Regional Property

As COVID-19 marks the shift to valuing the importance of living nearby lifestyle amenities and natural spaces, beachside properties are becoming a hot commodity amongst investors and homebuyers.

Imagine investing in one of Australia&rsquo;s booming coastal hotspots, reaping the rewards of owning a beachside property in a suburb yet to reach its capital growth peak.

Urban takes a look at five properties in fast-growing beachside suburbs that may make for an exciting lifestyle change and strong investment decision.

1. Ryrie Home, Geelong

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5559 project_image_fid=88243]

Located in the fastest-growing regional city in Australia, Ryrie Home provides the ideal sea change for residents hoping to escape the bustle of cities like Melbourne and Sydney.

Located within walking distance to Eastern Beach, the property is also proving popular with investors. It was listed as Urban&#39;s most popular investor project for Q1 2021.

This is thanks to Geelong&rsquo;s low vacancy rate of 1.7 per cent and the 10 per cent per annum growth in apartments over the last three years.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5559 project_image_fid=168395]

Investors are similarly drawn to the growing region thanks to transport improvements in Geelong, including the $100 million fast rail and the&nbsp;$6.7 billion Westgate Tunnel which will shave 20 minutes off any commute.

Developed by Franz&eacute; and designed by Architectus, the project boasts one, two and three-bedroom residences across 11 storeys, drawing upon Geelong&rsquo;s history and its architectural vernacular.

2. Siskas at Taskers, Fremantle

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7864 project_image_fid=142658]

Only a 20-minutes drive to Perth&rsquo;s CBD or a swift boat cruise to the magnificent Rottnest Island, Siskas is a great new development to hit Fremantle.

Delivered by Gary Dempsey Developments, the development makes up the highly-anticipated final release of their coveted Taskers development.

Just 250-metres to Rocky Bay&rsquo;s stunning riverside walking trails or 450-metres to the pristine sands of Leighton Beach, Siskas enhances the cosmopolitan way of life that is resonating with owner-occupiers and investors alike.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7864 project_image_fid=142657]

Designed by Zuideveld Marchant Hur, the development features five-star hotel-quality amenities, including 3,000sqm of private landscaped grounds, communal herb garden and fruit trees and temperature-controlled wine appreciation room.

If you are looking for an investment property, Fremantle units rent for $430 per week with a rental yield of 4.3 per cent, according to REA Group.

3. Pearl, Main Beach

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106752 project_image_fid=169993]

Located at 3550-3552&nbsp;Main Beach Parade, Pearl rises 30 floors and boasts 80 two and three-bedroom residences in the affluent Gold Coast suburb.

Although demographics point to a large portion of established independents, youth and elderly singles, families moving to Main Beach have been steadily growing, making Main Beach an enviable location for budding investors.

This is all thanks to the convenience of living close by the Marina Mirage, which has an array of boutique shopping and waterfront dining experiences.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106752 project_image_fid=170009]

Developed by Raptis, Pearl offers a striking architectural presence and includes an exquisite lobby, rooftop pool and easy beach access.

Over the past year alone, two-bedroom units in Main Beach have seen weekly asking prices grow 17.0 per cent, according to SQM Research.

4.&nbsp;La Sal, Chelsea

[smartcode_project:default project_id=15254 project_image_fid=41692]

Drawing inspiration from the salt and sand of the sea nearby, La Sal presents the perfect beachside lifestyle in Chelsea.

Hallmarked by investors as a good investment suburb, Chelsea ranks second in Victoria when it comes to estimated capital gains experienced by property investors over the past three years, according to Smart Property Investment.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=15254 project_image_fid=41694]

Conceptualised and crafted by Lowe Living together with the acclaimed Chamberlain Architects, this boutique series of three townhomes and six apartments lies moments from Chelsea Beach.

The contemporary two-level built form sits in perfect harmony with its stunning beachside setting, evoking the essence of its striking context.

5. Villea, Palm Beach

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106840 project_image_fid=178468]

Delivered by Abadeen Group, Villea is nestled in the heart of the Southern Gold Coast and located only 400-metres from the beach.

The development comprises two and three-bedroom apartments, all with secure car parking and unrivalled panoramic views. 
 
Located in a commanding position with 70-metres of Northern frontage, Villea boasts incredible views over the Pacific Ocean, Tallebudgera Creek and the Burleigh Headland.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106840 project_image_fid=178475]

Designed by BDA Architecture, each apartment has been meticulously designed to maximise space, light, and liveability, with sophisticated interiors that celebrate attention to detail and premium finishes.

