I have some long term growth statistics for Ballarat and some of her areas which maybe of interest to you:
Ballarat: 1994 Median House Price: $75,000............2004 MHP: $190,000.................Change of: 153%
Beaufort: 1994 MHP: $47,500.................2004: $133,250............181%
Bendigo (just for fun): 1994: $84,000..........2004: $200,000..........138%
Buninyong: 1994: $101,500..................2004: $222,500..............119%
Castlemaine: (not Ballarat, just for fun).. 1994: $74,875.......2004: $210,000.......180%
Creswick: 1994: $71,500....................2004: $170,000........138%
Daylesford: (Lovely tourist area): 1994: $90,000.............2004: $260,000..................189%
Miners Rest: 1994: $117,500............2004: $235,000............100%
Sebastopol: 1994: $75,000...............2004: $173,500..........131%
Skipton: 1994: $33,500.................2004: $115,000.............243%
Wendouree: 1994: $79,250..............2004: $176,056............122%
The data is a little old to gauge the Ballarat city and immediate suburb(s) performance, but interesting figures all the same..(I'm over investing in Bendigo area, and values are on par with that of Ballarat and region, give or take the odd less or more gain).
Statistics courtesy of Victorian Valuer-General 1994-2005
Also there is this thread in main property forum, which I think you know about, you guys might be able to trade notes?
http://www.somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39504
Plus there would be more recent stats from:
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/DSE/nrenp...5722F0013844F84B3A8C1C5C29729CA25728F00186F94
"
A Guide to Property Values features the best property sales information available in Victoria and is produced using information from the Victorian Valuer-General.
Figures cover houses, flats and units, vacant residential land and commercial, industrial and rural properties. They are compiled using information lodged every time a property sale is completed.
Produced annually for more than two decades, the guide tells you all you need to know about property sales prices and trends across the state. It provides property statistics for Victoria’s 79 municipalities and lists yearly medians by suburb over a ten-year period.
The guide also includes graphs and maps that show trends at a glance and an analysis of the latest data by Valuer-General Victoria.
A Guide to Property Values is produced by the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s LANDATA®.
The 2006 guide is now available.
Buy A Guide to Property Values online or order it by emailing [email protected] or by phoning (+61 3) 8636 2464."
Also I found this site not long ago:
(They source their values from Valuer-General too):
http://www.propertyvalue.com.au/faq.php
So, then you would have latest long term growth figures for almost any town, city you wish....mighty fine info to have, along with all your other due diligence