Forget the big smoke, this region is hot property

Investors are being told to buy in regional areas

HOTSPOT: Coffs Harbour is among a number of regions considered investment hotspots. Picture: Trevor Veale

COFFS HARBOUR has been named in a report outlining the country's best price growth areas for the coming year.

Hotspotting.com.au reports than regional New South Wales is now the leading jurisdiction in Australia for the number of towns or suburbs with growth real estate markets.

"The strength of the NSW Regional market grew in 2017, with the number of rising markets increasing in the past 18 months, providing a platform for Regional NSW to provide some of the nation's headline markets in 2018,” the report said.

The research suggested NSW towns and cities outside of Sydney and Wollongong led the country for growth in real estate transaction activity - a precursor to hikes in home prices.

Regional markets where transactions shot up over the past 18 months included the Hunter Valley, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga and Lake Macquarie.

"In terms of growth, regional NSW has a lot more to offer investors now than Sydney does,” the report said.

Hotspotting said other markets with above average price growth prospects were Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Goulburn, Ballina, Port Macquarie, Bathurst, Orange, Albury and the Tweed region.