Nervousness about bank lending dampened apartment bidding enthusiasm yesterday and left five out of nine Auckland apartments unsold.
City Sales auctioned the units at Hopetoun Alpha.
The bids were slow and it took more than half an hour before deals were resolved on the first three offered byauctioneer Neil Newman.
"It's a bit difficult when no one knows if the banks have any money to lend," said an agent.
The most expensive properties remained unsold at the end of the auction.
A 100sq m apartment in the Heritage Tower between Nelson and Hobson Sts was passed in at $300,000. The place has two bathrooms and two bedrooms and the owner gets access to the pools, gym and tennis court.
An art deco 1930s Mt Eden unit at Marino Gardens, 145-147 Mt Eden Rd, was passed in at $365,000. Newman said it was on a freehold title and discussions would be held with the highest bidder after the auction.
A one-bedroom unit in an older building at 105 Albert St in the Manhattan block was passed in at $110,000. The unit was marketed as "handyman special", adjacent to SkyCity and without a tenant.
The highest-priced place sold was a penthouse on level 16 of Scene Three at 30 Beach Rd which went for $295,000.
A unit at 15 Nelson St was revealed to have major leaks and Newman opened the no-reserve bidding at $20,000. The one-bedroom place with a carpark sold for $70,000.
A two-bedroom unit in Volt at 430 Queen St sold for $168,500. A one-bedroom unit at 30 Randolf St in Eden Terrace went for $167,500.
