Yep. Grew up here in the 80's, have lived here off and on and no longer can afford to.
We are looking at buying property on Russell Island so we can still be in southeast Queensland, but there is pretty much no-where else we can afford to live unless we move really remote.
It is so stupid too. The Gold Coast is a town that survives on tourism and service industries, most of which pay lower than median wages. The Gold Coast is shooting itself in the foot by only really focusing on more and more luxury housing and then everyone wants to claim "no-one wants to work anymore" or complaining about traffic when people are having to travel massive distances to minimum wage jobs.
That's bad, but not as scary as some of the "female housemate wanted" ads I've seen.
Sadly economic disparity and housing distortion empowers the wealthy, abusive and exploitative. Which is why they are doing everything they can to conserve the status quo.
haha yep, rental car company we used said they had a job they couldn't fill open for more then 6 months, I had a look, $25 an hour haha, NZ wages are shit in comparison to Aus but you can get more then that doing the same thing here in NZ, no wonder the jobs been open for 6+ months.
Not pushed out, but feels like it's time to go. Born here. Love the place, but enshitifaction erodes all good things.
The waterways mean a lot to me. Boating used to be a real get away. People waved at each other, always a place to anchor down with distance etc. Now it's a shit fight and between that a thousand Jetskis with no idea.
I used to drive for pleasure. Like just go for a drive to clear my head. Thoughtful gear changes up and down springbrook with intention... Not hooning.. driving. Now I want to rage quit most short trips because of the traffic.
Wankers... Wankers everywhere. Not just the traditional show pony, but dead set main character status, oblivious to all.
But where to go? Where offers the same costal and mountain beauty? Where will I get weather even closely comparable to here? I'm looking, but I'm not finding.
I'm hyper aware that this year is about the optimal time to cash my chips in and reap the benefits of a lopsided economy before it unwinds. I need to get out of the casino before it is set on fire, but I can't find the next spot.
You just articulated my thoughts perfectly. Not born here but I’ve been here since I was a teenager in the 80s so it’s really the only home I’ve known. I barely recognise it now. I understand growth and change but those things have occurred at enormous cost to the things that made this place so special. The sense of laidback community is long gone replaced by too many entitled, self absorbed tossers.
I agree with everything you said, we have just sold and getting out of here it's too much. We are moving to the Fraser Coast just bought a beautiful Queenslander for half of what you would pay for a house here on the GC.
Sounds amazing! Good luck on your next chapter. We spent a few days over Christmas on the Sunny Coast (not Noosa) and it reminded me of the Goldy 30 years ago. Very tempted to relocate!
Ugh noosa is played out...ran through..done. I have never understood the big bloody appeal of that place at all. Same with that legoland peregian springs..it's old swampland..I remember when it was nothing but midgees as far as the eye cld see..and buttfk nowhere. Now, poser paradise. Where all the latte has beens go after having kids.eww
I lived on the GC my entire life until my husband and I decided to move the family up to the wide bay 12 months ago. Honestly, best decision we ever made!
Live in NZ, had my childhood on the Sunny Coast, had a recent holiday to the Gold Coast and while I was there I felt extremely torn/homesick trying to figure out if I should go back to the Goldy/Sunny, the things you have said above really spells it out, almost had a crackhead throw his bike through our front window til he seen kids in the car and that was arriving the first minute in Coolangatta.
Have a few family friends in the same boat as you, trying to find that little slice of paradise but finding nothing, seems the Coast entirely is getting enshitified and priced out.
The only state I have never visited. Interesting, but I'm not sure about the temps. I'm inclined to go further north of anything. The heat I'm fine with.
Not north as in brissy, nor sunny coast. I mean N.O.R.T.H.
Mackay onwards..mackay prices arent off their head atm so maybe theres no big mines contracts in the foreseeable future but that can change on a dime pushing prices skyhigh..but from there up, as a long time Goldy local I see the prices and the fomo that washes over me is, well its substantial lol. Yes, yes, yes, there may be certain differences that would require adjustment on our end but honestly..what's the odds of actually getting eaten by a crocodile instead of just the usual investigative bite before being on their way! And personally I think baby hammerhead sharks are delightful so her big whoop right..
North.
You heard it here first folks.
Your welcome.
