Properties for sale in these suburbs are being swamped with enquiries from house hunters, but prices are still within reach for the average buyer.

Analysis of PropTrack data has revealed dozens of high-demand suburbs that are in a home price ‘sweet spot’, with cheaper houses than most of the country.

In these suburbs, demand from buyers is much higher than a year ago, but in most cases prices haven’t taken off just yet, giving buyers an opportunity to get in before increased interest pushes prices higher.

The data tracks how demand has changed in the past year in suburbs across the capitals and regions that have a median house price of less than $750,000.

Demand is measured by the number of enquiries per listing, which include high-intent actions such as emailing the agent, downloading documents or requesting an inspection.

Enquiries can be a leading indicator for price growth – if enquiries per listing are rising, it means more serious buyers are interested in purchasing properties in that suburb.

Jump ahead to see where demand has surged in:

• Capital city suburbs priced $500,000 to $600,000
• Capital city suburbs priced $600,000 to $750,000
• Regional suburbs priced $500,000 to $600,000
• Regional suburbs priced $600,000 to $750,000

The data shows there are plenty of suburbs where affordable properties are increasingly sought-after in both the capital cities and the regions.

Where these high-demand suburbs are located reflects a key trend driving price growth across Australia – investors are increasingly searching outside their home state for affordable homes with strong rental yields.

Affordable capital city suburbs where buyer demand is booming

About half of the suburbs with median prices under $750,000 where demand is surging were located in Melbourne.

The Victorian capital has experienced a resurgence in demand recently, with buyer interest rebounding after the lows of recent years.

In fact, Melbourne’s slower price growth in recent years — a result of interstate migration outflows during the pandemic, higher levels of home construction and property tax changes for investors — has actually led to the rebound in demand.

High-demand capital city suburbs – $500,000 to $600,000

	Suburb	State	12-month demand growth	Median house price	12-month price growth
1	Dallas	VIC	109%	$555,000	5%
2	Melton West	VIC	88%	$560,000	3%
3	Coolaroo	VIC	87%	$560,000	4%
4	Karama	NT	83%	$517,500	16%
5	Wulagi	NT	67%	$580,000	8%
6	Broadmeadows	VIC	66%	$595,500	5%
7	Claremont	TAS	56%	$553,500	4%
8	Glenorchy	TAS	54%	$565,000	1%
9	Basin Pocket	QLD	54%	$550,000	6%
10	Gunn	NT	50%	$545,000	8%
11	Bakewell	NT	47%	$525,000	9%
12	Kurunjang	VIC	46%	$543,456	4%
13	Doveton	VIC	46%	$600,000	1%
14	Zuccoli	NT	40%	$600,000	18%
15	Laverton	VIC	32%	$600,000	3%
16	Warrane	TAS	29%	$551,000	0%
17	Laidley	QLD	29%	$562,500	18%
18	Bacchus Marsh	VIC	29%	$600,000	-6%
19	Wyndham Vale	VIC	26%	$585,000	-1%
20	Melton South	VIC	26%	$525,000	7%

REA Group senior economist Eleanor Creagh said Melbourne’s slower price growth compared to the other capitals meant it had become a more appealing option for buyers with limited budgets.

“Melbourne has a very high proportion of suburbs recording increased demand, reflecting improved affordability relative to Sydney, Brisbane and other smaller capitals,” she said.

Interest rate cuts have also boosted borrowing capacities, and with overseas migration supporting population growth, more buyers are keen to get into the Melbourne market, Ms Creagh said.

The data shows buyers searching for affordable properties are increasingly targeting Melbourne’s outer north and northwest suburbs.

