WELLINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - New Zealand house prices rose in December, the government property valuer said on Wednesday, as house sales in regions surrounding Auckland surged.
Quotable Value's (QV) residential property price index rose 14.2 percent in the year to December, compared with an annual rate of 15 percent in the previous month.
The index is now 34.7 percent above the market's previous peak in late 2007.
House prices in the Auckland region were 22.5 percent higher in the year to December, compared with a 24.4 percent annual increase the month before.
Rising house prices in Auckland spilled over into nearby regions, with Hamilton City house prices up 19.5 percent and Tauranga homes rising 18.2 percent.
Keyword NEWZEALAND ECONOMY/HOUSEPRICES
