Marian and Erakala property market thriving with demand

Properties are barely listed before they are being snapped up by eager buyers, with three Mackay regions in particularly hot demand.

The median house price for the Mackay region is currently $390,000, up 2.3 per cent in three months and 5.4 per cent in 12 months, according to REA Group. Picture: ReNew Mackay

Queensland has 160 suburbs where houses are selling in 35 days or less and two of those are in the Mackay region.

Marian and Erakala are the region’s fastest selling suburbs, with houses changing hands, on average, in 31 days, according to the REA Market Trends report for July.

And Marian is the standout star, with house values rising 13.8 per cent to $480,000 in the past 12 months.

Explore Property Mackay agent Mark Daniel recently sold a four-bedroom house on a 1022sq m block in Marian for $490,000.

It was under contract within a week.

“We have just sold our fourth property off-market in Marian,” Mr Daniel said.

“It has beautiful houses, big blocks so plenty of room for a big shed.”

Mr Daniel said the family-oriented estate was proving popular with first home buyers and local upgraders, but also with people moving from southeast Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

“It is also popular with people from the mining sector,” he said.

This Marian house sold for $490,000

RE/MAX Results Mackay agent Leanne Druery also recently sold a modern three-bedroom house with mountain and valley views in Erakala for $630,000.

The median house value in Erakala is $689,500.

This Erakala house recently sold for $630,000

The median house price for the Mackay region is currently $390,000, up 2.3 per cent in three months and 5.4 per cent in 12 months, according to REA Group.

Elsewhere in the region, houses in Walkerston are changing hands, on average, in 40 days, while in Habana it is 40 days and Blacks Beach, 41 days.

Across the Mackay region, the median days on market is 53 days, down from 54 days in June and 55 days in May.

The Mackay market is picking up. Picture: Rae Wilson

But it is a rural residential suburb in the Gympie region that boasts the fastest average turnaround in Queensland.

Houses in The Palms change hands, on average, in just five days.

Dubbed a “high demand market” by property portal realestate.com.au, the suburb records an average of 960 visits per property listing, 110 more than the Queensland average.

Century 21 Gympie and Cooloola Coast agent Dan Vanderhoek recently sold a “horse property” with a four-bedroom house on a 4.9 hectare block for $595,000.

“I would believe that (fast sales),” Mr Vanderhoek said.

“The whole region is going gangbusters.

“There is just a lot of competition and when blocks do come up, they are gone fast.”

There are just 18 suburbs across Queensland where houses are selling in 20 days or less.

Brisbane has eight of those suburbs, including Ferny Hills and Arana Hills (Moreton Bay) and nearby Ferny Grove and Keperra (Brisbane) among the city’s fastest selling sales hot spots. Houses in Alexandra Hills, Capalaba, Tingalpa, Boondall, Drewvale and Greenslopes are also selling within 20 days.

Gailes (9 days) and Minden (20) are Ipswich’s fastest selling suburbs, while Toolooa (Central Queensland) and Mysterton (Townsville) round out the Queensland suburbs selling in 20 days or less.