High-demand capital city suburbs – $600,000 to $750,000

	Suburb	State	12-month demand growth	Median house price	12-month price growth
1	Frankston North	VIC	120%	$625,000	6%
2	Campbellfield	VIC	111%	$642,500	5%
3	Bellamack	NT	90%	$620,000	4%
4	Jacana	VIC	85%	$620,000	8%
5	Carrum Downs	VIC	79%	$728,250	4%
6	Badger Creek	VIC	72%	$662,500	-5%
7	Tullamarine	VIC	72%	$745,000	3%
8	Johnston	NT	68%	$675,000	12%
9	Maddingley	VIC	66%	$616,250	-1%
10	Sorell	TAS	64%	$660,000	-5%
11	Booval	QLD	62%	$636,250	9%
12	Leanyer	NT	61%	$610,000	2%
13	Deer Park	VIC	60%	$667,500	3%
14	Muirhead	NT	59%	$730,000	0%
15	Lalor	VIC	57%	$718,000	3%
16	Regency Downs	QLD	55%	$710,000	-4%
17	Delahey	VIC	54%	$660,000	3%
18	Hoppers Crossing	VIC	52%	$638,000	3%
19	Sunshine West	VIC	50%	$700,000	3%
20	Roxburgh Park	VIC	50%	$660,000	2%

Buyers searching under the $600,000 mark have their eyes on suburbs such as Broadmeadows and Coolaroo in the north and Melton West and Wyndham Vale in the west.

Buyers with a little more to spend have targeted Frankston North and Carrum Downs in the south. 

Real estate agent Mark Burke of OBrien Real Estate Frankston said Frankston North was in a ‘sweet spot’ for affordability that appealed to both investors and first-home buyers.

He said the area was undergoing gentrification, with many first-home buyers competing strongly to secure renovation-ready homes near the beach amid increased interest from interstate investors.

“There’s still a lot of first-home buyers winning which is good,” he said. “They’re quite often willing to pay a decent premium to do it.”

Affordable suburbs in Australia’s two smallest capitals, Darwin and Hobart, also ranked highly for increased levels of enquiry, with stronger demand in these cities potentially translating to higher prices in the near future, according to Ms Creagh.

“Almost all suburbs in Darwin and Hobart are recording stronger enquiries, which indicates demand is strengthening across those markets,” she said.

The Hobart suburbs of Claremont, Glenorchy and Warrane were most popular with buyers aiming to buy under the $600,000 price point.

Meanwhile, Karama and Wulagi in Darwin’s north and Gunn, Bakewell and Zuccoli in the Palmerston region were the sub-$600,000 suburbs where demand was rising quickest, while Muirhead was popular with buyers with up to $750,000 to spend.

Darwin real estate agent Derek Hart of Elders Top End said affordability was a major factor for both first-home buyers and investors buying in Karama, as was its location about 15 minutes from the Darwin CBD.

“The investors are offering much quicker than first-home buyers,” he said.

“First home buyers still want to have a look around and see what’s out there, but if they hesitate, the investors are buying homes up pretty quickly.”

“Investors have more urgency. With low interest rates they know in the next six months it’s going to be worth more.”

Affordable regional suburbs where demand is surging

The regional suburbs under the $750,000 mark with the strongest increases in demand were mostly found in smaller cities where homes are typically much cheaper than in the capitals.

“These regional centres tend to have good access to infrastructure, and attractive local economies,” Ms Creagh said.

High-demand regional suburbs – $500,000 to $600,000

	Suburb	State	12-month demand growth	Median house price	12-month price growth
1	West Albury	NSW	154%	$572,500	-3%
2	Glenfield Park	NSW	144%	$600,000	8%
3	Millars Well	WA	126%	$545,000	12%
4	Kooringal	NSW	118%	$572,000	6%
5	Thomson	VIC	108%	$524,000	0%
6	Mount Pleasant	VIC	106%	$505,000	14%
7	Golden Square	VIC	105%	$540,200	4%
8	Lavington	NSW	103%	$550,000	15%
9	Waggrakine	WA	102%	$542,000	26%
10	Eaglehawk	VIC	100%	$530,000	6%
11	Whittington	VIC	99%	$537,500	6%
12	Forest Hill	NSW	94%	$530,000	20%
13	Griffith	NSW	94%	$597,500	6%
14	Kennington	VIC	92%	$590,000	3%
15	Spring Gully	VIC	84%	$591,250	-17%
16	Newcomb	VIC	75%	$550,000	-3%
17	Kangaroo Flat	VIC	74%	$550,000	5%
18	Wodonga	VIC	73%	$585,000	8%
19	Lancelin	WA	68%	$580,000	4%
20	Delacombe	VIC	67%	$520,000	-3%

The NSW Riverina region has emerged as a hotspot for buyer demand for affordable homes, with enquiries jumping in suburbs of Wagga Wagga, Albury and Griffith.

