Toowoomba has been revealed as Queensland’s top spot for property investment with nine of the region’s suburbs making the Sunshine State’s list of best regional places to invest.

The new MCG Regional Movers and Investor Hotspots 2025 report analysed migration and property data to highlight regional investment opportunities amid urban exodus across Australia.

Mike Mortlock, report author and MCG Quantity Surveyors managing director, said MCG’s analysis indicated a clear trend – Australians were increasingly looking beyond the capital cities for property investment.

“Regional areas are not only offering better affordability but also promising rental yields and lifestyle benefits that are attracting a diverse range of buyers,” he said.

The MCG analysis found the top 10 investor suburbs for each state, with shortlists created by prioritising rental yields, strong population growth and the MCG Investor Score, a composite index reflecting yield, affordability, sales and rental turnover, market liquidity and local demographic strength.

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The home at 3-5 Kent St, Millmerran, is for sale for $649,000. Picture: realestate.com.au

The Queensland list included nine suburbs in the Toowoomba region, one in Gympie and one in Mackay.

Coming in at number one was Millmerran in wider Toowoomba with a median house price of $388,500, a gross rental yield of 4.8 per cent and a MCG Investor Score of 81, which was the third highest score in the country.

The report said the renal market in Millmerran remained tight, while regional industry and agriculture anchored the local economy.

“Rents have grown 7.1 per cent over the past year, and a low buy affordability (5.4 years) supports steady demand from local tenants and families,” the report said.

The Clifton-Greenmount area, also in wider Toowoomba came in second with an average house price of $455,000, a gross rental yield of 5.1 per cent and a MCG Investor Score of 80.

Pittsworth in the Toowoomba region was third with the median house price sitting at $615,000, gross rental yield at 4.3 per cent and the MCG Investor Score at 76.

The wider Toowoomba areas of Jondaryan, Crows Nest – Rosalie, Highfields, Cambooya – Wyreema and Gowrie all made the list, along with Kilkivan in Gympie.

Walkerston – Eaton in Mackay and Middle Ridge in Toowoomba tied for 10th place.

The property at 5 Collins St, Pittsworth, is for sale for offers over $599,000. Picture: realestate.com.au

Sales agent Ben Liesch, of Ray White Toowoomba said the majority of Toowoomba suburbs that made the list were on the outskirts of the city or out of town.

“These are areas are more so that entry level buying,” he said.

“There has been hot competition in those area driving prices up and there’s also more people having to look out of town for rentals because of short supply.”

Mr Liesch said with Toowoomba experiencing a vacancy rate below 1 per cent and a growing population, investors were keen to break into the local property market.

“We do get a lot of enquiry from out of area investors and local investors have been quite busy, too,” he said.

“We’ve also got a lot of buyer’s agents acting on behalf of investors.”

Mr Liesch said investors were particularly active in the $600,000 to $700,000 price bracket, which was considering entry level in Toowoomba.

“In an area around town (that price point) gets you a three or four-bedroom home with one to two bathrooms and a little bit older.

“In more densely populated areas, it can get you a more modern house.

“Anything below $600,000 is likely a renovator or fairly out of town.”

Ray White Toowoomba sales agent Ben Liesch.

Mr Liesch said the Toowoomba property market had been heating up since Covid with projects such as the new public hospital under construction helping to drive population growth and interest in the region.

The Regional Movers and Investor Hotspots report found Queensland was a leading destination for internal migration and a welcoming environment for property investors, underpinned by population growth, ongoing infrastructure commitments and steady rental demand.

“The state’s generally pro-investor policy environment, alongside fewer regulatory changes than seen in Victoria or New South Wales, continues to support positive investor sentiment, particularly in the southeast and along the coast,” Mr Mortlock said.

“However, the post-pandemic surge in house prices has softened, and competition from both owner-occupiers and migrating families is intensifying in key markets.”

The home at 9 Staunton Ave, Highfields, is for sale for offers over $799,000. Picture: realestate.com.au

Mr Mortlock said the December 2024 Regional Movers Index highlighted the resilience of Queensland’s regional lifestyle appeal, with the top five LGAs by share of net internal migration being Sunshine Coast (35.8%), Fraser Coast (11.7%), Gympie (7.2%), Mackay (6.2%) and Toowoomba (6.0%).

