Bruce Patten
ANZ, the nation's largest lender, this morning mandated that residential property investors would need a 40% deposit to get a home loan.
The bank will also recommend the Reserve Bank introduces a 60% LVR limit on investors from next year.
NZFSG's Bruce Patten said: "I would suggest that the Reserve Bank was going there in March anyway, and the banks have probably just decided to do something now. They also might have been [trying] to placate the Reserve Bank," he added.
AdviceHQ's David Green added: "The implications are largely unknown at this point as it really depends if other lenders follow or the RBNZ imposes the same restrictions across the industry. In the short term, investors with ANZ pre-approvals will be more aggressive and take a "get in while you can" approach. They may also look to other lenders.
"The ever-changing mortgage market makes it more important than ever to partner with an experienced adviser," he said.
Mortgage People's Martin Thomas is sceptical the move will take the heat out of the investor market.
"I am of the opinion that most of the investors are cashed-up, choosing property as their means of "retirement" investing due to historically low bank investment returns.
"Even if they pay $1.4 million for a property rented at $750 a week, their 2.6% gross return is better than what they can get elsewhere and in addition, they have the real bonus of property appreciation, even if they have to hold it for 10 years – which will further frustrate first home buyers."
He added: "Personally, I feel only new investors, in very small numbers, will be affected by this change."
The Advice Group's Stephen Wilton echoed those views.
"In a lot of instances it [LVR] has no effect," he said. "The extra 10% equity required has already been recently created within the existing owned properties."