Griffith real estate agent and Soul Property Agents director Nathan Thomas said out-of-area enquiries were rising.

“We have a lot of the indicators that out-of-area buyers are looking for, at a price level that is achievable for most people,” he said.

“Griffith has proven itself to be affordable in comparison to the major metro markets, and our median price is well below the cutoff points for first-home buyer incentives. It also has a reasonable yield and a very low vacancy rate.”

Griffith’s diverse employment options, including agriculture, winemaking, food processing and healthcare, were also drawing buyers, Mr Thomas said.

High-demand regional suburbs – $600,000 to $750,000

	Suburb	State	12-month demand growth	Median house price	12-month price growth
1	Lloyd	NSW	134%	$749,000	-5%
2	Marong	VIC	98%	$650,000	-1%
3	Shepparton North	VIC	81%	$622,500	-16%
4	Bell Post Hill	VIC	75%	$660,000	2%
5	Jones Hill	QLD	75%	$700,000	3%
6	Newington	VIC	69%	$645,000	10%
7	Parkhurst	QLD	69%	$665,000	3%
8	Scarness	QLD	68%	$640,000	15%
9	Jurien Bay	WA	67%	$707,500	18%
10	Cessnock	NSW	66%	$630,000	4%
11	Bendigo	VIC	66%	$620,000	3%
12	North Geelong	VIC	66%	$610,000	-3%
13	St Albans Park	VIC	66%	$622,500	9%
14	Strathdale	VIC	65%	$660,000	9%
15	Aberdare	NSW	64%	$645,000	8%
16	Lake Albert	NSW	64%	$735,000	20%
17	Strathfieldsaye	VIC	64%	$732,500	6%
18	Legana	TAS	63%	$730,000	-2%
19	Gooburrum	QLD	62%	$643,500	-10%
20	Bourkelands	NSW	59%	$720,000	4%

Buyer activity is also increasing south of the border where regional buyers, with affordable suburbs in Victoria’s smaller cities attracting attention.

A typical house in regional Victoria is almost $400,000 cheaper than in Melbourne, according to the latest PropTrack Home Price Index.

That affordability gap has driven more buyers towards suburbs such as Golden Square, Eaglehawk and Kennington in Bendigo, Thomson and Whittington in Geelong, and Delacombe in Ballarat.

Buyers have also targeted Wodonga and Shepparton North.

The latest Regional Movers Index shows elevated levels of migration out of Sydney and Melbourne and into regional NSW and Victoria, with Geelong topping the charts for net internal migration.

The post ‘Sweet spot’: 80 affordable suburbs where buyers are flocking appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Home buyers are gearing up for a busy spring market, with interest rate cuts boosting confidence and increasing the likelihood of stronger competition for properties around the country.  

Real estate agents from each capital city are expecting greater buyer activity over the next three months, fuelled by the three rate cuts delivered so far and the prospect of more cuts to come later in the year. 

REA Group executive manager of economics Angus Moore said home prices were already on the move heading into this spring selling season.  

“Spring is usually the busiest time of year for the property market, and we usually see activity start to ramp up over August and September,” he said.  

“Heading into this spring, we’ve seen rate cuts and we’re starting to see more price growth, especially in places like Sydney and Melbourne.”  

The latest home price data showed the national median home price reached a record high of $827,000 in July, up 4.9% over the past year, according to the latest PropTrack Home Price Index.  

Australia’s capital city property markets vary greatly, so we’ve gathered the latest real estate outlooks from experts for each capital city. 

Jump to your city 

• Sydney
• Melbourne  
• Brisbane  
• Adelaide 
• Perth  
• Hobart  
• Canberra  
• Darwin  

Sydney spring property outlook

In Sydney, Ray White Upper North Shore real estate agent Jessica Cao said there had been more buyer activity since July.  

“We’ve been seeing stronger numbers at open homes and more registered bidders at auctions,” she said.  

“At the past few auctions, I’ve had four to five registered bidders at each auction, which is great. 

“Let’s hope the market will continue to improve and get stronger and stronger. 

“Over the past few years, the market has been pretty staggering, so we are looking forward to a very strong spring period and into next year.”  

Sydney’s median house price was up 3.4% year-on-year (YoY) to $1.564 million in July, while the city’s median unit price was 3.2% higher at $860,000 for the same period.  