“Collectively, these five regions account for more than two-thirds of the state’s net migration gains, reaffirming Queensland’s status as a magnet for those seeking affordability, climate and a slower pace of life,” he said.

“The Sunshine Coast remains the state’s dominant growth corridor and the most popular regional destination nationally, though its share of migration is gradually receding as new hotspots emerge.”

Mr Mortlock said Fraser Coast, Gympie and Toowoomba were increasingly sought after by city leavers and established Queenslanders, drawn by lifestyle, expanding job opportunities and more attainable property markets, while traditionally resources-driven Mackay was also benefiting from diversification.

QUEENSLAND TOP 10 INVESTOR SUBURBS

(SOURCE: MCG Quantity Surveyors)

The post Toowoomba home to nine of Qld’s top investor hotspots appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Nearly three quarters of Aussies don’t feel like they know their neighbours anymore, with many avoiding saying hello and even sending passive aggressive messages.

Exclusive data from Real Insurance and MyMavins reveals Australians are socialising less with the people they live near, highlighting a generational gap in behaviour when it comes to a sense of community.

One of the biggest discoveries from the report was that 72 per cent of people nationwide feel Australians are less interested in knowing their neighbours compared to 20 years ago.

Exclusive data from the Real Neighbours Report 2025 has shown tensions rising between neighbours, with the majority of Aussies have lived next to a neighbour for more than 6 months without having met them.

Meanwhile, a whopping 62 per cent of Aussies admitted they’d lived next to someone for more than six months without ever having met them.

Among Gen Z and Gen Y Australians, that number rises to 71 and 70 per cent respectively.

Psychologist and founder of the Happiness Institute, Dr Tim Sharp, said many of 2025’s neighbourly habits came from a changed relationship with how people socialised.

“For Gen Z and Gen Y, community isn’t always next door,” he said. “It’s often online, interest-based, and built in comment threads and DMs rather than driveways and cul-de-sacs.”

“That community is not so much defined by geographical boundaries, but more by other things like passions, interests … the need for connection hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s an inherent part of being a human.”

Dr Tim Sharp of the Happiness Institute said some of these new behaviours were influenced by changing habits, with people looking online for community instead of across the road.

The data, taken from the Real Neighbours Report 2025, was collected from interviews with more than 5,000 Australians aged 18 and over.

In doing so, the report was able to calculate the country’s happiest neighbourhoods, using a scoring system that ranked friendliness, likability, helpfulness, community spirit and noise.

Across Australia, the overall neighbourhood rating sits at 69.5, with the best areas at scores of 75 and the worst at scores of around 63.

Australia’s top three areas include Sutherland in Sydney, Cairns and South Australia’s south east. On the other end of the scale, Central West NSW, Ballarat and inner Melbourne were ranked with the lowest scores within the ranking.

A home for sale in Sutherland, NSW: Australia’s happiest neighbourhood, according to the report’s scoring system.

The number one source of judgment between neighbours is noise level: with 48 per cent of Aussies judging neighbours for their volume, and a third of Aussies feeling judged for the same thing.

That judgement is not always invisible, either. One in four Aussies have received passive-aggressive messages from the people around them, with that number jumping to one in three among Gen Z responders.

To make matters worse, more than a third of Aussies have felt their privacy was invaded by a neighbour, from observation without their consent to even entering their property without permission.

Neighbours can get so bad that nearly a third of those surveyed had taken concrete action to escape difficult ones. 17 per cent of Australians have called the police on a neighbour before, and 12 per cent have actually relocated to save themselves strife.

A breakdown of how people have judged or felt judged by neighbours around the country.

The study also shows a generational gap in behaviour. While nearly 9 in 10 Aussies greet neighbours regularly, only 30 per cent of Gen Z always acknowledge their neighbours when passing by, compared to 73 per cent of Baby Boomers.

Baby Boomers are also twice as likely as Gen Z to know all of their neighbours, at 36 vs. 18 per cent.

Dr Sharp said these changing habits weren’t always as bad as they seemed.

“There’s not necessarily a distinction between online and real life nowadays,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with messaging someone rather than walking around a corner … but the best way to utilise the contemporary technologies is to use them as a means of fostering [real life] relationships.”

