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Zach Reid from First National Real Estate Atherton . PIC: Supplied

Land has been “flying off the shelves” in the Tablelands with real estate agents explaining sales were being driven by government money available to build a new home.

Zach Reid from First National Real Estate Atherton said that, during the past month, land sales had taken up “a reasonable percentage” of business with blocks that have been on the market for years suddenly snapped up.

“Land has traditionally been hard to sell in the Tablelands and, as an example, the blocks at Sunset Ridge have been available for two years with only one of the 11 sold in the first 18 months,” he said.

Land for sale. PIC: Darren Leigh Roberts

“In the past three months nine have sold – it would have been all 10 but a contract fell apart due to finance – and we’re seeing that in the other parts of Atherton. As the land is selling we’re seeing people pushing out further to take advantage of the grants.”

Mr Reid said it was predominantly first-home owners taking advantage of the $45,000 in grants established to stimulate local economies.

Aurelia Rogato from Rogato Real Estate said her Mareeba office “had never seen so much action” with land sales.

“There’s interest from first-home owners because receiving $45,000 from the government is unprecedented,” she said.

“The estates are very popular but even the five-acre blocks are getting a lot of ­interest, out in places like Rodeo Acres where the land starts at $219,000.”

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The outlook is spectacular from 56 Knightsbridge Parade East, Sovereign Islands.

Each morning when they wake, Muriel and Bill Jordan have a treasured ritual.

They raise the blinds in the master suite and enjoy a cup of tea as they take in the wide expanse of water lapping the shores of Brown Island and South Stradbroke Island.

“We can sit and watch the sun come up before we get out of bed,” Mrs Jordan said.

“We watch the boats going past but no one can see us.”

You can watch the sun rise each morning from the master suite.

Peaceful and private are the words Mrs Jordan chooses to describe life in the estate, which has been home for the past seven years.

“We can be sitting out the back with a cup of coffee and cake in the sun and half the time Bill will fall asleep it’s that quiet,” she said.

“The water can make you feel really relaxed.”

Sit in the sun and watch the boats cruise by.

Having moved to Australia from the UK in 1974, Mr Jordan built homes in Brisbane before moving to the Gold Coast to create their own piece of paradise.

In a nod to his Irish roots, the words ‘Caoga A Sé’ feature on the front of the home, which translates from Gaelic to the number ‘56’.

An internal lift makes it easy to access all four levels.

The considered four level design allows for open planing living on the ground floor, four spacious bedrooms on the first floor and a grand luxury master above.

The basement doubles as a party zone with
a bar and games lounge set up with pin ball machines, a darts board and billiard table
while a five-hole putting green is wisely positioned alongside the water.

“My grand son adores playing putt putt, but there are usually more balls in the water than on the green,” Mrs Jordan said.

The alfresco entertaining area is tucked away out of the weather.

The home has been the ideal entertainer over the years, hosting extended family and friends for special occasions.

“The house is big enough to entertain everybody without everybody getting under your feet,” Mrs Jordan said.

The alfresco area with built-in barbecue is a favoured space in any conditions.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s rail, hail or shine, you are so protected,” said Mrs Jordan.

“It is the best space to sit for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No wind or rain comes in.

“I love having people over for breakfast these days and that’s the best place for it.”

The pool runs alongside the Broadwater.

The Jordans hope to remain on Sovereign Island where security offers peace of mind.

“We don’t want to move really, but the house it too big for us now,” Mrs Jordan said.

“Sovereign Island really is unique and the people are lovely. The security is also great. We feel very safe here.”

Hanan Cawley, of Harcourts Coastal – Broadbeach, is taking offers over $5 million.

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This renovated Queenslander at 27 Chaplain Ave, Manunda is on a rare, large inner-city block, walking distance to the CBD. Picture: Red M Photography

OPEN the classic French doors to enter this elegant Queenslander described as “one big living room”.