In Sydney, new property listings were 5.3% lower YoY in July, while total listings were 2.2% higher, according to the latest data from PropTrack. 

Melbourne spring property outlook

Melbourne home prices have been on the move this year after some challenging years, and agents were hopeful that the momentum would continue into spring.    

The Melbourne median house price rose 2.2% to $983,000 during the year to July, while the median unit price was down 0.6% at $609,000 over the same time.   

Real estate agent and director at Ray White – The Bayside Group, Kevin Chokshi, said there were promising signs for Melbourne’s property market. 

“We’re seeing positive signs at opens and auctions, and there’s more confidence out there,” he said. 

Mr Chokshi said his team had seen more homes sold before auction over the past quarter than any previous quarter in the past few years – a sign that buyers were starting to feel a sense of urgency.  

“There are subtle cues emerging among buyers from the interest rate cuts, there’s more confidence and positive sentiment… so it’s going to be a strong spring and a strong year next year” he said.  

New property listings in Melbourne were 9.4% lower YoY in July, while total listings were down 10.5%. 

Brisbane spring property outlook

Brisbane remains a hotspot heading into spring, but sellers have been holding back as they struggle to find their next home or consider sitting tight to reap the benefits of the upcoming 2032 Olympic Games.  

Units were leading the way in Brisbane, with the median unit price growing 13% YoY to $715,000 during the year to July, while house prices rose by 7.8% to $1.067 million. 

Matt Lancashire, real estate agent and sales principal at Ray White – New Farm, said the upcoming spring market would be largely driven by local supply and demand levels.

“Across the board in Brisbane, we’re down 30% on new listings coming to market and we’re up by 60% on enquiries,” he said.  

“It’s like a perfect storm for sellers and agents, but the problem is that it’s hard to get stock.” 

Mr Lancashire said Brisbane had likely seen the majority of its price growth in 2021, when the pandemic drove a surge in home prices.  

The 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games and the infrastructure being built to accommodate the games were likely to attract more buyers to the city over the coming years too, he said.  

Adelaide spring property outlook

Adelaide’s property market has been a star performer in recent years, but demand in some parts of the city’s market was starting to ease.

Adelaide’s median house price rose 9.5% to $916,000 over the year to July, while unit prices grew by 8.4% to $632,000 over the same period. 

Ray White Burnside director and real estate agent Brandon Pilgrim said the higher end of Adelaide’s property market was getting tougher.  

“The market we have is still good, but there are parts of it that have become quite tough,” he said.  

He said homes at the higher end of the market that had flaws like quirky floorplans may struggle in the current market.  

On the other hand, Mr Pilgrim said the market was still hot for homes at lower price points and anything with land, citing high demand from property developers.  

In Adelaide, new property listings were 4.1% lower in July than the same time last year, while total listings were up 5.1%. 

Perth spring property outlook

In Perth, buyers should see more homes hit the market this spring, but they are likely to see greater competition as well due to this year’s interest rate cuts.  

Real estate agent and sales associate at Peard Real Estate – Hillarys, Gemma Andrews, said Perth’s property market remained fiercely competitive.  

“Well-presented homes in desirable or coastal locations continue to drive price growth, while rising vacant land prices and building costs are also contributing to higher house values,” she said.  

“We expect a rise in listings as part of the seasonal market cycle, providing more opportunities for buyers. 

“At the same time, any easing in interest rates is likely to increase borrowing capacity, which could further stimulate buyer activity and maintain a competitive market environment.”  

Unit price growth has been outpacing houses in Perth, with the median unit price up 11.4% YoY to $584,000 in July, compared to annual median house price growth of 7.3% ($926,000). 

New property listings in Perth were 11.2% lower YoY in July, while total listings were up 6.6%.  

Hobart spring property outlook

A shortage of homes for sale in Hobart has been increasing competition among buyers in the lead up to the spring selling season.  

In Hobart, new property listings were down 13.5% YoY in July, while total listings were 10.3% lower. 

Bec Owens, real estate agent and sales manager at Peterswald, said the supply of homes for sale in Hobart was quite low.  

“We’re back into a position of having multiple buyer interest more often on our listings than we have had previously,” she said.  

