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accessme Dec 13th 2002 4:41 pm

Auckland
 
we are in the process of getting PR NZ. Planning to move from US to NZ (Auckland) mid of next year . we have 5 years old kid?
1. Could anyone update me with good school districts in auckland ?
2. When the academic year starts ?
3. Any thoughts whether to own or rent a house ?
4. If rented what will be on an average per month ?
5. if own how the home loans works in NZ is it similiar to
US ? (we have 15 years fixed and 30 fixed)


Appreciate your response

BritboyNZ Dec 14th 2002 2:19 pm

1. School districts - for secondary schools the best in Auckland are in whats known locally as the 'grammar school zone' ie Auckland Grammar School / St Peters which are wedged right next to the motorway between Epsom/Newmarket. Catchment areas for these schools include Epsom, Remuera, Newmarket & probably a bit further afield. Not sure about good primary schools, sorry!

2. School Holidays: the school year starts after the long xmas break (ie end of January) for 2003 the dates are: Term 1 starts Wed 29th Jan & finishes Fri 11 April for easter. 2nd term starts Mon 28th April & finishes Fri 4th July. Term 3 starts Mon 21st July and finishes Fri 19th September. Term 4 starts Mon 6th October & finish for Xmas on 5th Dec for secondary schools (after exams) and 16th Dec for Primary/intermediate schools.

3. Depends on how long you're likely to stay in Auckland I guess, some people love it, others stay for awhile and decide it's not for them...Auckland house prices and rent are increasing astronomically at the moment.. there is huge pressure on the Auckland housing market - lots of NZ expats are moving home (particularly after Sept 11) & properties that were rented out have suddenly become re-occupied by their owners pushing up rents. For me personally I'm hoping to buy something very soon - with the Americas cup, Lord of the Rings, NZ's perceived 'safety' it has become a VERY attractive destination for migrants, this will only continue so I expect house prices to continue to rise for the for the forseable future.

4. Mortages - generally work over 20 or 25yrs and are virtually all repayment mortgages - unlike the UK a lot of banks collect mortgage payments fortnightly (better in the long run). Interest rates are around the 7.5% mark at the moment, depending on the lending institution / mortgage. Generally you need to put down a minimum of 5% of the purchase price. The main banks in NZ are ASB: www.asbbank.co.nz ANZ: www.anz.co.nz Bank of NZ: www.bnz.co.nz The National Bank (owned by UK bank Lloyds TSB) www.nationalbank.co.nz WestPac Trust: www.westpac.co.nz & there are a few others like Bank Direct (a subsidiary of ASB) Southern Cross Building Society & so on.

accessme Dec 16th 2002 3:40 am

Thanks for response.

Few more questions


1. Is it a Car driven country like US ? or can we live with public transport?

2. What will be on an average monthly expenses ? What

3. How does the tax sytem works ?


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