Brisbane's northside

Hi

I am considering Brisbane northside suburbs for buying investment homes around areas like Fitzgibbon, Bracken ridge, Bald Hills etc. for under $400k
Can anyone shed any light on capital growth potential of these areas.

Thanks in advance.
 
There is a nice little pocket at Bald hills near the train station and behind St Pauls - I would probably leave the rest - Bracken Ridge is going nicely - but dont look there much. I like deagon and Brighton - Sandgate went from ave house price 6 months ago from $460 to 600 so its only got to help the joining burbs along - But that said I also buy and flick so I am probably in a different market.
 
Gday Crowdsurfa,

This is my patch of the woods, so I might be able to provide some more info if needed. You still have quite a bit of choice in that price range for houses in those suburbs you mention, depends also on how new you would like your house to be and other things you are looking for. The more specific you are able to drill down into your goals the easier it is to offer solutions.

I love the train station tip from pa1nter, it's one I follow with my own investing. Also you are able to sneak in closer to the city with compromises like smaller block sizes and houses needing cosmetic work to bring them up to standard within the <400 price range, if you want the new house and land then things are different.

Cheers,
Andrew
 
I am also interested in that area of the northside, and currently reside in Taigum (next to Fitzgibbon/Bracken Ridge).

What do you think of Taigum as an area to invest in - it has a decent shopping centre, good bus service to city (or train station and Chermside shops), and train station is about 15-20min walk but 2min drive with Chermside shops about 10-15min drive?

I agree with proximity to train line - but does it need to be walking distance, or is a 15min walk (or 2min drive) near enough to not have the noise that goes with it in your opinions?
 
I am also interested in that area of the northside, and currently reside in Taigum (next to Fitzgibbon/Bracken Ridge).

What do you think of Taigum as an area to invest in - it has a decent shopping centre, good bus service to city (or train station and Chermside shops), and train station is about 15-20min walk but 2min drive with Chermside shops about 10-15min drive?

I agree with proximity to train line - but does it need to be walking distance, or is a 15min walk (or 2min drive) near enough to not have the noise that goes with it in your opinions?
I like <200m from the train station personally as I see potential for rezoning as a sweetner in some areas for long term buy and hold people, and no harm done if nothing ever changes. I place a high value on the walk factor of a property, for most I imagine a 15m walk is acceptable to the train, and even with expensive petrol a 2 minute car trip should be ok! Train noise travels a long way with the right conditions, though it's a pretty nice sound I find, much rather have that than plane noise!

I too like the area generally with Centro Taigum being a decent shopping centre and Chermside, Aspley Hypermarket and Gympie Rd all providing plenty of choices. Also the gateway and the sunshine coast is really not that far away for a trip in the car. TAFE & Nudgee College also in the area.

Bigger blocks with an older house on them are my preference as I like the value add possibilities, though there is a wide range of newer housing and subdivisions to choose from as well. Have some friends who are very happy with their newer house in Fitzgibbon.
 
Hi

Thanks for the replies.
I notice there is an urban renewal plan for Fitzgibbon with a focus on social housing. This means multilevel residential units, smaller blocks and smaller homes.

Could the new lower price sales weigh down the median price for the suburb or would the new infrastructure that comes with the development boost it and all surrounding areas?

It looks like there's going to be a new feeder road from Telegraph road down to Carseldine train station, so that has to be good, especially for Bracken ridge residents who park and ride.
 
I notice there is an urban renewal plan for Fitzgibbon with a focus on social housing. This means multilevel residential units, smaller blocks and smaller homes.

Surely blocks can't go much smaller. We looked in there a couple of years ago and the houses were set very close to narrow roads. If you parked in the driveway the car covered more than half the footpath. The houses were not over-large but left very little open garden space between them.
Marg
 
Forgot to mention that All of Boondall down near the train station ( lots of big blocks with houses going for 300 - 450 is going to be rezoned into LMR for Townhouses and units as part of an urban redev down there around train station. If I has spare money to hold I would pick a large block and sell it later or develop it myself into units.

But that said I have watched Boondall up on the hill for a long time and property has not doubled in 10 years - there is a lot of new land in Taigum down the back watching to see what it does to all the other homes - but traditionally that area is very popular for renting.

Personally I like the Shorncliffe line to commute as there are not so many people and you can always get a seat - I have to wonder if that is a good value added point for properties along that line as it can not be added to unlike the cab/ Petrie line that will have to take the load from Redcliffe when ( ever ) that gets done.
 