“We expect that our spring is looking shaping up to be quite busy, particularly if we do get another boost in confidence from further interest rate cuts. 

“The rate cuts that we’ve already have started to give people a bit more confidence to move forward with transactions.” 

Ms Owens said spring was normally a busy listing time for sellers, but vendors appeared to be holding off from launching so far.  

The median house price in Hobart increased 2.7% to $710,000 over the year to July, while unit prices jumped 5.1% to $581,000. 

Canberra spring property outlook

In Canberra, real estate agent and principal/director at Hayman Partners, Brett Hayman, was seeing steady home price growth and market activity.  

Mr Hayman said there was moderate house price growth in Canberra, while unit price growth had been under pressure due to an oversupply of units in the city.  

“Normally, we’re listing a lot more for spring, but we think it might be a slower start to spring this year,” he said.  

“I think things will heat up after the Labour Day long weekend in early October. 

“We’re sensing that people are still waiting for more interest rate cuts before making their final decisions.”

Canberra’s median house price was slightly higher, up 0.7% to $959,000 during the 12 months to July, while unit prices were 2.4% lower over the same period ($590,000). 

In Canberra, new property listings had decreased 0.4% in July, compared to the same time last year, while total listings were 1.1% higher. 

Darwin spring property outlook

Affordable property prices and increasing rents have been attracting plenty of investors to Darwin’s property market lately, according to Elders Top End Group real estate agent Derek Hart. 

The median house price in Darwin has grown 6.5% to $604,000 during the year to July, while unit prices were up 7.4% to $410,000 during the same period. 

Mr Hart said the Darwin property market was the most buoyant it had been in the 18 years he had been selling homes.  

“We don’t just have local buyers now, we have investors coming into Darwin, and it’s increasing prices,” he said.  

“We’ve got the cheapest properties out of the capital cities and some of the highest rents, so the yield returns are a huge attraction for investors. 

“As rents continue to rise, more local buyers are getting into the market too because sometimes it’s just cheaper to buy than rent.  

“We’ve got a lack of supply here, so I think prices are going to continue to rise.”  

In Darwin, new property listings were down by 9.9% YoY in July, while total listings were 40.7% lower. 

The post Spring property market to flourish as rate cuts lift buyer confidence   appeared first on realestate.com.au.

From lighting money candles for cash to manifesting a Mercedes, the wildest financial trends have been exposed as experts warn of the shock impact they’re having on Aussies.

Worrying signs are emerging that at least two generations are now being severely hammered by wacky financial advice thanks to unqualified finfluencers running rampant on social media.

While older generations may slog away at boring budgets and faithfully add to savings for compound interest gains to build home loan deposits, experts warn Gens Z and Alpha could be putting their faith in supernatural and wacky social media fads – digital witchcraft that may well be the equivalent of snake oil sales tactics for coming generations.

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Among the 15 emerging trends raising eyebrows among financial analysts is the viral belief that you can “speak wealth into existence” using affirmations like “money is coming,” “new home is coming,” or even “I want a Mercedes.” These kinds of posts have collectively garnered over 25 million views, according to BestBrokers data.

Another popular trend involves lighting so-called “get rich money candles” with the intention of attracting financial abundance – some of these videos have received more than half a million likes.

While advocates see these practices as motivational or symbolic, some experts caution that they may contribute to what they describe as a “financial fantasyland,” potentially encouraging unrealistic expectations about wealth creation. In response, some TikTok users have started sharing their own investigations into how these candles work, aiming to help others make informed decisions about whether these trends live up to the hype.

Social media finfluencers have grown in such prominence that Australia’s peak financial services body ASIC has banded together with eight other regulators to crack down on their unqualified financial advice and taking legal action – even to the point of bankruptcy.

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ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland said they had “joined forces to disrupt unlawful finfluencer activity” with their most recent move seeing 18 social media spruikers warned over suspicions they were unlawfully pushing high-risk financial products and unlicensed financial advice to Australians.

This comes after a major federal court decision three years ago against social media influencer Tyson Scholz aka ASX Wolf on Instagram which found he carried on a financial service business without an Australian licence to do so.

Mr Kirkland said “it’s important that consumers separate fun from fact when it comes to finfluencer content. Popularity doesn’t equal credibility. Check their credentials and whether they’re licensed or authorised, before checking your money out.”

