It's got a freeway, a shopping centre, a station, some buses, some trees, a hospital and some schools. That's about it I think?
The Y-man
Melbourne - my suburb shortlist
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It's got a freeway, a shopping centre, a station, some buses, some trees, a hospital and some schools. That's about it I think?
The Y-man
Berwick has a far better and more direct freeway, more highways/bypasses/links, a better trainline, 2 train stations (beacy station is a1), fair few buses, Fountain Gate, more and bigger trees with an unmolested main street (historical preservation), Casey Hospital, numerous superclinics and specialists, Chisolm tafe, Monash University, St Maggots Girls College, Hailbury College and Nossal High School (top 3 school in the state... hello Chinese?), Wilsons Botanic Park, 2-3 prestige gold courses 5min up the road, proximity to Dandenong, beach, Brighton region, Phillip island.
I admit there's an extra 10min on the commute opposed to Ringwood station however there are express trains, and the trains run every 10 minutes opposed to every 30 minutes.
The land South of Clyde rd turns a lot of people off the area as it's become a bit of an Indian sprawl. If you go to Eden rise or Casey central you'll see it straight away, BUSY and significantally poorer demographic with traffic congestion and chaos. It's as though you've traveled to a new suburb once you go down Clyde rd. 8/10 people there are Indian can't drive and expect everyone to wait for them standing in traffic. Very very split demopgraphics there's a good 3-4km between O'shea Rd and the Princes hwy and the closer you go from Casey central Cranbourne the more uncivilized it becomes. From living here for over 17 years there appears to be 2 corridors one being Cranbourne the other Pakenham, the freeway and trainline on Clyde Rd separate them with commercial zoning inbetween.
I couldn't live in Ringwood for those exact reasons, reminds me of Berwick South/Cranbourne North except probably even more crime and noise pollution. But it's median is far above Berwicks.
All that downgrading into smaller homes to spare 10 minutes on the train everyday? Obviously more to it than that because I'll take the longer commute anyday! The median is 250k more than Berwick it has always been a renowned dump we find this hysterical. And for the record Doncaster is even more hysterical I wouldn't have lived there 10 years ago if you paid me to!!!Hopefully when the Chinese have lived here for 20yrs and get a bearing of what constitutes a nice and desirable suburb, dumps such as Doncaster won't be desired more than actual nice areas to live. What's next??? Boradmeadows and Colac to reach 1 million dollar medians? I would've never picked a dump such as Doncaster to ever be in such high demand.
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Not sure if you can still squeeze it in we paid about 20k over that recently for a rennovated 2 bed in an older style block, I'm not a fan of the newer apartments. I would be targeting North Melbourne... Close to unis, hospitals, city etc I think it is not far off becoming the next East Melbourne. Need to decide if you want capital growth over rental return. I think North Melbourne offers a good balance of both. Otherwise 450k will get you a good apartment in Kensington. I would be trying to stay within 12km of the city.
Wasn't aware of that sorry however it was ranked top 3 in 2012
http://www.university-list.net/Australia/rank/school-200008.html
Berwick is simply too far from the cbd to warrant investment, it's a whopping extra 8-10 minutes on your commute without the crime, 20kmph speed limit, noise pollution and graffiti as in Doncaster, Box Hill and other relative suburbs everyone was mocking less than 10years ago. In my high school days Box Hill, Dandenong and Frankston were considered the places to live if you wanted to get stabbed! You locked the car door and kept driving through hoping to make it through without some form of confrontation, Now I see people mocking Berwick as a dump and as some midway suburb for Chinese to afford the inner suburbs like Doncaster. That's the way it is now and it's a joke!!
Thoughts on Niddrie?
It feeds off the back of Essendon prices, some nice streets, freeway access and very good schools in the area, located close to Keilor Rd cafe district and highpoint shopping centre is only 15 mins.
Downsides - No train station at all. Tram line is in Essendon, so it can feel somewhat remote.
A lot of investors and developers snapped up Airport west, but I see more value in Niddrie as it is not based on an industrial hub and backs onto some of the best suburbs in the North/West.