On the heels of surging interstate migration, Palm Beach units have had exponential growth of more than 83 per cent over the past half-decade.

Urban takes a look at five properties in fast-growing beachside suburbs that may make for an exciting lifestyle change and strong investment decision

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Five of Australia's best holiday home apartments near the beach

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The idea of moving to the country has <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-10/post-covid-19-pandemic-simpler-life-migration/12229082">gained momentum</a> through the COVID-19 pandemic. Many workplaces have introduced <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-management-resistance-overcome-working-from-home-may-be-here-to-stay-144850">new policies on working from home</a> that give employees the flexibility needed to make the switch.
Lockdowns have shown many just how cramped and uncomfortable life can be when you cannot escape to the usual activities that get you out of the house. And if everything is closed, what is the point of being in the city and paying a higher rent or mortgage anyway? The Reserve Bank has <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2020/sep/the-rental-market-and-covid-19">noted rents have gone down</a> and vacancy rates have gone up in major cities.
At the same time, some real estate agents have <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-15/australians-seek-regional-affordability-house-prices-coronavirus/12242252">noticed an upturn</a> in interest in renting or buying rural and regional properties. The <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/these-are-the-best-performing-property-markets-in-australia-domain-house-price-report-1000315/">demand in some regional areas</a> has pushed up prices by <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/where-regional-australian-house-prices-moved-the-most-domain-house-price-report-1000799/">as much as 30%</a> in the year to October. It seems many are already making the switch to country living.
It sounds idyllic. Escape the rat race, have space to grow veggies and let the kids play outside. You won’t have to commute any more, and you might even be able to buy a house in the country at a time when city prices remain out of reach for many. You could be living the dream.
Find a place that matches your values
So how do you know if this is right for you, or a disaster waiting to happen?
In <a href="https://eprints.usq.edu.au/34713/">my research</a> with people who moved to the country, I found successful moves came down to how closely aligned people’s values were with the attributes of the place they moved to. For example, some people value space and quiet more than bustle and activity. If they found these attributes in their new home, then they were able to craft a new life that was deeply satisfying.
When you look through the pages of a glossy magazine such as Country Style, you might find yourself yearning for the lifestyle it depicts – the grassy fields, the peaceful but quirky homes filled with flea-market finds, the home-grown abundance and the happy, contented people. These are long-held and highly regarded values that many hold dear.
The roots of these ideals are deep. Representations of the country as a rural idyll, a place to escape to, are centuries older than our <a href="https://theconversation.com/imagining-your-own-seachange-how-media-inspire-our-great-escapes-105207">current media</a>.
Epicurus (340BC to 270BC) moved from the centre of Athens to the countryside just outside so he could grow vegetables and live simply. Virgil’s (70BC to 19BC) Eclogues emphasised a rural idyll, as did much later painters such as John Constable and Eugene von Guérard. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden (1845) is an oft-quoted classic about an urban dweller moving to a rural place to live a better life (albeit temporarily in his case).
Early Australian writers such as A.B. “Banjo” Paterson and Henry Lawson took up this nostalgic ideal in the fledgling colony. So did artists such as Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and Charles Condor when they travelled to then-rural Heidelberg, now part of Melbourne, to paint the uniquely Australian countryside.
More recently, we have seen Peter Mayle’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Year_in_Provence">A Year in Provence</a> (1991) sketch a romantic picture of city dwellers moving to rural France. And there are popular television series such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Good_Life_(1975_TV_series)">The Good Life</a> (1975-77), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaChange">Seachange</a> (1998-2000, 2019), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Cottage_Australia">River Cottage Australia</a> (2013-16) and most recently <a href="https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/10/escape-from-the-city-reaches-final-episode">Escape from the City</a>.
Beware the gap between depictions and reality
We know the media are a powerful factor in helping us develop and share our identity and personal narratives. We respond to television shows, books and magazines that we are interested in by becoming their audience. We might share values, goals, ideas or even similar stories with the media we watch. We then, consciously or unconsciously, learn from or adopt those ideas and values in a process of socialisation that shows us how we might live a better life.
Media are only a representation, however. A multitude of factors, not least of which are sales and advertising revenues, go into the process of decision-making as images and stories are crafted for the various outlets. There can be a tendency for media to adopt stereotypes as a shorthand form of communication, but these do not necessarily reflect the reality they purport to depict.
This might seem obvious, but it is all too easy to accept these images as truth when we are inclined towards that viewpoint anyway.
Do you value the things that make a rural place what it is, whether that is peacefulness, an absence of people, vistas of rolling hills, or the community of a small country town? If you do, there’s a good chance a move to the country will enable you to live more closely in line with your values and so be a successful one.
If, on the other hand, you value city-style living, which includes attractions, shops, events and being close to services, you might want to reassess whether a seachange or treechange is right for you.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachael-wallis-568028">Rachael Wallis</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a>
This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-in-lockdown-but-is-moving-to-the-country-right-for-you-148807">original article</a>.
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It seemed like a good idea in lockdown, but is moving to the country right for you?