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The issues goes further than that though with BestBrokers analyst Paul Hoffman warning “in the vast, addictive scroll of social media, wisdom and misinformation often blur together”.

“For millions of young users, platforms like TikTok offer not just entertainment, but also a steady stream of life advice, much of it unsolicited, unvetted, and sometimes dangerously wrong. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world of personal finance, where catchy videos and trending hashtags often substitute for qualified guidance.”

He said in a time where cost-of-living pressures are soaring, the idea of “manifesting money” instead of budgeting for it could have long-term consequences.

“This could normalise superficial financial habits while increasing susceptibility to risky schemes” as young users experiment with “symbolic or gamified approaches to wealth, rather than traditional financial literacy”.

TikTok’s 1.59 billion active monthly users were being drawn to trends that BestBrokers believes could end up causing their savings habits harm as they hunt for quick measures rather than real financial literacy.

Among trends that it warned could be misleading were #sidehustle, #passiveincome, and #moneymanifestation which have close to 25 million views, as well as things like #forex, #passiveincome, #moneymindset, #cryptoinvesting, #debtfreejourney, #flippingforprofit, #cashstuffing, #financialindependence, #100envelopechallenge, #extremebudgeting, #creditcardhacks, #nospendchallenge, even #girlmathexplained and #paydayloans.

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Side hustle content – ranging from tips on launching low-cost businesses to unconventional methods for building up savings for housing loans from home – has attracted tens of millions of views on social media. Some videos even claim to show how to bring in tens of thousands of dollars per month, often with little upfront investment.

Posts suggesting that the wealthy don’t work have also gained traction, alongside minimalist or frugality-focused content promoting “underconsumption” and a move away from material excess.

While many viewers find these messages inspiring or aspirational, financial analysts urge caution, noting that some of this content may reflect more optimism than practicality, and could risk promoting unrealistic expectations if not critically assessed.

Mr Kirkland warned social media users that for specific financial products, ASIC was “seeing a pattern where these unlicensed finfluencers invite consumers to join their closed communities or forums to learn their secrets to success or copy their trades”.

He said if a finfluencer was not licensed, an authorised representative or exempt, they were not legally permitted to carry on a business of providing investment advice in Australia.

“If you spruik or discuss financial products and services online, you need to carefully consider how the law applies to you and seek legal advice if you are unsure.”

Unlicensed activity can be reported to ASIC on its “how to report misconduct” web page or by calling 1300 300 630.

Top finfluencer trends of 2025:

Trend | Views of top videos | Trend hashtag

Side Hustle 10,300,000 #SideHustle

Forex Investing 5,000,000 #forex

Passive Income 8,900,000 #passiveincome

Money Manifestation 5,800,000 #moneymindset

Crypto Investing 446,700 #cryptoinvesting

Debt-free journey 3,400,000 #debtfreejourney

Flipping Stuff for Quick Cash 366,100 #cashstuffing

Financial Independence/RetireEarly 1,000,000 #financialindependence

100 Envelope 15,700,000 #100envelopechallenge

Extreme Budgeting/Frugal Living 2,100,000 #extremebudgeting

Credit Card Hack 1,400,000 #creditcardhacks

No-spend Challenge 625,600 #nospendchallenge

Girl Math 16,800,000 #girlmathexplained

Payday or Title Loans for Quick Cash 663,700 #paydayloans

(Source: BestBrokers)

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New details have emerged over a bitter legal battle between Katy Perry and a dying war veteran who claims he was forced to surrender his home to her.

The pop singer’s ex-fiance, Orlando Bloom, has been identified as the real owner of the $US15 million ($A22 million) California mansion that has been at the centre of a five-year fight, Realtor reports.

According to courtroom testimony, Perry’s longtime business manager, Bernie Gudvi, revealed it was Bloom, 48, who had purchased the mansion from plaintiff Carl Westcott through a limited liability company named after the former celebrity couple’s young daughter.

“I believe Mr. Bloom bought the house through some controlled entity,” Gudvi said while being cross-examined by plaintiff’s lawyer Andrew Thomas.

When pressed by Mr Thomas if it was his understanding that it was Bloom who secured the Montecito property in May 2024, Mr Gudvi replied: “That’s correct.”