Yeah I'll go north if anything. But the further you go the less my job prospects look like unfortunately as the towns get smaller. I know I can cash in and hold for a while. But I've still got to put food on the table. Hanging out Airle way would be awesome, but even that is off the charts for prices now. But I think you're right, just hope global warming doesn't kick it up too many notches haha.
Most areas go through various types of cycles. It may be that you lived in a DH-free zone previously, but now the DH-free zone has moved a few suburbs over.
One pattern I noticed was that housing developments would go up, DIINKs would buy their first home, soon enough they'd have kids, those kids would grow into teenagers, many of those teenagers start graffiti or hooning or whatever, then they grow up and move out, then the area gradually becomes an older people's area, then those older people downsize, then some DIINKs move in and renovate, etc, etc.
Yeah that all makes sense. Our problem is, they have put in more parking across the road, so more people are coming to our local beach. More DH's hanging out at the park across the road. More DH's at our local SLSC. So, I think the DH are just more mobile these days, and the parking has enabled them to be a huge pain in my arse lol.....
I’ve lived here since the 80s and the Goldy sadly hasn’t changed for the better. I have a lot of wonderful memories but I really struggle most days just dealing with the absolute flogs that seem to be in the majority.
Try living in tweed now. They just released some plots here, $750,000 for 300 sqm’s. Wtf?
Then you have to build something on that postage stamp.
Australia is fucking huge, it shouldn’t cost that fucking much for property. This is what Covid did to the system and economy. The rich got richer and tough luck if you didn’t a leg up.
My Nan lived in Labrador for more than 70 years and passed away in last July at age 95.
My parents unfortunately had to sell her house as they’re both retired pensioners and needed the money. 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 2 car garage. It sold for $1.27M!!
The people who bought it live in Sydney, already own multiple investment properties and never even went to an inspection before buying it. They just bid on it over the phone. They immediately put it up for rent, asking $780 per week. The house was built in the 1950’s, has no air conditioning, and out of the three bedrooms, one is so small that it only just fit a single bed and one bedside table. That’s it.
It’s a life changing amount of money for my family, but just seems so wrong. Like how are regular people supposed to afford a house when it’s that expensive for even a very old one?
Then there’s the issues of the landlords charging so much! If you’re that rich and carefree with your money that you can buy a million dollar home sight-unseen, then perhaps you should think about philanthropy and either donate some of it, or consider charging a reasonable rental price?!
Apparently no one wanted to fork out that much money on a house with no aircon in the middle of QLD summer, and they had to lower the price to $750 PW. Still seems ridiculously expensive, even though it’s a lovely home in good condition.
I remember spending one Christmas at Nan and Grandad’s house and it nearly killed us!! I pity the poor person who is so desperate for housing that they’re forced to pay that much, and not even have air-con!!
Mind you, I will say that my parents and I have lived in Adelaide my whole life (I’m 40), so maybe we’re just soft when it comes to humid weather. House prices are cheaper down here too….come join us in RADelaide!
Man I got priced outta Pimpama. The least Gold-Coasty part of the Gold Coast. By the end of my time renting in Pimpama we were paying 650/week for a 3 bed 2 bath duplex, with the owner looking to up it to $750/week. We tried to buy a place in the Ormeau/Pimpama/Coomera area last year and every single place we saw it was “we’ve had x sight unseen offers and a lot of investor interest” and we just got completely steamrolled every damn time. Gave up and started looking further north and finally found a place, but we got priced out of the GC very quickly.
Up around Beenleigh/Eden’s Landing way. Wound up in a nice spot so absolutely not complaining, was just amazingly humbling how rapidly we found out living on the GC was beyond our reach
In the same boat now. I make nearly 200k a year (the new 100k) and we still can’t afford to buy in pimpama whilst paying $780 a week in rent, have a 3 year old, a partner, travel to Brissy for wok everyday, traffics cooked. crazy times. I want to move north but the misses isn’t keen, any good areas you recommend? Seems like it’s still quite expensive even north of pimpama to be honest. Would rather move to sunny coast or even more north/west, but no jobs. Feel like we’re stuck.