Professionals in the field said social media could be a good way for people to connect with their neighbours, so long as people knew how to use it to their benefit.

Jo Taranto, founder of community outreach group Good for the Hood, said she often saw online groups being made for people to connect within their suburb, using social media apps such as Facebook.

“Online groups are great to supplement and support existing relationships, as well as create new connections for events that are coming up,” she said. “[They] have a really positive place to build local identity and support local activities.”

It’s not all doom and gloom for Australian mateship in the data, either. 48 per cent of people surveyed said that a casual conversation had eventually led to friendship with a neighbour.

Despite these statistics, the majority of Aussies still like their neighbours, and many are still striking up friendships with them.

Around 2 in 3 Australians see their neighbours to be overall helpful and likeable, and 80 per cent consider good neighbour relationships to be important for safety and emergency reasons.

That’s more than just talk, too. Nearly 3 in 5 people nationwide asked neighbours to watch their homes and over half of Aussies share groceries and tools with the person next door.

“Connection to neighbours, or community, is vitally important,” Dr Sharp said. “We all have different preferences. There’s no one size fits all approach.”

“You need to do it in a way that works for you … in some way or other, we all like to and need to connect.”

The post The sad truth about how Aussies treat their neighbours in 2025 appeared first on realestate.com.au.

One of the most encouraging data points for 2025 so far is that new listings have finally emerged from a two-year slump, exceeding 80,000 per week during the seasonal peak period. The question is: Have we already seen the highest new listings print for the year?

We are currently in the seasonal period where we should see the highest levels of new listings, but last week’s rebound was disappointingly weak. Generally, I prefer to wait two weeks after any holiday weekend to gain a clearer understanding of our weekly data. Last week, both the new listings and active inventory growth showed only mild increases. Let’s take a look at the data.

New listings data

The past two years marked the lowest periods for new home listings in history, which is concerning given that 70% to 80% of home sellers are also homebuyers. Last year, I forecasted that we would see around 80,000 new listings per week during peak periods, but that goal fell short, reaching only 75,000. So far this year, we’ve exceeded 80,000 listings for two weeks and I hope to see a few more weeks above this threshold before the seasonal decline begins.

What we want to avoid is an early downtrend and more sellers exiting the market, similar to what we experienced in the second half of 2022, which was not ideal. I am hopeful for another upward bounce in new listings in the coming week. Traditionally, seasonal peaks for new listings range from 80,000 to 110,000 per week, as observed from 2013 to 2019.

To give you some perspective, during the years of the housing bubble crash, new listings were soaring between 250,000 and 400,000 per week for many years. Here’s how many new listings we had last week over the past two years:

• 2025: 73,433
• 2024: 72,012 

Weekly housing inventory data

The most significant development in the housing market for me has been the growth of inventory in 2024 and 2025. As someone who described the housing market as unhealthy in late 2020 and savagely unhealthy in early 2022, the inventory growth we’ve experienced over the past two years has been a blessing. Although it took some time for my hope in February 2021 regarding higher rates to happen, it’s better late than never. This week, we saw slow inventory growth, but I expect it to pick up next week.

• Weekly inventory change (May 30-June 6 ): Inventory rose from 803,519 to 808,564 
• The same week last year (May 31-June 7): Inventory rose from 604,922 to 611,543 

Price-cut percentage

In a typical year, about one-third of homes experience price reductions, highlighting the housing market’s dynamic nature. Many homeowners adjust their sale prices as inventory levels rise and mortgage rates stay elevated.

For my 2025 price forecast, I anticipate a modest increase in home prices of approximately 1.77%. This suggests that 2025 will again see a pessimistic real home-price forecast. In 2024, my forecast of a 2.33% increase proved inaccurate, primarily because mortgage rates fell toward 6% and demand improved in the second half of 2024. As a result, home prices increased by 4% in 2024. 

The rise in price reductions this year compared to last year reinforces my cautious growth forecast for 2025. 

