter of 2011. The number of mortgagee sales in Northland
jumped 155% (from 20 to 51) and 153%in Otago (from 15 to 38).
However,
some regions, notably Hawke's Bay and Canterbury, experienced a
modest decrease during the quarter.
Donald
said the one silver lining was that the number of "mum and dad"
home owners facing mortgagee sales appeared to be easing.
Banks
seemed to be targeting property investors who owned multiple
properties.
"The
figures indicate this group is under significant pressure, a
reflection, perhaps, of reduced equity as property values flatten or
decline, and increased pressure on cash flows."
However,
BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander said the mortgagee sales figures
held little correlation with the buoyant property market.
With
a shortage of available housing stock, sales were strong and consents
for new dwellings were also up, he said. Interest rates were also at
record lows.
"Anyone
who has paid attention to Terralink data over last four years has
been grossly misled."
But
Alexander agreed the forced sale of someone's home was traumatic and
the record high figures were of concern. Foreclosures represented the
most severe cases where property owners could not service their
mortgages.
Mortgagee
sales go through roof in Northland
Northland
could be heading for a record year of mortgagee sales after a 155 per
cent rise in forced sales in the region during the first quarter of
2012.
9
June, 2012
Figures
released by Terralink today show that nationally there were 524
mortgagee sales from January to March, with almost 10 per cent, 51,
in Northland, the fourth-highest total in the country behind
Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The
Northland sales were 155 per cent up on the corresponding period last
year and Terralink managing director Mike Donald said this year was
shaping up to be the toughest for embattled property owners.
He
said the quarter's figures were a record number of mortgagee sales
for the period. The 524 mortgagee sales were 100 more than during the
corresponding period last year, and more than the previous record of
519 in 2010 when New Zealand was at the height of economic recession.
He
said Northland's percentage rise in mortgagee sales was the highest
in the country. In 2008 there were 54 mortgagee sales for the whole
year and a record high of 200.
"There
have been quite a significant number of mortgagee sales in Northland,
particularly in Whangarei and the Far North. In March there were 15
mortgagee sales in Whangarei alone," Mr Donald said.
He
said there had been a big rise in the number of mortgagee sales for
individuals considered to be property investors, who owned several
properties. "That's those people who own five or more
properties. The figures indicate this group is under significant
pressure, a reflection, perhaps of reduced equity as property values
flatten or decline, and increased pressure on cash flows," Mr
Donald said. The numbers were a genuine cause for concern, and
confirmed a trend that began late last year. "Numbers began to
trend upward during the second half of last year, back to recession
level highs. These new figures indicate we may be a long way off
economic recovery. In fact, things have never been worse for property
owners."
The
figures also showed a marked upturn in the "big five" banks
forcing mortgagee sales. In 2009 the proportion of sales involving
tier-one lenders was 36 per cent. In the first quarter of this year,
that had risen to 55 per cent. He said Terralink's figures flew in
the face of claims the number of mortgagee sales was declining.
"Our
data is based on legal registration of actual foreclosures, not on
listing data where the term 'mortgagee sale' is often simply a
marketing term. I challenge anyone to look at these figures and tell
me things are getting better for Kiwi property owners," Mr
Donald said.
Otago
recorded a rise of 153 per cent of mortgagee sales, from 15 to 38.
Wellington property owners also felt the pinch with 41 mortgagee
sales, up 71 per cent from the corresponding period in 2011. Some
regions, notably Hawke's Bay and Canterbury, experienced a modest
decrease in mortgagee sales.
Mr
Donald said while the overall picture remained bleak, the number of
"mum and dad" property owners facing mortgagee sales
appeared to be easing. "If there's a silver lining anywhere in
the figures, it's the drop in the proportion of individuals with a
single property facing mortgagee sales, from 26 per cent in the first
quarter of 2011 to 21 per cent this year."
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