From the layout to the location of this three-bedroom home at 27 Chaplain Ave, Manunda, there is no box unticked when it comes to the lifestyle and liveability this post-war home offers.

Built in the ’50s, it is a rare inner-city property sitting on a large 809sq m block and offering the “outer-suburbs feel”, while just minutes from the CBD.

This renovated Queenslander at 27 Chaplain Ave, Manunda is on a rare, large inner-city block, walking distance to the CBD. Picture: Red M Photography

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Listed for $539,000 with iicon Portfolio Real Estate’s your Queenslander specialist Ken Higgins, the Hamptons-style property has been freshly renovated to feature modern inclusions while retaining elements of its build era.

“It’s had renovations right through including fresh paint inside and out,” Mr Higgins said.

“The bathroom and kitchen have been updated. They’ve used all quality European appliances and European fittings. And that goes through with all the fans and lighting as well – all good-quality finishes.”

This renovated Queenslander at 27 Chaplain Ave, Manunda has an updated bathroom and kitchen featuring quality European appliances. Picture: Red M Photography

The renovations also include updates to ensure the home meets cyclone safety standards but the most notable update was the inclusion of a new deck at the rear of the property.

“It gives a lovely view over the backyard and is great for alfresco dining and I find people just mainly live on their decks up here 24/7, all through the year,” Mr Higgins said.

“They don’t tend to use their dining rooms much if they don’t have to.”

Mr Higgins said the layout of the double-storey house was cleverly designed.

“It really is built for the tropics with the air flow through the home.

“You can open it right up and get cross breezes right through.

This renovated Queenslander at 27 Chaplain Ave, Manunda opens right up to feel like “one big living room.” Picture: Red M Photography

“There’s French doors at the front of the property which just open the whole house up so that the main living area flows out to the front patio. It just feels like one big living room.

“The owner’s loved the layout – having verandas at the front and the back. Enjoying coffee in the front veranda in the morning watching the sun come up and then doing dinner on the back deck with the sunset.”

Under the house there is a huge storage area, a workshop, an additional room and space for three cars.

“It’s a great place for all those things we cannot part with, and need to be secured out of the weather. The room would be ideal for a home office, teenager or guests.

“The previous owners loved living in that neighbourhood because around them was all owner-occupied. It’s a really good street and everyone looks after each other, old-school style.”

The established garden includes a selection of fruit trees, and tucked in the corner is a garden shed, ideal for storing gardening equipment. The yard is secure, with double opening gates on one side for vehicle access.

“It certainly ticks all the boxes, which is pretty hard to find these days where someone can move into a house and not need to do anything,” Mr Higgins said.

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Buying site unseen is fast becoming the new norm for southern buyers.

Today’s border closure is unlikely to deter tech-savvy southern buyers who are turning to the Gold Coast as a safe haven during the COVID-19 crisis.

Agents across the city are reporting a surge in transactions made sight unseen by buyers interstate, with no signs of slowing down.

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The Gold Coast residential real estate sector continues to perform.

Ray White Surfers Paradise Group chief executive Andrew Bell said the COVID crisis had made the Gold Coast more attractive than ever.

“With the outbreaks in Melbourne and NSW doing all it can to keep things under control, for people down south the Gold Coast looks like a safe haven,” Mr Bell said.

While the border closure would restrict the ease of doing business, Mr Bell said buyers had become more confident making virtual transactions.

“The weekend before last we sold nine properties to people in Sydney, ACT and Melbourne who bought sight unseen,” he said.

“With the greater use of technology, people are not prevented from buying.”

Holiday accomodation provides may feel the pinch of fewer tourists travelling over the border. Photo Matt Roberts/Getty Images

Five of the nine parties bidding on a Broadbbeach apartment on Wednesday were from Sydney and Melbourne.

“Four of them hadn’t viewed the property personally but had done a private FaceTime inspection and were more than happy to proceed on that basis,” said Harcourts Coastal agent Tolemy Stevens.