• 2025: 39%
• 2024: 36%

10-year yield and mortgage rates

In my 2025 forecast, I anticipated the following ranges:

• Mortgage rates will be between 5.75% and 7.25%
• The 10-year yield will fluctuate between 3.80% and 4.70%

We just finished with jobs week and it didn’t disappoint with the volatility in the 10-year yield. However, since mortgage spreads have been improving, the rate volatility wasn’t as significant as it could have been. Last week, the 10-year yield fell following a weaker ADP report but then rose after the Jobs Friday report beat estimates. Additionally, Trump mentioned a potential meeting with China on Monday, which led to a slight rise in bond yields afterward. Mortgage rates started the week at 6.96%, fell toward 6.87% after the ADP report, then ended the week at 6.97%.

Mortgage spreads

Mortgage spreads have been elevated since 2022 but have improved since their peak in 2023. We experienced some drama with the spreads as the markets dealt with the tariffs, but things have improved as the market has calmed down. It’s been essential to see spreads get better on days when the 10-year yield goes up because that limits the damage of a higher 10-year yield. 

If the spreads were as bad as they were at the peak of 2023, mortgage rates would currently be 0.67%  higher. Conversely, if the spreads returned to their normal range, mortgage rates would be 0.83% to 0.63% % lower than today’s level. Historically, mortgage spreads have typically ranged between 1.60% and 1.80%.

Purchase application data

Last week, purchase applications increased by 18% year-over-year, down 4% from the previous week. We now have an 18-week winning streak on positive year-over-year growth and five straight weeks of double-digit growth during the peak seasonal month of May. Now that May is over, the season’s peak volume period traditionally has ended. So, 2025 was the first net positive year for purchase apps in many years. This data line has confused many people — in this recent HousingWire Daily podcast I try to explain why we have seen positive growth .

Here is the weekly data for 2025:

• 10 positive readings
• 8 negative readings
• 3 flat prints
• 18 straight weeks of positive year-over-year data 

Total pending sales

The latest weekly data on total pending sales from Altos offers valuable insights into current trends in housing demand. Typically, mortgage rates around 6% are necessary for significant growth in the housing market. Although total pending home sales are slightly higher than last year, it’s surprising to see this data remain steady despite elevated rates in 2025. The seasonal peak period for our data has ended. 

Weekly pending sales for the last week over the past several years:

• 2025: 402,833
• 2024: 393,632 

Weekly pending sales

Our weekly pending home sales provide a week-to-week glimpse into the data; however, this data line can also be impacted by holiday weekends and exhibits a week’s bounce in sales. So, I will reserve judgment until next week, just as I did with the new listing data. Still, we are showing year-over-year growth. 

Weekly pending sales for last week over the past several years:

• 2025: 69,363
• 2024: 67,649

The week ahead: Inflation and bond auctions 

This week is inflation week again with two inflation reports and we have a few bond auctions which can move the markets. Also, you just never know what kind of crazy headlines we will get in this environment! On Monday, President Trump will meet with China to talk trade deals, so we’ll be watching that.   

In one of the podcasts next week, I will share my take on the inflation data for the rest of the year, as many people, including Fed presidents, expect inflation to rise from its recent low of 2.1%. Also, we have the key weekly jobless claims report and this data line is starting to perk up.

As always, it will be key to see how the bond market reacts to inflation and labor data, as the battleground is set for the rest of the year with Godzilla tariffs still in place. And it will be interesting to see how new listings data reacts after inflation week.

Robert Pullen bounced back and forth to New York City over the years. He moved to Miami just before the pandemic, but all that sunshine was not for him. After four years, he headed back, landing in a co-op building in West Chelsea, a neighborhood where he used to live. Here’s his story as told to Kelly Kreth.

I was born and raised right outside of Detroit and moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1992. I first moved to New York City in 1993 and lived there a few different times over the years.

Most recently I was living in Miami Beach—I moved there for work in February 2020, just weeks before the Covid pandemic started. It was a crazy time for sure! I’m the vice president of a textile manufacturing company in South America.

[Editor’s note: Robert is not a Newcomer—his trajectory is more like a boomerang—which was compelling to us. If you want to see more first-person accounts about why a renter or buyer decided to take a chance on NYC, check out other articles in the series.]

I was lucky: Florida was not in a lockdown like NYC, but I missed all my friends and the life I planned for in Miami never really transpired. I was supposed to be in Miami for a year, but because of the pandemic, I ended up staying there for four.

