sports fan,
You do realise there are over 320,000 residents on the central coast, it's no small town.
There are close to 50,000 residents who commute to Sydney every day for work.
It takes a bit over an hour to get to Sydney from Gosford, which is only slightly quicker than getting to the city from Penrith.
By your argument, a little over a year ago when properties were cheap out in western Sydney they were not good value because prices were low and no-one wants to live there.
Traditionally big price rises in Sydney mean price increases in areas around 1 hour from Sydney, usually 6 months after the initial increases in the metropolitan area.
So in fact if you like the coast for an investment area, then now is a good time to buy.
Would you rather purchase a house in western Sydney now after prices have already gone up by 10%, when other areas are much cheaper in comparison with similar commutable distances.
I think the lifestyle on the coast is an absolute major drawcard over western Sydney. You can commute to work during the week, and on weekend are only 5 mins away from pristine beaches.
If you actually read the thread then you would see that myself and other people have been discussing potential growth projects in the region and the property prices in comparison to other areas.