“If you take that back to the numbers two or three months ago, the trend is doubling, if not tripling, with buyers in the marketplace happy to do business via FaceTime.”

Holiday rentals may feel the pinch

While the residential real estate sector is in a strong position to weather the border blockade, holiday accommodation providers may bear the brunt.

“Hospitality and holiday rentals will feel the majority of the impact,” said Andrew Henderson, Real Estate Industry of Queensland Gold Coast zone chair.

“If the border isn’t open for the next school holidays, it could really hurt a lot of operators.”

Mr Henderson said Queenslanders had “taken up the baton” to support tourism by booking holidays within the Sunshine State.

The weather, beaches and property prices are attractive to southern buyers. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Steve Holland

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113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

The sale of a historic Surfers Paradise mansion is among a string of high end transactions on main river during the height of the COVID-19 period.

An unnamed local buyer paid $5.5 million for the riverfront residence at 113 Commodore Drive in an off-market sale handled by Michael Kollosche and Jay Helprin in June.

113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

The historic house was built in the late 1980s for Keith Williams, the legendary entrepreneur who built Sea World and developed resorts at Hamilton Island.

The home was later owned by Dreamworld founder John Longhurst and was most recently sold by Flora and Sep Abedian following a seven-year tenure.

113 Commodore Drive, Paradise Waters.

Features inside the iconic estate include a three-level staircase inspired by the Vatican, arched windows, wrought iron chandeliers and Roman bath-style pool.

The 1489 sqm property also enjoys one
of the largest water frontages in Paradise Waters, looking across to the grounds of
The Southport School and north to the Southport skyline.

15 Southern Cross Dr, Cronin Island sold for $12.45m in June.

Mr Helprin said the sale reflected confidence at the top end of town with buyers turning to the security of bricks and mortar.

“We’re seeing significant strength in the prestige market,” Mr Helprin said.

Kollosche agents report a string of main river sales in recent months, led by the $12.45m deal on 15 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise in June.

327 Monaco St, Broadbeach Waters sold for $5.7m in July.

A grand Broadbeach Waters mansion at 327 Monaco Street sold for $5.7m on July 11.

A contract for $2.855m was signed on 25 Ipsley Drive, Broadbeach Waters in June while a vacant 1013 sqm lot at 85 Commodore Drive fetched $3.1m in May.

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There has been an uptick in the number of million-dollar properties for sale in Darwin

THERE has been an uptick in the number of million-dollar properties for sale in Darwin – a sign of confidence from the higher end of the market.

Based on realestate.com.au listings, there were at least 40 properties for sale for $1m or more in the Greater Darwin area at time of print.

O’Donoghues First National managing director Jeremy O’Donoghue said while it wasn’t unusual for there to be million-dollar properties on the Darwin market, the pandemic may have prompted owners to take the plunge.

“I think that maybe they’ve been holding back a little bit throughout the (pandemic) … and given the supposed stability of Darwin, people are realising that now is a good time (to sell),” he said.

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“These properties are probably pretty good value at the moment.

“What might be worth $1m today might have been worth $1.2 or $1.3m five years ago. So it’s definitely an opportune time for buyers to come in and look at this sort of property and get some pretty good value.”

He said the willingness of more sellers to put high-end properties up for sale could be seen as a sign of confidence in the Darwin market.

“The premium market and the market in general up here in Darwin is quite strong.

“It’s quite positive and encouraging that a lot of the activity that we are having is from local people that are maybe going all right in their business, downsizing or moving around and they’re identifying value. And the premium market’s no different.”

“I think there are people coming out of a $500,000, $600,000 or $700,000 house in the northern suburbs and are looking to upgrade for their family. So it’s very genuine – it’s not speculative.”

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Real Estate Institute of the NT chief executive Quentin Kilian said there were plenty of buyers but low stock, so ­realistic sellers could attract a lot of interest.

“It’s a bit of a feeding frenzy from buyers, so for a seller you’ve got a real opportunity to move your property quickly if you price according to what the market’s asking,” he said.

