QLD New to Brisbane, Where to Buy??? Please Help

Hi guys/girls,

My wife and I are moving to Brisbane from Hobart Tasmania.

We are looking to buy a house @ $610,000 or less.

We want to stay away from any dodge areas and areas that flood.
We need a 500m block or larger due to dogs.

Please pick the best suburbs below or advise of others. Thankyou really appreciate your help

North
Albany Creek

Murrumba Downs

Kallangur

Bray Park

Petrie

South
Forest Lake

Alexandra Hills

Capalaba

Cleveland

Thornlands

 

For floods check relevant council sites. It has to be a property specific search. Usually free, so can check as many properties as you like. Sometimes half the street would flood and half not.

Thornlands is nice. But can be a pain to get to anywhere for work.

With that budget, I would look at
Bald Hills
Boondall
Deagon
Ferny Hills
Keperra


Maybe also
Strathpine
Kippa Ring

 

Where will you be working?

 

Coopers Plains

 

Thankyou - Ferny Hills looks great

 

If you are working southwards and it’s a permanent thing (company you know and like), I would probably prefer something closer than Ferny Hills.

Moorooka or Wight Mile plains for example. I would avoid Rocklea. Note that Ferny grove is on the same train line. So could be very convenient. But it’s NOT a short train ride!

 

Thanks

 

Alex hills is nice and still semi rural which is cool
capalaba is generally not as nice but you can get everything you will ever need there - its the sort of place which is good to live near but not in
with a 610 budget you may still be able to jag a place in birkdale, wello point or thorneside

Its also worth keeping an eye on wynnum, manly west, lota as the odd bargain still comes up

the whole redlands area is largely ignored by investors on this forum, no idea why as there is clearly strong PPOR demand in the area and houses regularly sell for 1.5mill plus yet you can still buy a 550k house down the street

 

100% agree. If you want Northside then yes these areas are good but lots and lots of competition now. I'd probably add Bracken Ridge and Petrie to the list and Northlakes as well.

If you want Southside Forest Lake at $600k will provide you an AWESOME home. That place has moved a lot as well. Smallish 3/1/1 on <300sqm now selling for $420k+. On your budget you can get something on 600sqm and a much larger place.

$610k wont get you much by the end of 2021 I think. Everything is moving in Brisbane/Moreton Bay/Logan and even Ipswich is moving.

 

Just be careful with purchasing in the current market. Many homes that are being sold either have undesirable qualities or are ridiculously overpriced. It's a seller's market, so those properties that wouldn't ordinarily sell in a buyer's market are now up for grabs. People, out of desperation, are buying anything they can get their hands on, and that includes lemons.
Also in QLD, many agents will encourage you to put an offer on a contract. Beware that if the vendor signs it too, then it will be legally binding, so make sure you are happy with the property and with the cooling off period and terms before you sign anything.
Good luck.

 

All properties eventually sell. It just depends on the time when they list. Also whats a lemon? I've made the most money on houses that 99% ppl called lemons back in the day - now ppl are paying close to or over $1M a pop for them.

 

In that case I would not look at the northern suburbs. Brisbane traffic is horrid.

Does anyone know what Acacia Ridge is like these days? It’s close and very reasonably priced. It was a bit feral but I haven’t been there in 10 years.

Salisbury is another one to look at, although you might need to get something that needs a little work with your budget.

 

Thanks. I really like the look of Forest Lake. Just heard that it is close to Inala/may have a bit of crime so wasn’t sure.

 

Have you been to Inala? Whoever is saying there is massive crime there have not been there EVER or reading some online blog from the early 2000s. LOL

Its a very multicultural area, ALOT of Vietnamese there (I have very good friends that live there) AND if you love Viet food (i.e) Pho, Banh Mi, Crispy Skin Chicken, Special Broken Rice hmmmmm......yum its even better.

Go fly up there. Its open now. Return flight tickets will be less than $400 bucks last time i checked. Go have a day up there, have a nice lunch, drive around see the areas and stay the night (or week). Well worth the trip for someone not from up there.

Let me put this into perspective. Ppl in Sydney think Parramatta, Blacktown, Granville , St Marys, ,Penrith etc....are dangerous? You got to be kidding me. My 65 year old mom walks around all these areas for the past 30-40 years without a single issue. She absolutely loves these places and will never move away even if we won 50 million lotto. Anyone that thinks that has been sheltered their entire life.

What is scary is some parts of Detroit/Chicago in the USA. NOW that was scary. NO suburb, repeat NO suburb or city in and around Sydney/Brisbane or any other major has nothing on some places. You got nothing to worry about.

 

Forest Lake was developed between 2001 and 2006 as a master planned community. May be a nice house and somewhere nice to live.

But you are asking the question on a property investment forum. It will be difficult to add value and almost impossible to subdivide, unless you wait another 25 years to demolish and build a duplex or town houses.

I would assume you will drive to work in Coopers Plains. Look to the north, as close to Brisbane as possible. Find a larger lot with potential for adding value or development. Salisbury might suit, eg this one on 1078m2.
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-rocklea-135885202

Watch the flood layers in the city plan.

 

I think we went over that street in 2011 in my boat ,to see how far the flood had affected that small pocket as one on my mates had a house in that street,so rather then me bring up the flood map ,make sure you check that out 1000%--plus full flood insurance will be below or above 4k,that's ''IF'' you can find a cover..

Salisbury would be in your target range,excellent area --trains--buses--Aldi--Hospital's --School both private and public in close range,and Flood Free..welcome to queensland...imho..

BTW..The agent in that link knows that area backwards ..imho..

 

Another vote for Salisbury.

 

Salisbury, forget Rocklea

 

If u like the look of forest lake also ckeck out 17 mile rocks, oxley and sinnamon park.

U would be wise to consider Salisbury.

If u have other considerations ( school and access to gold coast ) daisy hill, spriingwood also great.

Forget northside u will DIE in the traffic.

The gossip regarding crime is not the same as the statistics. ...... a lot of crime near the coast , inner city etc.