Feedback?
It feeds off the back of Essendon prices, some nice streets, freeway access and very good schools in the area, located close to Keilor Rd cafe district and highpoint shopping centre is only 15 mins.
Downsides - No train station at all. Tram line is in Essendon, so it can feel somewhat remote.
A lot of investors and developers snapped up Airport west, but I see more value in Niddrie as it is not based on an industrial hub and backs onto some of the best suburbs in the North/West.
Feedback?
Not much stock in Niddrie for 450k as per the OP's budget. Think it's already gone.
Very True.
I myself was trying to find a dual occ site there for $500-$550 budget and that is proving difficult...
Niddrie can also be very hilly, and public transport options are very ordinary IIRC.
Personally I like Ringwood and Wantirna, only bad things I see are no train station for Wantirna and the new estate on stud road being developed (can be seen on google maps)
I'd next look at Preston/Reservoir. I don't understand why these suburbs are so cheap, I used to live in Reservoir and it's a relatively nice suburb, it's only 10km from the cbd with tramlines and nicely done roads decent blocks with good areas to live and the area is well established with good infrastructure. It's surprising the north hasn't taken off, there are nice areas to live and most importantly it's far a better commute than the eastern suburbs.
I'd next look at Preston/Reservoir. I don't understand why these suburbs are so cheap, I used to live in Reservoir and it's a relatively nice suburb, it's only 10km from the cbd with tramlines and nicely done roads decent blocks with good areas to live and the area is well established with good infrastructure. It's surprising the north hasn't taken off, there are nice areas to live and most importantly it's far a better commute than the eastern suburbs.
hardly think box hill was being mocked 10 years ago. dandenong and frankston yes.
Doncaster, Doncaster East unfortunately for you was among the fastest growing suburb last year. This will fallover to donvale and as you can see blackburn now close to a million dollar suburb.
you're right berwick is a bit too far. i was reading in a chinese language website couple years ago some mainland chinese people went there to look at some land to buy something and their car got jacked up and tyres were taken. Only takes 1 bad experience which many responded to say it was too far or either lack of infrastructure. had a workmate who stayed there after 6 months moved back to templestowe. Distance makes a difference
Haha this wouldn't surprise me as 10 years ago we were surrounded by nice hilly fields and swamps owned by farmers, these were all then developed into Bryn Mawr Boulevard, Chase Estate/Bridgwater and Berwick Springs. Now instead of being in a nice pocket surrounded overlooking fields with big trees we're in a pocket surrounded with these sprawl estates filled by the Cranbourne demographic. Amazingly like I said before you will never see the people who live south venture in main street which is bizarre. Reserve st/enterprise ave are always packed these days due to the station, but for some reason the south avoid main st altogether and stick to the Eden Rise/Casey Central/Cranny shopping hubs. Just watch out for the 15 year old Philippine gangs in the Timbarra region
It's getting busy now, even main st, and we're looking to move/rent out the ppor, but we're not sure of a suburb that'd be less busy without being even further out.. hence us staying put for now. The way we see it, it's not too far out (an extra 15-20min commute opposed to say Clayton) and you can get to Toorak within 12min on the monash, the real issue with commutes is the part CLOSER to the city, ie once on Toorak rd it takes a whopping half hour to get to the cbd.. the only direct link into the cbd is punt rd off the monash, and for that 1-2km stretch to Hoddle it takes a good 20-30min as well it's absurd! Not to mention the Monash gridlocks most time before Punt rd after Toorak Rd, The extra 10-15 minutes in peak from Zone 1 to Berwick is nothing, the train cleans out after Dandenong and you can breathe, and if you're driving you just just watch in awe at how your speedometer reaches a consistent 100kmph the very nanosecond you pass stud rd exit despite the lanes halving from 4 to 2!
My PPOR is in Niddrie and I must say I am not sure why people are saying no public transport? It takes me 7 minutes to walk to a keilor rd tram (which is in niddrie and runs through Essendon). Trams run constantly and will drop you all the way into the city or you get off at essendon station. My house to work in Collins st takes 40 minutes.