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A Western Division pastoral property, Moorna Station is being marketed by CBRE on behalf of the Walsh family, who have held the historic property since 1983.
Expressions of interest for <a href="https://property.cbre.com.au/properties/465-rufus-river-road-wentworth-nsw-2648/" target="_blank">Moorna Station</a> close on October 27, with offers expected to be submitted on the high side of $8 million. 
Moorna Station, in the lower Murray region, is a sustainable grazing operation supplemented by cropping, with further potential for more intensive development, including irrigated horticulture and viticulture.
Situated 30 kilometres west of Wentworth, fronting the north bank of the Murray River, Moorna Station is 18,896 hectares.
The property was one of the first to be settled on the lower Murray when it was taken up in 1846 by Ned Bagot, at about twice its present size.
In 1850 the station changed hands to E.B. Scott, who built the first homestead before selling in 1862 to John Crozier, whose extended family stayed until 1939.
It was then bought by a syndicate of South Australian interests including the Hawker family of Bungaree Merino stud, who introduced their bloodlines to the 70-year-old Moorna stud.
In 1972 Moorna was acquired by Douglas Morphett, who divided the property in two when reselling in 1978, the eastern section becoming Warrananga, while the homestead block was bought by David Hawker, who sold to the present owners.
The Moorna homestead, erected in 1869 by William Crozier was expanded by his brother-in-law Ben Chaffey in 1912.
Set in established gardens beside the Murray River, the rendered brick homestead of 10 bedrooms comprises three wings with a central courtyard.
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Moorna Station offered with $8 million plus hopes

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GUEST OBSERVER
Ever fancied a tree change or a sea change or any kind of change - where you set your sights a few hours away from the capital cities? It's an increasing phenomenon for both investors and home owners.
What makes regional properties so attractive to investors is how affordable they are. They boast a much better entry price than their city counterparts. As capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne become more expensive in terms of both property and lifestyle we're seeing a small exodus of renters and lower income earners to regional centres such as Newcastle or Geelong.
As these areas boost their infrastructure and local economies, this in turn further encourages population expansion. It's not even just regional centres but also major towns. Certainly several experts have noticed the imminent expansion out to the country and regions driven in part by the sky rocketing prices of Sydney and Melbourne.
All of this means that well-chosen regional centres are an exciting proposition for the canny investor.
Buying in regional areas come with a whole new slate of potential risks you may not have thought of.
However, buying in regional areas come with a whole new slate of potential risks you may not have thought of. In cities you may have to contend with strict council planning permissions, aircraft noise or lack of parking. But property investors in rural or regional areas can possibly be up for anything from feral cats to flooding and fires and drought. Let's run through a few of the usual and unusual pitfalls to consider:
 
Flood Zones: With a rapidly shifting climate, flood areas themselves are changing across Australia. There are even parts of Sydney that are identified as flood zones. Other regional centres have a history of flooding - parts of the coastal plains on the South Coast, such as Thirroul - being notable examples. Then there can be once-in-a-lifetime, catastrophic floods, like the floods which swamped Brisbane and Queensland a few years ago.
Scour through the local government records and ask to see the flood zone map for your property. While the council has the responsibility for flood prevention, in certain circumstances the property owner does too. Flood insurance will also add to the cost of the property. 
 
Soil: It's critical to do soil tests for any property you buy in regional or rural areas. The type of soil that your property is situated on can incur extra costs for earthworks and land retention. Hire a professional engineer to carry out tests. They will look for things like contaminants, and if the property is on a large rock. All these things will affect the foundation the house is built on and also affect any plans to subdivide and add new buildings. 
Fire danger: This is part and parcel of the harsh landscape of Australia. Bush fires have become more menacing and frequentin recent times. So it’s crucial you check with the local council and ask to view the bushfire prone map. This will tell you how dangerous the area you're buying into is and how susceptible to fires. You'll need to consider insurance and there may also be bushfire construction compliance codes you need to meet which will add to the cost of building the house and perhaps limit what you can do with it. 
 
