Frankston 2018 top unit price growth and Mt Martha top house price growth 2018

[bayside]

'Melbourne’s price growth stars revealed

'Amid the doom and gloom surrounding the Melbourne housing market, the city’s median sale price crept up last year, according to Victoria’s peak real estate body. Find out our top growth suburbs. 

Amid the doom and gloom surrounding the Melbourne housing market, the city’s median sale price actually crept up last year.

Victoria’s peak real estate body found Melbourne’s house median rose 1.4 per cent from $815,000 in 2017 to $826,500 in 2018.

The figure was pulled up by booming outer suburbs including Mt Martha, Officer and Cranbourne North, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.

But a lacklustre December quarter, in which the house median fell 3.7 per cent, ensured the annual gains were only slight.

Melbourne’s unit median also increased 1.8 per cent to $597,000 in 2018.

REIV president Robyn Waters said despite sluggish auction clearance rates, a 20 per cent annual drop in residential sales and low confidence in the market, vendors who did offload homes still achieved good prices in 2018.

“It might take you a bit longer to sell and you might have to put in a bit more effort,” she said.

“But the big picture is showing house prices have increased slightly in Melbourne.”

A recent report from another property data firm, CoreLogic, found Melbourne house values fell 9.1 per cent and unit values, 2.3 per cent, in 2018.

But the REIV figures only take into account residences that sold in the city last year, while CoreLogic calculated the median estimated value of all residences in greater Melbourne, not just those that changed hands.

Melbourne’s outer ring (houses up 3.1 per cent) and regional Victoria (up 5.5 per cent) were the big winners of 2018, according to REIV, with affordability, improving infrastructure and first-home buyer incentives boosting demand.

The capital’s top 20 annual growth suburbs for houses were all more than 20km from the city, and many of them in the southeast, with Mt Martha notably rising 12.3 per cent to a $1,100,500 median.

It was followed by Officer (up 10.7 per cent to $587,500), Cranbourne North (10.1 per cent, $600,000), Hampton Park (10 per cent, $550,000) and Pakenham (9.3 per cent, $530,000).

Bonaccorde director Amanda Haimona expected “sleeping giant” Mt Martha to continue rising in 2019.

While formerly dominated by holiday-makers and retirees, the Mornington Peninsula suburb was attracting more permanent homebuyers thanks to new infrastructure like Balcombe Grammar School and the Peninsula Link, and flexible work arrangements allowing work from home, she said.

Nicholas Lynch Real Estate director Nicholas Lynch said Mt Martha had also been boosted by the fact neighbouring Mornington had become a “satellite city” with all the amenities a resident could need.

“Mornington’s like Chapel St now, with what it offers,” he said.'

Top annual growth suburbs for houses

1. Mt Martha: up 12.3% to $1,100,500

2. Officer: up 10.7% to $587,500

3. Cranbourne North: up 10.1% to $600,000

Top annual growth suburbs for units

1. Frankston: up 11.9% to $445,000

2. Richmond: up 11.5% to $640,000

3. Brunswick West: up 10.5% to $482,500

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by bayside