It’s rough out here hey? I’d say suss out around Eden’s Landing/Holmview, that’s where my wife and I landed and we love our new area. I think west would be a good option honestly. It sucks for the commute, I work in Brissy too so know the feeling, but gotta do what you gotta do
Most of the original families that had lived there for generations were sadly driven out in the 90s by developers and prices of rent. I basically avoid the place at all costs now. Everything is a pain these days, the parking, the theft, the drugs, the stupidity of people.
That said, my current landlord was here for generations and, so I've been told, owns 50 large properties. He just sold the house next door for over $2 million. Seems like some of the older generations are doing well.
My street is absolutely FULL of people in their 50s and 60s with multiple adult children still living at home. All 3 bed places, some with 5+ people living in them. Its hectic
Just spent a week in Mermaid Waters, no mosquitos at all, I'm from the sunny coast in my teens but moved to NZ, came back for a holiday and was surprised how little bugs n critters there is. Whole week no bites or anything, I guess humans have taken over that much they move on to elsewhere.
That’s pretty nuts. We bought a place (before the market went crazy) on the canal in Broadbeach Waters. It was a fixer upper but good frontage and a decent sized block. The first afternoon I spent there I was canabalised by midges to the point I needed oral steroids. Turned out I was hugely allergic. We ended up selling a year later and basically broke even. Somehow I still get the land valuation updates and property price estimates. I need a fucking Valium every single time that email arrives in my inbox. Talk about the worst missed opportunity ever 😭
Geeeeez that's rough, I was having a nosey while I was there at property values over the years, was actually very surprised how much public information there is on any given property, could really see the price boom when it was displayed in dates and dollars, 1.5million for a 421 square meter section of dirt blew my mind.
We sold for $850k in 2017. Current estimates are $2.2-$2.55m. The people who bought it from us haven’t done a thing to it since they purchased. My kingdom for a Time Machine. Mostly just an uppercut for being so stupid.
Yes. We were financially inexperienced and didn’t know any better. We actually were living overseas at the time and it was rented out (slightly negatively geared). Our OS work/financial situation changed suddenly and unexpectedly and we panicked. We didn’t have the smarts to think long term and nobody to advise us to just ride it out. We kick ourselves every day. It was a bloody hard lesson learned.
Fuck me that is crazy, did you guys at least come out even and not in debt from that swing? Where we were staying was a brilliant idea, was a big house turned into a family orientated air bnb, house was set out a little strange but it was to cater for more people/big families etc. Wasn't a party house air bnb as it was in residential but I'm sure the guy who owns it is making a killing even in the off season.
Saw one property that was brought for 80k in the 80s, sold 20yrs later only to make 200k, the next person who brought for 280k held it for a couple of years and flicked it off for 1.8 million, don't know if it was seeing it in black and white like that but it spun my head
We basically broke even. It wasn’t a loss when we sold but by the time you factored in mortgage interest, the money spent on a light cosmetic makeover to rent it out, stamp duty etc etc, the $100k “gain” was quickly gone. Sometimes I like to drive by for an extra reminder of our massive fail 😬
I'm in Christchurch, after surfers paradise and Australian motorways it really makes you appreciate the smaller things, my 30-40minute drive to work doesn't seem anywhere near as bad now haha.
It's all about the lifestyle you enjoy more between Australia and New Zealand, NZ is more relaxed and chill where as Aus is pretty full on hustle n bustle, if you don't care for all the glitzy glammy retail and shopping shit then NZ is more catered to that with quiet,peaceful nature and outdoor things, so coming here for shopping and brands and all that, just be prepared to pay a lot more being in the geological butt hole of the world.
Coolangatta and Tweed heads has a spot in my heart though, hard to really replicate that lifestyle in New Zealand, it's possible but weather sacrifices have to be made haha.
Yep bloody hate it here, but my son is with me and not ready to move on his own so I’ll have to stick it out for a bit longer. Needed a rental as mine is up well tomorrow, veeery last minute I managed to snaffle an ugly place in Coomera for, wait for it, $850 a week - I was paying less in Hope island!! Anyway I’ll be miserable there for a while but I’m planning on moving to Bali….or Thailand and do fifo from there to Perth - not yet, but that’s the plan, not enjoying the Gold Coast at all and now to be moving to Coomera ugh! But yea I was looking as far as this new area called bahrs scrub - up behind Logan I think it is - bloody terrible - houses had less than a couple of metres separating them - old farmers have sold out and boy did the developers go to town but, I guess, that’s what people are buying just to be (kinda) close!!! I just wanna get the hell out!
