Rodney Stevens, Clarence Valley Independent
Yamba has been named in the realestate.com.au inaugural Hot 100 as being in the top 100 suburbs in Australia for real estate prospects in 2023.
Often touted as being the next Byron Bay, Yamba was also named Australia’s top town by Australian Traveller Magazine in 2009.
In fact, Byron Bay didn’t even make the Hot 100, which was compiled by a panel of industry experts – including the head of a major agency group, buyer’s agents, researchers, and an academic – and complemented by Prop Track data and economic analysis.
Tweed Heads was the only other NSW North Coast suburb named in the Hot 100 along with Yamba.
NSW suburbs accounted for 24 spots in the Hot 100, trailing Victoria which had 29 suburbs, Queensland also had 24 suburbs, South Australia nine, Western Australia seven, ACT five, while both Tasmania and the NT had one suburb named.
The suburbs that made the Hot 100 were nominated based on various mid- and long-term growth drivers, including: Affordability, Amenity, Family Appeal, Location, Investment Prospects, Gentrification, Population Growth, Demographic Change and Infrastructure.
Yamba was nominated based on its amenity.
“Buzz has been building about this beach town for a while now, with some even seeing it as a future rival to pricey and prestigious Byron Bay,” said realestate.com.au.
“It’s been a lovely coastal holiday destination for generations,” Ray White Group Managing Director Dan White said.
“Yamba has world-class surf breaks, great fishing, and excellent national parks.
“Plus, it’s home to great events like Cool Sounds and the Clarence Tunes Festivals, plus the Yamba Triathlon.”
Picturesque beaches draw in sea-changers and those in search of a weekender, but the surrounding forest to the west is just as stunning, he added.
As well as being an achievable six-hour drive from Sydney, it’s just four hours south of Brisbane.
According to data from Prop Track and realestate.com.au, Yamba’s median house price over the past 12 months was $963,000, with a 20 per cent increase in demand for homes and 63 engaged buyers per listing.
The average weekly rent is $600, which has increased by five per cent over the past year.
The median price for units over the same period was $689,000 and interest increased in the market by six per cent, with 57 engaged buyers per listing.
The average weekly rent for a unit at Yamba is $475, which increased by six per cent over the past 12 months.
Yamba, with a main demographic aged 65-74, had a rental vacancy rate of 1.2 per cent over the past 12 months.
This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 21 December 2022.
