Geelong prices teeing off early
As someone allegedly knows something about property, I have to confess I didn't participate in Melbourne's property market through its recent stellar run, having been focused on Sydney, and more lately Brisbane.
At least I won't miss out on Geelong, though.
Geelong had always looked to be a likely contender for the ripple effect from Melbourne, being located less than 50 miles from the capital, and being a generally good city in its own right.
And then the Labor government more or less nailed it on by announcing a series of measures to stimulate the market.
I broke a golden rule of thumb when discussing possible price impacts here when I estimated that median house prices in the city could feasibly rise by 20 to 30 per cent by 2020 (never use numbers; they always go for the numbers...).
Somehow, that became a median price of $600,000 ("it's not hard to envision prices in Geelong moving 20 to 30 percent higher by June 2020, particularly in the sub-$600,000 bracket").
Anyhoo, the point was that prices could rise as a result of the stimulatory measures, not least because the new legislation doesn't take full effect for months, affording opportunists a free kick at buying before 1 July.
And it looks like prices are teeing off already.
Last weekend the auction clearance rate in Geelong moved above 90 percent, the highest regional or non-capital city clearance rate in the country.
And there are now regular stories of street records being smoked.
This weekend a house that last sold for $310,000 in 2009 sold for an astonishing $836,000 at auction.
It looks like a rocket has been put under house prices in Geelong West.
All the hallmarks of a nascent boom.
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and blogger.
His latest book is Four Green Houses and a Red Hotel.