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56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

Why spend time and money renovating a grand character home when you can move in to this one, where all the hard work has been done for you? That’s what’s on offer in this stunning Kingswood home Simon and Louise bought just a few years ago, attracted by its picturesque gardens and stunning street appeal.

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“The previous owners were commercial gardeners so they built up the garden beautifully,” Simon says. “There are a set of gum trees on the back boundary which are just gorgeous and at night we have koalas in there, so we’ll sit out the back with a wine in hand spotting the koalas and watching them. This place really had us at the front door.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“The previous owners did the extension a few years ago and kept the 12-foot ceilings throughout, and used the original sandstone – they just did it right, in terms of the scale and scope of it.”

The home features up to five bedrooms – the master with a walk-through robe and an ensuite – formal and casual living areas and a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining and living at the rear that opens to a covered terrace overlooking a sparkling inground pool.

“It’s very functional because it’s got two-and-a-half bathrooms, all the space you need, a guest bedroom and all of that, so it’s been great living in it as a family,” Simon says.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“There’s a really nice room at the front which gets the afternoon sun and we use that as the winter room and hunker around the open fireplace – and in the summer we’d be out in the back living room which has the pool – it’s a really fabulous family home and the previous owners did a terrific job of it.

“We did our bit to it as well and spent a fair bit of money on it, like putting in new airconditioning ducts and motors right through it, we put on a side garage and did a big electrical upgrade too to include LED lights, so we’ve just topped it off and modernised it a little bit, but it had beautiful bones and a beautiful layout when we got it.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

Simon says the home’s versatile floorplan made it a great entertainer, and capable of handling even large crowds with ease.

“The big bifold doors open up from the informal dining room to the outdoor area, and we’ve had some pretty decent nights there, particularly in summer when you’ve got all the kids in the pool and the adults hanging out in that outdoor area,” Simon says. “The kitchen flows really nicely out to that living area and the outdoor area, and then there’s quite a big backyard that sits off to the side behind the pool. There’s a quadruple garage too, so we can open that up and then have the bar inside and have up to 80 people there quite comfortably.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“I’ve done the garden myself since we bought it and it’s a big garden, but the previous owners designed it to be very low-maintenance – it only needs an annual cut back and fertilise, and then you mow the lawns and blow the leaves once a fortnight. When I bought it I thought it would be a fair bit of work, but it’s not.”

The family have loved the home but the time has come to move on, with Simon saying they’ll miss not only the home, but its location too.

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

“Everything you need is at hand here,” he says. “Our girls go to Walford, but you’ve also got Unley High and Scotch within a stone’s throw, and Mitcham Shopping Centre is really close too, which is great because it’s such a brilliant shopping centre. The creek walk is great too – I would follow the creek up through Torrens Park, through the old Mitcham Village and all the way up through Brown Hill Creek and you can literally start doing that from the end of the street. The plan was for it to be our forever home, but our plans have changed and we’ve come to the point where we have decided to sell it. We’ve had three or four houses so far and this has been my favourite house we’ve ever had. It’s a fantastic home and I hope it goes to a family that will love it for the next 20 years.”

56 East Parade, Kingswood. Supplied by Williams Real Estate

56 East Pde, Kingswood

Contact agent for price

Agent: Williams Real Estate, Stephanie Williams 0413 874 888, and John Williams 0411 747 555. Land size: 1360sqm. Expressions of interest: Close Wednesday, August 26 at 2pm.

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Narelle and John Cartwright with their children, Thomas, 14, and Lucy, 16 at their home in Kalinga. The family moved from Sydney to Brisbane in seach of a better lifestyle. Photographer: Liam Kidston

QUEENSLAND is in hot demand with COVID refugees from southern states flocking to the sunshine state – some without even inspecting their future home.

Victorian and New South Wales buyer interest in Queensland has risen 18 per cent in the past six months.

