🚨 The biggest property investing mistake right now isn’t buying… it’s buying in the wrong location.
Should You Wait, or Ask Where to Buy?
A lot of people are asking whether they should wait because of all the negative headlines.
The better question isn’t “Should I buy?”
It’s “Where should I buy?”
Australia doesn’t have one property market. Even when some areas are falling, others are still booming.
Where Mortgage Stress Is Rising in Australia
Here’s what the latest mortgage stress data is showing:
Sydney: Lower North Shore
➡️ Sydney has the highest mortgage stress of any capital city. The biggest hotspot is the affluent Lower North Shore (Lane Cove, Northwood, Riverview, Longueville and Linley Point), where severe mortgage stress jumped 28% in one quarter, with affected households increasing from 749 to 2,036.
Brisbane: Logan and the Northern Gold Coast
➡️ Brisbane’s biggest mortgage stress is in the Logan corridor (4207) and parts of the northern Gold Coast including Yatala, Beenleigh and Bahrs Scrub.
Sunshine Coast: Caloundra and Surrounds
➡️ On the Sunshine Coast, mortgage stress is highest around Caloundra, Baringa, Kings Beach and Pelican Waters.
Melbourne: Point Cook, Werribee and Frankston
➡️ In Melbourne, the biggest increase was in Point Cook, Werribee and Wyndham (3030), where mortgage stress rose 51.4% in a single quarter. Frankston and Carrum Downs (3199) also recorded a 28% increase.
Perth: Fremantle
➡️ In Perth, Fremantle (6160) recorded the second-largest increase in severe mortgage stress nationally, rising 175% over the quarter.
Adelaide: Hallett Cove and Surrounds
➡️ In Adelaide, suburbs including Hallett Cove, O’Halloran Hill, Sheidow Park and Trott Park (5158) recorded a 15.5% increase in mortgage stress.
Notice a pattern?
Many of these are higher-priced suburbs.
Affordable Markets Still Performing Strongly
Meanwhile, plenty of affordable markets are still performing strongly.
Areas such as:
➡️ Wodonga
➡️ Albury
➡️ Bendigo
➡️ Burnie
➡️ Roma
➡️ Launceston
➡️ Parts of Hobart
➡️ Tamworth
➡️ Affordable parts of Newcastle
➡️ Much of Perth
➡️ Regional South Australia
…are still seeing solid demand, with some markets actually accelerating rather than slowing.
Why Australia Isn't One Property Market
This is exactly what happened in 2022.
Sydney and Melbourne fell by around 10%, while many affordable regional markets continued rising.
It’s happening again.
The national median can fall while hundreds of individual suburbs continue growing because Australia’s property market isn’t one market.
It’s thousands of local markets moving at different speeds.
Signs a Market Is Still Strong
Another thing the headlines rarely mention:
In many of the strongest-performing areas today:
➡️ Vendors are still rejecting low offers.
➡️ Buyers are still paying above asking price.
➡️ Prices are still rising month after month.
These aren’t conditions you’d expect in a market that’s “crashing.”
Buy Where the Data Points Up
The biggest opportunities usually appear when the national headlines are negative.
The key is making sure you’re buying in the markets where the data is still pointing up, not simply following the headlines.
Because there is no need to put your path to financial freedom on hold.
Book a Free Discovery Call With Realta with PK
If you would like to understand which markets our research team is currently active in and whether a property in Melbourne or elsewhere in Australia makes sense for your situation right now, book a free 60-minute Discovery Call with our team.
There is no obligation and no cost. Just an honest conversation about your goals, your budget and what the data actually shows about where the best opportunities are right now.
Co-Founder | The Educator & Mentor
I’m also a property investor with a $27m+ debt-free portfolio of residential & commercial property, generating over $300k+ net annual passive income.
I help people from all over Australia, by accessing a unique strategy that combines high growth high cashflow residential property, alongside highly profitable property development projects to help accelerate their passive income. I typically work with families, young over-achievers, and new Buyers Agents who want a predictable, DATA-led system to grow wealth and Passive Income.