Local rents dipped slightly in the last quarter of 2011, according to new stats released by the Residential Tenancies Authority. The median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment dropped $10 to $500 per week, reflecting the quieter rental market and caution from landlords.

Rents are up 6% on the same time a year earlier ($470/week) so overall it’s good news for investors. The CBD’s workforce continues to be a big driver of demand for this neighbourhood and crossing the river saves tenants $60 (the median for postcode 4000 is $560/week). And they can live on the doorstep of all our local lifestyle amenities!

January has started with a real rush and enquiry to our South Brisbane office from tenants is the busiest we’ve seen in some years. We’re expecting the RTA data will show 2012 starting as a great year for local investors.

Note: this RTA data is collated by postcode so includes new bonds lodged throughout 4101: South Brisbane, South Bank, West End and Highgate Hill

If you would like  a rental appraisal for your property just give our head of Property Management – Annie von Rudzinksi a call on 07 3214 6899.

For median rent information visit http://www.whatrentmyhome.com.au/

The developers were placed into receivership some months back but the Courier Mail today reports the site may be under contract to active locals the Pradella group. The developers behind Flow, Water’s Edge and Tempo, Pradella know the Montague Road precinct better than most. If they can’t make this site work then no-one can.

If you’d like a sales market update for your property please call our West End specialist, Rob Honeycombe on 0423 332 022 or 07 3214 6800

We’ve just sold a house nearby and the Brisbane State High catchment was a crucial drawcard for more than half the buyer enquiry we received. Familes from as far afield as Aspley made the drive to Highgate Hill in the hope of securing a home, and importantly an address that is inside the line on the map. And this is a common story.

If you’re a Highgate Hill real estate agent, a South Brisbane real estate agent, a West End real estate agent, or even an agent handling those parts of Woolloongabba real estate that are within the catchment, you owe the school a huge thankyou. Local home owners who’ve sent their kids to BSHS have had the double-benefit: a great school and solid home prices.

Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4101 including South Brisbane, Highgate Hill and West End

If you would like  a rental appraisal for your property just give our head of Property Management – Annie von Rudzinksi a call on 07 3214 6899.

For median rent information visit www.whatrentmyhome.com.au

This year Bees Nees very own company chairman Boris called in to say hi and hand out some balloons. Can’t keep that bee away from a good party!

And interestingly the gap between postcode 4000 and 4101 is shrinking noticably. It’s now just $40/week dearer to live in the CBD than the West End/South Brisbane/Highgate Hill area, where it was $100 more a couple of years back. Why? One reason is the new developments through West End’s riverside precinct that  have added a number of quality apartments with typically high rents. The inner-south’s early history may have been working class, but these suburb’s tenants now pay some of the highest rents in Queensland.

Go to www.WhatRentMyHome.com.au to see current median rents for other Brisbane suburbs. Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4101 including Highgate Hill, South Brisbane and West End.

If full Council approval follows this week’s Planning Committee nod the Victoria Street project will rise 7 storeys with a 2 level basement. The basement’s entry has also been raised to 6.7m. Victoria Street was flood-effected but this site appears to be right at the edge of where the water came to.

It’ll be interesting to see public reaction to the plan given past local resistance to greater heights along the Montague Road precinct. We’d suggest the small height increase is a smart move, giving buyers greater comfort that, should the unimaginable happen and we do get another freak flood event, the apartments will be well above the 2011 levels.

Of course the biggest issue other local apartment buildings have faced has been the sensitive infrastructure they have in their basements – electrical, lifts and ventilation motors to name a few. Some that were nowhere near the river and had no surface water flooding, had basement inundation due to backed-up storm water lines. This new project’s solutions to those challenges will be its real test.

You have to keep your sense of humour! Photo by Brad Marsellos

Many out of town clients have been asking for resources to get a better understanding of what Brisbane suburbs actually flooded. Here’s some handy links:

Aerial photography of Brisbane floods – use the box in the top left to choose the street and suburb you’re interested in, just be careful to choose January 13th as the date you need. Not all parts of Brisbane were shot on that date, and of course the pics aren’t necessarily the exact moment of maximum inundation for all properties. But a great site to bookmark for the future.

Also try this ABC News page for interactive before and afters.

If you’re on Facebook this collection has over 1,800 reader contributed photos, many of them an amazing record that could only be captured by the people in and amongst the flooding.

One of the better YouTube compilation videos of the Brisbane flooding.

And go to Flickr for one of the biggest collections of photos, with many showing flooded Brisbane homes.

Brisbane City Council has been excellent at keeping residents informed through the crisis.

Please make a contribution to the Premier’s Flood Appeal, however small, to assist the victims. And if you’re a business owner wanting to do your bit please go to www.flooddiscounts.com.au , a great way tooffer something to residents who are going through tough times.

Read more of our posts on the 2011 Brisbane floods.