Fresh data from realestate.com.au reveals 4 per cent are ready to buy now, 14 per cent are considering a move, and 22 per cent are simply browsing, possibly considering a longer-term lifestyle change.

It comes as the nation’s top social experts say COVID-19 has accelerated interstate migration into Queensland and predict even more Sydney-siders and Melbournites will make the move to the Sunshine State, once border restrictions are eased.

Leading demographer Bernard Salt said the pandemic has shifted people’s priorities about where they wanted to live.

Surfers Paradise is the No 1. destination for people looking to relocate form Sydney and Melbourne since COVID-19 began.

“I do think there will be a new driver in the 2020s … you’ll have people who feel uncomfortable with the congestion of living in the city whereas previously the congestion of the big city was seen as a positive, a drawcard,” he said.

“The bright lights have dimmed a bit and they don’t have the same allure now that we’ve had full exposure to a pandemic.

“A lot of people have decided to reassess their lifestyle and their location, and Queensland looks pretty good on both of those fronts, in terms of affordability, climate, security and non-congested lifestyle.”

Coastal locations are at the top of shopper’s wishlists, with eight of the top 10 most searched suburbs on the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise the most popular.

Tolemy Stevens of Harcourts Coastal on the Gold Coast said that while interstate inquiries had always been strong, volumes had gone “through the roof” in the past three months.

“I have never seen this level of demand, specifically from Melbourne and Sydney buyers, with such genuine voracity to secure properties yesterday,” he said.

“These aren’t people who are toying with the idea of buying. These are people coming to me and saying, ‘I have $1-2 million or $4-5 million, find me a property and I’ll buy it’.”

In Brisbane Judi O’Dea of Ray White Paddington said her level of inquiries from southern states had doubled during COVID-19 and properties were changing hands in all suburbs at all price points.

This house in Koppa Place in Pelican Waters on the Sunshine Coast this week sold to a Victorian buyer for $829,000. Selling agency McGrath received as many inquiries from interstate buyers as local interest.

“I’ve got clients from Sydney, Melbourne, Los Angeles and Hong Kong,” Ms O’Dea said. “They’re all trying to get to Brisbane and are all chasing as large a land size as possible because they have been holed up in apartments, and they are fed up,” she said.

“Brisbane offers them something that is affordable. What has become apparent is that anything on a sizeable block that is family friendly is selling like hot cakes.”

The phenomenon is happening across the state, according to Scott Louis of McGrath estate agency on the Sunshine Coast, who recently sold two homes in Caloundra for record prices to separate Victorian buyers.

“People are realising they should live the life they want to live now, and so are speeding up their life plans, he said.

“Lifestyle properties are especially popular, with hinterland acreages or houses on larger blocks sought after. Making a lifestyle change has always been a thing, but COVID has accelerated that, especially for those coming from Sydney and Melbourne.”

Sarah Hackett, lead agent at Place Bulimba in Brisbane, said that the pandemic effect was benefiting Queensland’s property market, and would likely continue for some months.

“We have had a huge increase in inquiries from interstate. The most recent lockdown has slowed things slightly, because people can’t come to view properties, but once it passes and people can travel again, that is when we’ll see a flurry of sales,” Mrs Hackett said.

However, closed borders have done little to hamper some southerners’ desire to secure a place in the sun, with many happy to purchase online or sight unseen.

“Recently I have had five sales between $1 million and $4 million where the buyers from Sydney and Melbourne bought without inspecting the properties, and three were all cash, no finance,” Mr Stevens said. “Forget about the prices, it’s all about the volume.”

Narelle and John Cartwright bought their house in Kalinga sight unseen before relocating from Sydney in the height of COVID.

Narelle and John Cartwright from Sydney bought their home at 62 Henry Street in the Brisbane suburb of Kalinga sight unseen in the middle of the pandemic.

“We recognised that if we sold our place in Sydney we could get a brand new home in Brisbane, with access to so many different things and with a reduced mortgage, which has allowed me to cut back on my work hours. Now I can fit in with the children, clean the house, go to the gym, go for a walk and just have the lifestyle that I could never have had in Sydney,” Mrs Cartwright said.

