‘We’ve lost half our deposit’: About 4000 first-home buyers owe more than their homes worth

RNZ2 Sep, 2026 07:44 PM5 mins to readAbout 3600 households nationwide now owe more than the value of their homes, an economist estimates. Photo / RNZ, Quin TauetauAbout 3600 households nationwide now owe more than the value of their homes, an economist estimates. Photo / RNZ, Quin TauetauBy Susan Edmunds of RNZRising interest rates are not welcome news for most borrowers, but they hit especially hard for those who are paying off a home loan on a house that is now worth less than they paid for it.

Cotality chief economist Kelvin