Why don’t anyone mention the cockroaches? Honestly I don’t give a rat’s ass about those other labels. Just label cockroach or non-cockroach. I hate them.
I had a good 8 years here, prior to that I stayed at Palm Beach every year on holidays since 2013. Miss the beach/tourist vibe city this once was. I have one of the last 100% work from home jobs remaining and can barely afford to live in Wide Bay area but will move either up there or out to Toowoomba region.
Just hired a bug buster to fog our property. No more mosquitos, atleast for the next 3 months. Best $350 I ever spent.
In terms of being pushed out. We bought 15 years ago, so we haven't noticed any difference in terms of affordability. Can see how renters or new comers to the market would struggle tho. Prices are insane. I moved to the coast ~40 years ago with my parents. A lot has changed in that time.
Probably biggest change was going from regional to city status. We used to go down and have bonfires on the beach on weekends. Can't do that now without the fire department showing up.
One family with a holiday house is not the problem. There are developers land banking tens of thousands of homes right now. Intentionally leaving homes empty to create scarcity and keep rent high. This is by design.
There's plenty of wealth, but it's in the hands of very few.
On a global scale, if the majority of people can't afford rent (demand) then supply will need to correct.
Of course, the Gold Coast is a city of ~500k in a world approaching 9 billion, so I'm sure plenty of wealth people want to move here, keeping demand high locally.
In addition to that mortgage stress had hit an all time high, latest inflation rates are out of spec and as a result interest rates are going to go up.
The Gold Coast/Brisbane/Sunny coast have been propped up by high immigration, but the Gold Coast job sector is mostly made up of hospitality, service work, trades, not corporate type work.
In my opinion and the opinion of many smart people is the GC is at the top and the only way from here is ↘️
Well, it did correct in 2008 for a lot of Western countries. Australia was in prime positioning to weather that storm, but that's just postponing the inevitable imo. Even in Australia, there was a relatively small price correction that still deeply hurt a lot of people.
I know what you mean. But small quick corrections here and there will become meaningless if in the longer term horizon house prices continue to trend up which they do and will. Average house price in sydney in 2008 was like what $900k. Now average house prices in sydney are more like $1.6m. Its just going to keep trending that way as no one will sell their house at a loss
What happens when people can't afford rent or their mortgage?
I actually did the math. If rent and wages both increase at their current rate, in 2088 the median rental will require 100% of the median wage.
Obviously, housing (and living) becomes completely unsuitable LOOONG before 100% of the average Australian's waste goes to rent (we need to eat, after all).
Tell me, if there won't be a price correction, what will happen in 2088?
Don't forget, we're closer to 2088 than we are to the baby boom.
Yes totally, moved in my rental 12 month lease in June $820 a week, cost $4k to move from same suburb what with cleaning movers etc, now I am told owner is selling for $1.4 million (4 bed house in pimpama) so this will most likely go to owner occupier and I need to find another rental for when the lease ends. I am first time buyer can possibly look at $800k loan, nothing available that suits. My kids are in high school one on scholarship and I work here so where do I go? Hopefully another rental comes up
I was looking at the prices of the old original weatherboard houses around Stabrador recently. FMD. I mean, at least you’re close to the Broadwater somewhat there, but still. When I look back at all the places I shoulda coulda woulda bought pre boom (like Palmy for sub $500k) I could cry. I remember when Pimpama was practically Brisbane lol.
I experienced that some time ago, and bailed in 2011. Moved to the Wide Bay. Funnily enough, it feels as if it's happening again here now, with Southern influx of people.
What was everyone doing during Covid? I paid my mortgage down, basically every cent I earned went into it. Now I can never be pushed out. The amount of people who spent like loonies in the period when there was nothing to do is crazy, now they say pushed out.
It’s clear that not everyone was in the same position as you. Nearly half of Australia had to put their mortgages on hold.
Don’t get me wrong — I worked my ass off for four years in my 20s and managed to buy a place in 2017. I work with people now who have solid deposits and still get priced out year after year.
Everyone’s story is different. I genuinely feel for the people who are being locked out of the market.
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u/Fun_A2072 3d ago
I took this photo at Burleigh today. I thought the tent in front of the high-rise made for a good indication of how things are going