Tuesday, 18 November, 2014
Industry experts reveal development hotspots
By Scott Sawyer
Short and long-term property investments could be about to spike, with important infrastructure projects to bolster the Coast property market, according to industry experts.
Archers Body Corporate Management director, Andrew Staehr said, with plenty of projects in the pipeline, including Kawana’s health precinct and the new Maroochydore CBD, the time was right to snap up reasonably-priced investments while they remained.
“It’s a good time for people to invest in the Sunshine Coast strata market, it’s not over-inflated, projects are still very reasonably priced and investors are getting good returns,” Mr Staehr said.
“We’re seeing a lot of new projects around the ‘hot spots’ near the new Kawana Hospital and Sunshine Coast University.
“A lot of the developments in the works at the moment are really residential-focused and many investors are looking to long-term rentals over short-term or holiday lets.”
Ray White Maroochydore principal Dan Sowden believed the key precinct zones would be proving enticing to future buyers and said he felt buyers who could enter the market and hold onto their properties long-term would reap the biggest benefits.
“The Kawana medical precinct and Maroochydore CBD, any property in and around these zones is going to be quite attractive to owner-occupiers and investors,” Mr Sowden said.
“Everything we should be doing at the moment should be long term. After then (2020) we will start to see significant capital price increases.”
Mr Sowden said the current rent market was leaving buyers with less available choice, as investors moved to enter the market while it remained at an achievable level.
He believed the lure of future residential developments was that they were offering purchasers a product at a reasonable entry price, with many sale prices expected to be between $370,000 to $500,000, and rentals from $400 to $450, enabling new residents to live in close proximity to future precincts.
Founder of Matusik Property Insights, Michael Matusik, believed investors were best placed to play it safe in the next 12-24 months, and snap up ‘capital city-type’ property.
“Investors need to buy affordable, mainstream rental property,” he said.
“Now looks like a good time to buy a Sunshine Coast investment. Prices should increase over the next 12-24 months and rents are rising.”
“The Sunshine Coast property play moving forward is more about jobs and buying ‘capital city stock’, rather than lifestyle coastal property.”
Sunshine Coast Sunday
Tags: Apartment Living, business, CBD, coast, development, Investment Opportunity, maroochy boulevard, Maroochydore, master plan, opportunity, Queensland, Sunshine Coast Investment, Sunshine Cove, Sunshine Plaza, waterfront
Posted in Press Clippings
