Sunshine Coast property: Real estate agents, developers reveal where they’re buying

From a modest townhouse in a low-priced area to million-dollar mansions, here’s where several real estate agents and property developers are choosing to live and invest.

The Sunshine Coast’s property market is hotter than ever but it can now be revealed where those in the know are spending their money.

From Buderim to Bli Bli and Sunshine Beach, property developers and real estate agents have snapped up properties in a range of suburbs in the past 12 months.

Between July and September 1510 homes were snapped up on the Sunshine Coast, making it the fourth-highest region for sales in Queensland behind Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Moreton Bay.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland stats show the Sunshine Coast’s median sales price is $825,000, higher than the Gold Coast’s $810,500.

With house and unit price growth seen across the region, we have delved into where those in the know are spending their money.

Buderim

Ray White Maroochydore agent and first homebuyer Niall Molloy settled on a four-bedroom property at Buderim in February.

Mr Molloy said his decision to buy in Buderim was due to its location and past property performance.

He said he was in a position to buy from April 2020 but delayed to see what happened as the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

“After a period of ‘what the hell is the world going to look like’ we started to see a few surprising results, the auction clearance rates were getting better and we saw the market could be ramping up pretty quickly,” Mr Molloy said.

First homebuyer Niall Molloy entered the Sunshine Coast's property market this year with the purchase of a Buderim home.

Mr Molloy almost bought a house in Nambour that had three separate dwellings with a rental return of $920 a week.

But he said the property at Buderim, being 10 minutes from his work, was too lucrative to pass by.

“Before buying look at your motivations, whether it’s a smart financial decision or lifestyle – that’s what was a big guiding factor for me,” he said.

“I didn’t want it to be the dream home straight off the bat … for me it was financial more than anything and it happened to have a nice degree of lifestyle.”

Property records show Ken Guy, of Ken Guy Buderim, also purchased a new home in the suburb this year.

He spent seven figures on a five-bedroom home that has stunning views.

Bli Bli

Meanwhile Scott Juniper, of Cube Developments, furthered his family’s investment in Bli Bli with plans for another subdivision.

Mr Juniper snapped up a three-bedroom home on a 1.06ha block on Camp Flat Rd for $1.15m in May.

But the home and shed will go if an application for a 12-lot subdivision is approved.

Scott Juniper purchased a large Bli Bli property with a three-bedroom home and a triple-bay shed.

“Regardless of if it was for a subdivision, we have seen some enormous growth in that corridor, some of the largest percentage wise on the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Juniper said.

“There’s amazing infrastructure put in there, with the new private school and Parklakes I and Parklakes II.”

The block will serve as an extension to the Junipers’ Parkrise development which already has 47 lots.

Sunshine Beach

The lockdown further escalated Noosa’s rising property market, in particular the surrounding suburbs of Sunshine and Sunrise beaches.

Suncentral chairman Morgan Parker purchased a luxurious Seaview Terrace pad this year, but he’s not new to the seaside suburb.

Mr Parker has owned property at Sunshine Beach since 2005 but it was the first time he called the prestigious Seaview Terrace home.

“I have always loved its community enclave feel,” he said.

“More recently it has become home to a fascinating array of international and local citizens.

“So as a returning expat, it was really the perfect place to settle.”

Mr Parker is the chair of Sunshine Coast Council’s development group Suncentral, which is involved in the Maroochydore City Centre project.

He said the Sunshine Coast was one of Australia’s “most interesting” property markets.

“There aren’t many places where natural beauty is coupled with such a progressive mindset of both government and business,” he said.

Battery Hill

Caloundra City Real Estate agent Jimmy Wheeler snapped up two properties this year, a Pelican Waters block and a two-bedroom Battery Hill townhouse.

He said he was attracted to Battery Hill because of the suburb’s historically low prices.

Mr Wheeler said his purchase of $325,000 was the highest for the unit complex on record but it only took three months for that to be smashed by a $430,000 sale.

“I saw an opportunity to capitalise on low prices … now the record has increased to $430,000,” he said.

“It’s gone crazy, I didn’t think it would be that good.”

Maroochydore

Ray White Maroochydore agent Jason Mills purchased at Sunshine Cove in December 2020.

The Banfield Place property with four bedrooms sold for about $1.2m at auction.

Mr Mills described himself as a passive buyer and said he had been looking for property in that area for about two years.

“We even thought at the time that we were buying in a high market but we had full confidence we were heading in the right direction,” Mr Mills said.

“As it turned out, we were quite fortunate, the market escalated more than we imagined.

“Sales in that area since have been nearly $2m above what we paid for ours.”