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A document filed with the California Office of the Secretary of State, dated May 10, 2024, indicates that Bloom and two of his business managers formed a limited liability company. Notably, Perry’s name is absent from the letter.

That same month, the deed of the Montecito estate was transferred to the LLC.

Then in August 2024, the LLC took out a loan against the house from City National Bank in the amount of $US4.95 million ($A7.6 million).

During cross-examination, the plaintiff’s lawyer zeroed in on the issue of the property’s legal ownership.

Using Perry’s birth name, Katheryn Hudson, Mr Thomas asked Mr Gudvi: “So Ms Hudson has no interest whatever in the house, since the date it was purchased on May 17, 2024?”

“I can’t say that. I don’t know,” replied Mr Gudvi. “I mean, shared legal interest, I don’t think so.”

Perry and Bloom split up in July after nine years together. Just weeks later, the pop star was spotted enjoying a lavish dinner with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Perry, 40, is scheduled to take the stand in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, which coincides with her daughter’s 5th birthday.

Her upcoming testimony was the subject of some heated back and forth last week, after defence lawyer Alex Lindhart asked that the Dark Horse hit maker be allowed to take the stand “out of order” on the first day of the trial, arguing that it was the only day she was available amid her international tour.

Judge Joseph Lipner lashed out at Perry’s team, calling the request “really outrageous” and arguing that it was putting Mr Westcott at a strategic disadvantage.

“It doesn’t reflect well on Ms. Hudson,” Judge Lipner said, using Perry’s legal surname. “It’s not nice. It’s not right.”

Instead of taking the stand on Thursday, Perry took a break from her Lifetimes Tour and was photographed soaking up the sun on a Miami Beach in a black-and-white bikini. She performed a show at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Saturday.

Mr Westcott’s lawyers have repeatedly asked the judge to call Bloom to the stand as well, but so far their pleas have been rejected.

Following Thursday’s revelations concerning the ownership of the Montecito property, Mr Thomas, the plaintiff’s lawyer, accused the other side of “strategizing” to keep the home’s real owner — Bloom — from being questioned in open court.

But Judge Lipner was not impressed by that argument, retorting: “I’m not terribly moved even with this fact to allow Mr. Bloom to testify.”

The twisty legal saga involving Perry and Mr Westcott, the ailing 85-year-old founder of 1-800 Flowers, dates back to 2020, when the Firework songstress entered into contract with the veteran to purchase his Montecito home for $US15 million ($A22 million).

The estate nestled in the Santa Ynez foothills features eight bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a tennis court, two guesthouses, and a pool.

Mr Westcott had reportedly purchased the home for a little over $US11 million ($A17 million) just two months before agreeing to sell it to Perry.

But a few days after making the deal, Mr Westcott, who suffers from a brain disorder, reneged on the agreement.

He blamed his mental capacity, claiming he was not in his right mind and under the influence of pain medication after undoing a recent surgery when he made the decision to sell.

“The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr Westcott of unsound mind,” Mr Westcott’s lawyers claimed in court filings.

However, Perry’s team argued that Westcott had been of sound mind when he consented to the real estate transaction, and that he backed out only because he could not find another property to buy for himself.

After years of legal wrangling, Judge Lipner in 2023 sided with Perry and ruled that the origin sale contract handled by manager Mr Gudvi on her behalf should be upheld.

It was previously reported that Perry formally took possession of the mansion in May 2024, but according to the bombshell courtroom revelation, it was actually Bloom who acquired the property through an LLC.

Perry then countersued Mr Westcott, claiming damages and lost rental income.

The move prompted Mr Westcott’s family to label the A-lister “entitled” and having “zero empathy.”

Perry so far has paid $US9 million ($A13.7 million) for the home and wants $US6 million ($A9.1 million) knocked off the $US15 million ($A23 million) sale price, citing damage to the property that required extensive repairs, including a fallen tree and the after-effects of flooding.

Chris Pratt, who is understood to be renting Perry’s Montecito home with his wife, Katherine Schwarzenneger.

The actor has been named as a potential witness in the case by Westcott’s legal team.

The lawyers asked Judge Lipman to allow them to question The Guardians of the Galaxy star, 46, about the condition of the home when he first moved in, according to Fox News.

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.

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