I absolutely loved my Miami Beach neighborhood, the Venetian Islands, which is one of the few walkable areas of Miami Beach. I was right across from The Standard Hotel, a block away from the restaurants in Sunset Harbor, and two blocks from Trader Joe’s. My French bulldog Harry and I walked all the time, which is unusual for Miami residents.

I owned a two-bedroom, two-bathroom place on the 17th floor right on Biscayne Bay, high enough to have ocean views. It was a luxury building with a pool, incredible gym, 360-degree views from the roof deck, underground parking. and a private dog park. I had paid $615,000.  

I loved the space because it had lots of windows and a huge terrace, along with an incredible primary bath. 

I didn’t like the white tile throughout, and I would have loved some NYC-like character, like real wood floors and more architectural details. I also disliked the weather: Constant heat, humidity, and sunshine is not my jam.

I also enjoyed spending time at Faena Hotel (coincidentally we’re getting a Faena Hotel in my new West Chelsea neighborhood in a few weeks). I had a Vespa, which gave me a lot of freedom to get around Miami Beach. 

Why he decided to leave

Miami is not a super easy place to make friends, but I met a lot of great people in my building—mostly other dog owners, since we had a private dog park.

But by March 2023, I was just done with Miami; the people aren’t sincere, the weather bummed me out (I like seasons) and I just missed the hustle and bustle of a real city. I decided to sell—my first two offers fell apart but I finally found an all-cash buyer and I closed in November 2023.

Wanted: A studio in a doorman building

I reached out to Yianni Vitellas, an agent at BOND New York. I first met him in the ’90s and who knew that 30 years later we would still be friends and he would be my realtor? Really cool!

I told him I wanted a studio just to chill and get back to a smaller living space. I travel a lot for work, and a studio suits me fine.

Also on my wish list: a windowed kitchen, a doorman, and elevator if above the third floor. The apartment could be a condo or co-op, but had to be dog friendly. I was open to doing a moderate renovation and was also looking for an open layout and natural light. My price range was $700,000 to $900,000. 

We started looking at apartments in the middle of the summer. Most places I saw were in Chelsea, but we also looked in West Village, Greenwich Village, Clinton Hill, and Downtown Brooklyn, and we did a hard hat tour of a new development under construction in Brooklyn. I saw over 20 places with Yianni.

Ending up back in West Chelsea

Chelsea wasn’t my first choice. I had lived on 20th Street when I moved to New York for the second time—on September 11th, 2001, a devastating day for NYC.

I was kind of bummed that I couldn’t find a place in Brooklyn or the Lower East Side, but I think I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be. 

My 600-square-foot studio is in London Terrace, a co-op building that won me over—it’s an iconic and historic residential building. This was an off-market listing, so I could not have done this without Yianni. I paid the same price for this studio as my two bedroom in Miami and was thrilled to get everything on my wish list, plus a roof deck—an unexpected bonus.

I made an offer in November 2023 and Yianni put together the huge co-op board package, had a draft contract sent out mid-November, we signed on December 1st, and then closed in May 2024.

I couldn’t move in until March 2024, which made life interesting. I stayed with friends in different cities and led a nomadic life for five months.

I had to sell a lot of things in order to downsize and I just finished a renovation: I tore down walls and figured out how to make a walk-in closet.

I also got rid of my car. I love public transportation, and take the bus since I live on 23rd Street, which has select bus service. I still work from home, so I have no daily commute.

What he likes about the neighborhood

Coming back to West Chelsea felt like coming home. I feel super lucky to have landed here.

Some things I love around here are the High Line—I walk it every day to get to Equinox in Hudson Yards. And the best barber, Rudy, at Chelsea Garden Barbers (he’s an icon).

I love Tia Pol, an incredible little tapas bar that feels more like the Lower East Side than West Chelsea. And every Saturday I head to Chelsea Square Diner for the best avocado toast I’ve ever had! 

I mostly grocery shop at Trader Joe’s and Western Beef (right next to Chelsea Market). Super easy! 

I’ve picked back up with so many of my old friends. And my 6-foot, 1-inch, 21-year-old nephew had an internship for two months last summer and stayed with me in my studio—a tight squeeze! I think I will stay in NYC this time around.