When I drive in it takes 25 minutes in peak traffic over the bolte and on weekends I can do it in under 15.
Amazing private schools, Keilor rd, highpoint, DFO, essendon fields (lamana greatest supermarket ever),airport 10 minutes away, freeway access.
But there is no way you are getting a development site for under 600k now. The area is being heavily developed and any potential site that comes on the market is getting snapped right up for minimum 650k.
When I drive in it takes 25 minutes in peak traffic over the bolte and on weekends I can do it in under 15.
Amazing private schools, Keilor rd, highpoint, DFO, essendon fields (lamana greatest supermarket ever),airport 10 minutes away, freeway access.
But there is no way you are getting a development site for under 600k now. The area is being heavily developed and any potential site that comes on the market is getting snapped right up for minimum 650k.
Would you be able to give examples of which streets please?
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are you guys able to clarify whether you think these suburbs are the buy and hold type or are we all assuming they're the buy and build multiple unit types?
I'm from the south east and am quite unfamiliar with this side of town but even just driving down sydney rd/nicholson st (towards the city) this morning i saw a fair few medium sized developments going on and the feel of the place seemed 'cool' enough.
do you think there is much scope for equity creation by developing some pieces of land and what sorts of property would you be looking for? is there much disconnect between land and house(improvement) values currently?
i think i will keep preston on my radar from now on unless people really think its no good anymore.
on a separate note, i know some people keep spruiking Frankston and others lament it but how many of you think that the stigma attached has something to do with the generations going by(Boomers) and that once more younger Gen X and Gen Y persons(such as myself) start entering the market they'll look past this stigma and see Frankston in a different light?
And what about Boomers downsizing and looking for a 'sea' change, does anyone think there is much scope for a large portion of retirees moving there because of its improving amenity and being close to the beach? ofc this would go against the idea that they do hold some misgivings associated with the stigma attached to Frankston
I'm from the south east and am quite unfamiliar with this side of town but even just driving down sydney rd/nicholson st (towards the city) this morning i saw a fair few medium sized developments going on and the feel of the place seemed 'cool' enough.
do you think there is much scope for equity creation by developing some pieces of land and what sorts of property would you be looking for? is there much disconnect between land and house(improvement) values currently?
i think i will keep preston on my radar from now on unless people really think its no good anymore.
on a separate note, i know some people keep spruiking Frankston and others lament it but how many of you think that the stigma attached has something to do with the generations going by(Boomers) and that once more younger Gen X and Gen Y persons(such as myself) start entering the market they'll look past this stigma and see Frankston in a different light?
And what about Boomers downsizing and looking for a 'sea' change, does anyone think there is much scope for a large portion of retirees moving there because of its improving amenity and being close to the beach? ofc this would go against the idea that they do hold some misgivings associated with the stigma attached to Frankston
Box Hill certainly wasn't what it is today - recall days of hanging out at the Timezone place and cops circling the place every 30 minutes and druggies at the heroin peak in the 90s. It wasn't exactly as bad as Footscray or Springvale but wasn't desirable either. Glen Waverley back then was also known for it's high crime/theft rate - the suburb now averages $1.2mil a block.
Isn't Doncaster a middle rung suburb as opposed to inner suburb? It was regarded by some Asian/Chinese Feng Shui specialist as the "head of the dragon", which attracted many Hong Kong investors and migrants before the Mainland Chinese. It also had many late 70s/early 80s MacMansions which attracted the Hong Kongers who had shallower pockets and numbered far fewer than the later Mainlanders.
Very difficult to predict - my folks purchased a Box Hill place within 1km of the Box Hill CBD in 2002 for $350K - back then considered quite exxy.
Just to finish off the thread, I ended up buying in Glenroy on the west of Pascoe Vale rd. Deprectiation schedule came in higher than my estimates so it's turned out to be cash flow neutral. I've locked in 4.56% for the next 3 years while I'm on maternity leave. Will look to buy again in about 3 years.
Well done, congratulations!
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