Hey PI,
Can you tell me more about the possible re-zoning of Boondall. Is there much on the BCC website. Where id you get your info? Would like to know more if you have anything.
Cheers
 
I spoke to a town planner at Chermside - also I have a friend who is a town planner she was the first to put me onto it. Then I was about to buy a house on land there and it was held up because council wanted to wait and rezone - I dont know when its happening but the council has started to buy up property around the station - like directly around the station. So I guess soon
 
I spoke to a town planner at Chermside - also I have a friend who is a town planner she was the first to put me onto it. Then I was about to buy a house on land there and it was held up because council wanted to wait and rezone - I dont know when its happening but the council has started to buy up property around the station - like directly around the station. So I guess soon
Is this Boondall or North Boondall station? Boondall has many houses on the small frontage 405 blocks next to it, and I can't see any purchases by council recently there. I do like a hot tip but am not sure how to verify this one!?

I also prefer this train line, if you watch what has gone on around Nundah over the last decade in terms of higher use and gentrification and just track the line out you tend to see plenty of potential I think :)
 
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Andrew its seems common knowledge around the area - I was looking at a block opposite the caravan park on the corner but they were told to hold in the end due to rezoning.

I suppose the only way you will know for sure to to speak to town planning
 
Andrew its seems common knowledge around the area - I was looking at a block opposite the caravan park on the corner but they were told to hold in the end due to rezoning.

I suppose the only way you will know for sure to to speak to town planning

This interesting as it's not mentioned anywhere on the councils website from what I can tell.

I have checked the major plans and the neighbourhood plans and nothing jumps out about this. Infact it's almost like it's being kept quiet. If anyone can find it in anyone the neighbourhood or district plans I would appreciate the web link please. I guess if councils buying land you'd only have to ask your agent to check the ownership in this area using their rpdata access.

Thanks again all.
 
Chermide and Bracken Ridge

There was an article (can't remember the source) recently which named Chermside and Bracken Ridge as 2 of the 10 hotspots for 2010. With Chermside there is so much development going on so it's obvious that it'll continue to go ahead. It's getting a bit pricey though.

Bracken Ridge could be the bolter. It's still fairly close to town (15km), close to some great schools, shopping, rail line close by, reasonable size blocks, modern housing estates. The clincher is the northern busway, not due to be finished for 4 or 5 years but will eventually cut at least 20 minutes off travel into Brisbane city. I must say that I am biased as I bought land and built for IP purposes in Bracken Ridge about 3 years. It's shown a gain of about 30% in that time.

My Melbourne friends tell me that as soon as freeways, busways and tramways are constructed, that the price of real estate skyrockets in those areas.
 
There was an article (can't remember the source) recently which named Chermside and Bracken Ridge as 2 of the 10 hotspots for 2010. With Chermside there is so much development going on so it's obvious that it'll continue to go ahead. It's getting a bit pricey though.


Thanks Nth Brisbanite, yes I read that article...it was last Saturday's Courier Mail - Real Estate section. They tipped Bracken ridge mainly due to it's decreasing city travel time with the new northern busway...which is a little way off yet.

There is also a new overpass tipped to be built in the future at the Telegraph road rail crossing, which has to help the current traffic flow to Linkfield road I reckon.

Does anyone think the lower end market might cool a bit in the new year due to the first home buyers grant reducing again?...
 


They tipped Bracken ridge mainly due to it's decreasing city travel time with the new northern busway...which is a little way off yet.

There is also a new overpass tipped to be built in the future at the Telegraph road rail crossing, which has to help the current traffic flow to Linkfield road I reckon.

Does anyone think the lower end market might cool a bit in the new year due to the first home buyers grant reducing again?...

If you are buying for long term, then Bracken Ridge may be the way to go. I tip that when the busway gets closer or becomes well known that the suburb will skyrocket.

There is no guarantee that the overpass will be built the way the State government is funding such developments. Funding won't be looked at until at least 2015.

I agree with Urban Cowboy that things won't slow in the lower end of the market due to the re-emergence of investors.
 
The November 09 API has an article on the Northern Busway for those interested.

Also might be worthwhile tracking things like council SCIP's (Suburban Community Improvement Plan), does anybody else remember what the Nundah shopping strip looked like 10+ years ago? Look at it now and what that has done for values, much said to be picking the next Nundah in my view.
 
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