While buying a property in the middle of COVID-19 was a daunting prospect she said it wasn’t enough to derail the family’s plans.

“I had great confidence in our buyer’s agent Jordan Navybox of Cohen Handler and he put me on Facetime and so we felt quite confident. Now we’re here, we couldn’t be happier.

“If I can give advice to anyone thinking of moving for a better lifestyle, it would be just do it. It’s not worth wasting time waiting.”

With international travel off the cards, wealthy southern buyers not interested in making a permanent move north, are grabbing beachfront properties to use as a holiday destination.

Mr Stevens said these high-net worth buyers don’t care where they buy as long as it is beachfront, although areas such as Noosa, the Gold Coast and Byron Bay are hot spots.

“Anywhere from Main Beach to Palm Beach is sizzling,” he said. “Buyers are trending towards the blue-chip areas and they’re not interested in returns, they just want a lockup and leave holiday home.

“They see these destinations as not only a good place to come on holiday, but a safe haven for their money.”

Matt and Kim Ely recently sold their Little Mountain home to a Victorian buyer sight unseen for a record price. Photograph: Lachie Millard

Estate agent goes doorknocking to find sellers

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice but for one Sunshine Coast real estate agent that’s exactly what happened.

During the pandemic Scott Louis of McGrath estate agency sold a property in Little Mountain to keen Victorian family, but left behind a swath of disappointed potential buyers.

To keep them happy and his sales record on a roll Mr Louis took matters into his own hands, doorknocking the street, looking for another potential vendor.

“I tried the house next door, because it looked like the type of property my clients were after,” Mr Louis said.

He couldn’t believe his luck when Matt and Kim Ely, the owners of a nearby Casuarina Drive home, opened the door and invited him in.

Mr Ely said the request wasn’t a complete surprise to him.

“For years I had joked that this house would sell to someone who knocked on our front door and low and behold …”

Mr Ely, who owns a building company, Ely Projects, had not long ago finished a renovation of the house that he, his wife Kim, and their four children have lived in for 12 years. “We were thinking of maybe selling later in the year, but when Scott knocked on the door, with the promise of a long list of genuine buyers, we decided to just go ahead,” he said.

The house was put in front of six interested groups and sold to a Victorian family, sight unseen, for a suburb record of $1.25 million.

Mr Louis said Queensland properties offer interstate buyers excellent value for money. “To get a house like this in Melbourne, on almost 2896sq m and 10 minutes from the coast, you would be paying $3 million to $4 million,” he said.

Southerners seeking a sea change or a holiday home can pick up this five-bedroom waterfront home at 17 Southern Cross Drive, Surfers Paradise through Kollosche estate agency

TOP 20 LOCATIONS FOR SOUTHERNERS

1 Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

2 Hope Island, Gold Coast

3 Buderim, Sunshine Coast

4 Palm Beach, Gold Coast

5 Coolangatta, Gold Coast

6 Broadbeach Waters, Gold Coast

7 Robina, Gold Coast

8 Maroochydore, Sunshine Coast

9 Southport, Gold Coast

10 Broadbeach, Gold Coast

11 Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast

12 Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast

13 Coolum Beach, Sunshine Coast

14 Coomera, Gold Coast

15 Burleigh Waters, Gold Coast

16 Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast

17 Labrador, Gold Coast

18 Noosaville, Sunshine Coast

19 Tugun, Gold Coast

20 Runaway Bay, Gold Coast

Source: realestate.com.au

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New data shows that North Ward is the fastest selling suburb for houses outside of Brisbane, with another Townsville suburb also making the state’s top 10.

REA figures show houses in the sought-after bayside suburb are changing hands, on average, in 40 days, with 22 houses sold in the past 12 months.

And it is also good news for vendors’ hip pockets, with the median sales price hitting $642,500 – up 23.6 per cent over 12 months.

