Kiwibank has announced it will lift its home loan rates in response to yesterday's Reserve Bank decision to increase the Official Cash Rate.

Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler has signalled an aggressive, front-loaded start to the interest rate cycle now under way.

This OCR hike is just the start of the cycle, says Herald economics editor Brian Fallow.

The New Zealand dollar jumped to a five-month high after the Reserve Bank raised the benchmark interest rate as expected and signalled further hikes are on the way.

The Kiwi dollar will stay at an elevated level for longer than previously thought as the local economic story finds favour with foreign investors.

New Zealand house prices rose in February reversing the falls of December and January, according to just released REINZ figures.

Building activity slowed in the final three months of 2013 as non-residential work dropped for a second quarter.