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The Buzz

Woolloongabba

Posted by admin on 28 April 2012

Woolloongabba’s getting regular mentions in the news with the proposed subway and other major projects gathering the attention of a wider audience. Investors seem to be adding the suburb to their ‘watch-lists’ in bigger numbers and that might help explain the reasonably healthy sales turnover. While other inner-suburbs finished 2011 as their slowest year in more than a decade, the Gabba recovered in the final months with better activity.

Prices are still down and the apartment graph below includes the release of new apartment buildings that, with their dearer prices, do skew the data. It remains a buyer’s market but overall Woolloongabba seems to be holding ground well and fairly priced properties are meeting good demand.

If you’d like a sales market update for your property please call our sales team on  07 3214 6800

Posted by admin on 26 April 2012

One quick look at the graphs shows the market jumping around a lot, but it’s worth remembering 4102 is still a small market – we have less than 1500 rental homes – so you need to read any stats with some caution. Rents across Woolloongabba, Buranda and Dutton Park outperformed most of Brisbane’s inner-city suburbs during 2011. The release of new apartment buildings (and there’ve

been a couple recently at Carl Street and Jurgens St) can often skew the data as more expensive apartments hit the market. It’s worth noting that rents for local houses rose 6% over the past year. Overall tenant enquiry has been good and while rents across broader Brisbane have remained relatively flat, 4102 landlords are benefiting from the improving lifestyle amenity of this area.

Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4102 including Woolloongabba, Buranda and Dutton Park.

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

Posted by admin on 20 January 2012

It’s hard to see it in the graphs but rents across the 4102 postcode outperformed most of Brisbane’s inner-city suburbs during 2011, according to new stats from the Residential Tenancies Authority. In the December quarter the median rent for a local 2 bed apartment dropped $80 to $400 per week. But it’s still up 5% on a year ago and it’s worthwhile remembering that Woolloongabba, Buranda and Dutton Park is still a small market – we have less than 1500 rental homes – so you need to read any stats with some caution.

The release of new apartment buildings (and there’ve been a couple recently at Carl Street and Jurgens St) can often skew the data as more expensive apartments hit the market. Overall tenant enquiry has started 2012 very strongly and we’re expecting to see some solid rent rises for local homes.

Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4102 including Woollongabba, Buranda and Dutton Park

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/

Posted by admin on 18 November 2011

Feel like a glass of Sunshine Honey Wheat beer? You know there’s change happening in a suburb when some of the major landmarks get a facelift and the almost-unrecognisable Clarence Corner Hotel is a good example. The Brewhouse has done a lot more than add some new signs and the new operators say they’re “undergoing a gradual transformation from bland Aussie boozer into craft beer Mecca.”

Locals have no doubt had a chuckle at the street’s transformation over the past couple of years, highlighted ironically by a strip club being replaced by an obstretician!

If this latest change is good for the locals we support it. We do think it’s a shame the date the pub was built (1889) is no longer featured up the top of the building’s facade. If you’re in there enjoying a honey wheat beer why not ask them to repaint it?!

Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 7 October 2011

Townplanners, councillors and others involved in the design of our suburbs can draw, design and contemplate as much as they like, but it takes property developers to actually make things happen. Here’s a pic today of the new Mondrian Apartments in Jurgens Street, 22 of them about to be finished and demonstrating how the neighbourhood will change over years to come.

Light industry and businesses are going to make way for more residential apartments and this is one of Woolloongabba’s first. It’s a central spot so close to the city, so we’d say it makes sense to see residents here instead of businesses. This developer’s been smart enough to get the design right with some ‘urban’ flavour to the place. The architecture is right for a location like this.

Posted by admin on 25 September 2011

It’s not surprising to see a couple of new apartment projects popping up in Woolloongabba, given the growing buyer interest in the area and the strength of the local market. The graphs show prices holding firm for apartments but our experience is that many are taking small drops to achieve a sale. The local market hasn’t been immune from the broader discounting of the inner city.  Houses in Woolloongabba continue to attract good enquiry. Sales volumes are still very low as many owners hold off from selling, although the second quarter has been a lot busier than the first.

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

Posted by admin on 29 July 2011

Last weekend marked the 90th birthday of our local high school and on behalf of all local real estate agents we owe you a big thankyou! The respect Brisbane State High has earned as an outstanding education facility has led to its neighbourhood’s real estate increasing in price. Without any doubt.

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.

Posted by admin on 21 July 2011

We like to use the 2 bed apartment rents as our benchmark and across inner-Brisbane they rose 4% in the 3 months to June 30th. Across wider Brisbane City they rose just 1% and there’s no doubt some pockets are witnessing stronger demand than others. Rents in Woolloongabba and Dutton Park area rose a very strong $40/week to $440, but local 3  bedroom houses dipped $20. So while the trend is up the market is still finding its way. There’s still some catch up on neighbouring suburbs happening and tenants are recognising the good value the suburb offers.

Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4102 including Woollongabba, Buranda and Dutton Park

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


Posted by Rob Honeycombe on 25 May 2011

I love the sight of a forest of cranes! I snapped this driving past the new Queensland’s Children’s Hospital in Vulture Street. They’re spending $1.4 billion on the place and it’s due to be completed in 2014.

It’s one of those projects that’s so big and is taking so long that you forget it’s there. But for home buyers looking at the areas nearby – South Brisbane, Highgate Hill and Woolloongabba especially – we’d suggest it’s a key piece of infrastructure that you shouldn’t overlook. With 360 beds this hospital is going to draw thousands of new workers to the area. Thousands. And they all need a place to live.

Posted by admin on 24 April 2011

A wind of change is brewing for Woolloongabba and Dutton Park and you can see it in the latest rental stats, released with the Residential Tenancies Authority’s March quarter report. Local apartment rents are back up to $400 (for a median 2 bedroom) from $380 last quarter, with 3 bedroom houses rising $50 to $470/week. These rents are rising but the glimpse of what’s to come lies with a comparison to the adjoining postcode 4101. In the Gabba and Dutton Park median rents are so much cheaper than Highgate Hill and the other 4101 suburbs – $100 cheaper for a 2 bed apartment – that it’s hard to justify.

Some of this is due to new apartment projects in West End adding higher quality stock to their rental pool.  But on any measure the Gabba and its surrounds have plenty to offer and the area’s proximity to the CBD is often overlooked. Rents across the inner-city were generally flat through 2009 and 2010 but patient landlords look like they’ll now be rewarded. In Woolloongabba there might be some “catch up” in the next couple of years.

Note: RTA stats quoted here cover all of postcode 4102 including Dutton Park. Buranda is a locality within the suburb of Woolloongabba so its also included.