Southeast Queensland house prices could be on the rise

SOUTHEAST Queensland house prices are tipped to grow by up to 20 per cent in the next few years as Sydney and Melbourne’s once sizzling property markets continue to lose steam, according to veteran real estate agent John McGrath.

Speaking after the release of the group’s annual residential market report, Mr McGrath told The Courier-Mail the state was only just over halfway through the current property cycle and stood to benefit from the slowdown starting to grip the southern capitals.

“We’re very bullish in your part of the world,” Mr McGrath said.

“There’s no doubt in my mind there will continue to be growth in southeast Queensland.”

Property research firm CoreLogic, which releases its monthly home value index this week, has flagged a further fall in Sydney housing values, but a rise of 0.3 per cent in Brisbane home prices.

Mr McGrath said he expected between 10 per cent and 20 per cent growth over the next two to three years in the Queensland’s southeast corner, led by Brisbane.

“There have been huge capital gains in Sydney and Melbourne and not only has it made it unaffordable … it’s certainly made people look for better value elsewhere in the country,” he said.

“I think southeast Queensland and Perth represent that value.”

The McGrath report found southeast Queensland’s affordability was attracting record levels of interstate migration as well as rising interest from investors and first home buyers, with its housing market continuing to produce solid results despite the economy remaining sluggish as it transitions away from mining.

“During the GFC, a lot of people thought it was sensible to wait, but now we’ve got a lot of people sitting in ordinary homes in Sydney and Melbourne worth $2 million to $2.5 million — many in their 60s and 70s — who are saying ‘what could we do next?’ and looking to southeast Queensland,” Mr McGrath said.

And he said it wasn’t just Baby Boomers and seachangers who were selling up and buying in Queensland with money to spare, but also young families.

Mr McGrath predicts suburbs with easy access to the CBD, the water and or infrastructure to be the big winners over the next year.

In Brisbane, his top pick is the bayside suburb of Wynnum, 14km from the CBD.

It borders the more prestigious Manly and boasts the same seaside village atmosphere without the hefty price tag, which is attracting younger professionals as well as interstate and international buyers.

North Lakes in the Moreton Bay region is also expected to continue to experience strong growth, with significant residential and commercial developments in the pipeline.

“I think it’s going to continue to attract a lot of young families that can’t afford inner Brisbane,” Mr McGrath said.

On the Gold Coast, Coomera is tipped to benefit from new infrastructure including the $470 million Westfield Shopping Centre due to open in late 2018.