Crown Roads: Crown roads are an infrequent oddity that can catch regional property owners by surprise. Essentially crown roads are long dormant roads that run through properties. They are usually not even visible nor are they roads in the strict sense. They are more like old worn out tracks and are often only visible on survey maps. Nonetheless they can cause all kinds of headaches for the owner of the property.
Crown roads mean that members of the public are allowed to drive through the property provided they stay on the road. It can be difficult to develop or renovate your property as the crown road cannot be moved and you'll find yourself working around it. And trying to get rid of the crown road is legally difficult and can be highly expensive or both. Not to mention how crown roads can create bad blood with neighbours in battles over access. 
So to avoid the trauma and stress of a crown road check out the survey maps to any property thoroughly.
Utilities: How well connected is the property for water, gas, electricity and heating? If it is somewhat self-sufficient by using systems such as rain water tanks or solar panels – then commission a report and find out the average rain levels or sunlight. Also it’s worth checking out the worst case "what ifs"... For example, what if the roads to the town are all flooded, can the property cope on its own for a few days? What kind of emergency utility back-ups do you have in case of natural disasters?
Area development: What kind of industries may move in next door? This can be anything from highly disruptive operations like coal seam mining to abattoirs and fruit harvesting. It's worth investigating the local economy generally. Country and regional areas are highly affected by any sudden changes to the local industry; for instance, if a large plant closes down or a new rural cattle station opens up. This will have a flow on effect to the economy and the population growth. 
Environmental protection: You'll definitely need to investigate your land management responsibilities. This covers a whole raft of things from pest or weed control, to land degradation, removing trees or building and maintaining fences, native vegetation and health issues. Both the state government and local government may have different requirements form you the landowner. So take care to find your what your responsibilities are and factor in any potential costs. 
So, to sum up, just as much, if not more research is required when buying into regional and rural property markets. There are a slate of highly variable differences to consider that can affect whether your investment is really viable. So, to paraphrase John Williamson - do give us a home among the gum trees but check that the plum trees aren't going to fall on the house.
 SAM KHALIL is founder and director of <a href="https://www.dpn.com.au/" target="_blank">Direct Property Network</a>.
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Tips for buying property in rural or regional locations: DPN's Sam Khalil

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Property prices in Australia’s regional resource hubs have plunged by up to 74% over the past three years, according to CBRE’s latest research Australian ViewPoint, as the market continues to come off its peak after riding the mining boom for more than a decade.
The research paper, <a href="https://researchgateway.cbre.com/Layouts/PublicReportAccess/Default.aspx?PUBID=7a61a674-8a41-4d03-a28a-cac27a301a15" target="_blank">Volatile pricing in mining towns</a>, by Jacob Fong and Sam Reilly shows mining towns are now seeing the flipside of the cycle, as resource spending declines and transient populations relocate. 
Residential markets in Queensland’s mining towns have experienced the biggest drop in property prices, with some sales reflecting falls of 73.4% in Dysart and 70.6% in Moranbah over the past three years.
<a href="/images/2015/10/27/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-27%20at%2010.36.53%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/27/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-27%20at%2010.36.53%20AM.png" alt="" width="1020" height="833"> 
CBRE senior research manager Sam Reilly said the Isaac region had been highly exposed to resource spending and was now seeing significant contraction as the market came off its peak. 
“The boom period for Queensland’s mining town house prices is over, and as investment spending continues to slow, demand for property has contracted significantly, resulting in substantial price volatility in these markets,” Mr Reilly said. 
“Rental demand, previously fuelled by resource employment has now fallen and plunging rental returns have seen capital values contract by more than 70% in some areas.” 
On the west coast, residential markets in the state’s mining towns have also experienced a sharp tumble in property prices, with Karratha council area recording a 44% fall in prices since 2012 – including a 31% dive in the past year. 
Mr Reilly said the construction led jobs boom in Australia’s resource rich areas had passed. 
“$65 billion in mining projects across Australia have been completed over the past two years and have now transitioned to the export phase, which is far less labour intensive,” Mr Reilly explained. 
“With commodity prices down 40% from 2012 levels, the chances of a rapid rebound in new resource projects is low, therefore, the residential markets in Australia’s mining towns are unlikely to enter a new growth cycle over at least the medium term.” 
<a href="/images/2015/10/27/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-27%20at%2010.39.20%20AM.png" target="_blank">Click to enlarge</a>
<img src="/images/2015/10/27/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-27%20at%2010.39.20%20AM.png" alt="">
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Regional Property

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