The number of house sales and prices both dropped in April but things are still better than they were a year ago, says the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).
April saw 5207 dwellings sold, down from 6161 in March and 6210 sold in the same month last year.
April's median sale price was $356,000, down from $360,500 in March and the total value of residential sales, including sections, dropped to $2.24 billion from $2.73b in March.
House values were "firming rather than appreciating" and less volatility in the market was welcome, REINZ president Peter McDonald said in a statement.
While the April national median residential house price was slightly down on the March figure, it was 4.7 percent up on the median price for April last year.
There have also been increases in the median price in 10 out of the 12 districts ranging up to 10 per cent when compared with the same month last year.
The biggest rise was in Northland, up 10.4 per cent from $290,000 to $320,250. Auckland was up 8 percent to $470,000 and Nelson/Marlborough up 8.8 percent to $339,500.
The only negative change in district median prices was in Southland which recorded a fall of 2.63 percent from $190,000 to $185,000.
Auckland residential sales, including sections, accounted for $995m of total sales in April. Sales in Wellington and Canterbury/Westland were the next greatest value at $276m and $269m respectively.
While the national median for days to sell increased to 40 from just 35 in March, this is still down on the figure of 42 for the corresponding period a year ago.
The REINZ monthly housing price index -- an average of sale prices for common groups -- decreased by 0.4 percent to 3257.2 in the April 2010 month.
Compared to 12 months earlier, the housing price index increased by 6.2 percent. Housing prices are 3.7 percent below their November 2007 peak.