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Two Townsville suburbs are among Queensland’s top 10 fastest selling suburbs. Picture: Wesley Monts

But sales prices vary widely, with Janice Gallagher of Janice Gallagher Real Estate selling a stunner with bay views for $1.27 million in June and Tarquinn Watson of North Ward Realty flipping a renovator’s delight for $440,000 in just 22 days on August 5.

“That house (on a 506sq m block) had been in the same family for over 40 years,” Mr Watson said.

“It was listed online at 9am and under contract by 11am, going unconditional 22 days later (Wednesday).

“I was actually at the property taking photographs for the listing when they (the buyer) came up to me and tried to shoo me away, asking me what my interest in it was.

“They knew it was going up for sale and they jumped on it as soon as it did.”

Agent Tarquinn Watson had this North Ward house under contract just two hours after it was listed online at realestate.com.au

But prospective buyers were not deterred by the “under contract” listing, with Mr Watson fielding over 30 calls in a week.

North Ward Realty Agent Tarquinn Watson is fielding calls from interstate buyers keen to get flee the big smoke for a regional lifestyle

He said buyers, both local and interstate, were desperate to get a foot on the North Ward property ladder.

“There are buyers offering cash and unconditional contracts, often sight unseen,” he said.

But it is not just North Ward shining on the sales stage. Median days on market data shows houses in West End are also moving quickly, selling in 42 days.

By comparison, the state’s fastest selling suburb – Red Hill in Brisbane – is seeing houses sell in 36 days (median days on market).

Julie Mahoney of Ray White Julie Mahoney has three properties listed in West End, Townsville, including 30 Garrick Street for $339,000.

Described as a “funky red brick revival”, Ms Mahoney said proximity to the city, The Strand and the stadium were driving demand in the inner-city suburbs.

The “funky red brick revival” is listed for $339,000

She also said the ongoing coronavirus crisis interstate was also forcing interstate buyers to re-evaluate where and how they wanted to live.

“A lot of my interstate clients want to come back home to Townsville with their families,” she said.

“Covid has meant many are thinking about what life is really all about and many are working from home anyway so can work from anywhere.

“I have sold houses (in Townsville) over FaceTime and Zoom.”

Ray White’s Julie Mahoney has had incredible success recently in Townsville with selling houses at auction

Ms Mahoney said some lucky buyers were also seeing healthier capital growth – a positive sign after several tough years in the property market.

Of the top 10 fastest selling suburbs in Queensland, only North Ward and West End in Townsville made the cut.

And of those top 10, North Ward recorded the biggest increase in median sales price of all suburbs.

REA chief economist Nerida Conisbee said their data was showing a marked increase in people searching for properties in regional areas.

samantha.healy@news.com.au

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Big sale – 11 Yarrara Rd, Pymble.

An ex-pat family who fell in love with a Pymble home they saw online were not going to let a major hurdle like overseas travel bans stop them in their quest to buy it.

With a daughter enrolled in Pymble Ladies College (PLC), the Hong Kong-based ex-pats are planning to return and have been on the hunt for a home.

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When they saw 11 Yarrara Rd, Pymble, they were very keen, said Phil Orr, of Orr&Co.

After viewing the property online and seeing videos, they arranged for a family member to drive to the north shore from Melbourne to inspect the home.

Street appeal.

Resort-style pool.

The mission wasn’t without its challenges though, Mr Orr said.

“He got here a day before the borders were closed (due to the major coronavirus outbreak in Victoria),” Mr Orr said. After the inspection, the family member headed back to his Melbourne home – and a 14-day quarantine.

All-seasons outdoor living.

Classic style.

It turned out to be worth it though. The family bought the home for $3.7 million, which also sets a new street record by $1.45 million. The previous record was set in June, 2017, with the sale of 10 Yarrara Rd for $2.25 million.

“PLC remains such a driver for interest in that area,” Mr Orr said.

“It was a great result.”

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