Top 5 Places to Invest in Australia Right Now

Jason Dwyer • October 9, 2026

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The headlines say now is a terrible time to invest

If you have been reading the property news lately, you could be forgiven for thinking investors should stay on the sidelines. The numbers behind those headlines are real.

  • Prices are falling. Cotality's national Home Value Index fell 1.1% in September 2026, the sixth monthly fall in a row, leaving values 5.2% below the March peak. Over the three months to September, 97% of capital city suburbs lost value, and Brisbane recorded the steepest monthly fall of any capital at 1.5%. ( Cotality via PIP analysis)
  • Rates are up again. On 29 September the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60%, its fourth increase of 2026 and a full percentage point higher than where the year started. ( CommBank)
  • The tax rules changed. The May federal budget restricted negative gearing on established homes bought after 7:30pm on 12 May 2026, and replaces the 50% capital gains tax discount for most assets from 1 July 2027. ( SuperGuide budget overview)
  • Buyers have stepped back. Cotality estimates home sales over the past three months were 19.1% lower than a year earlier.

So the word on the street is fair: this is a harder market than it was a year ago. But "harder" is not the same as "closed". If you are serious about getting into property investing, the question is not whether to invest. It is where, in what, and on what terms. Below are the five places we would put on any investor's shortlist right now, and the honest reasons why.

What the headlines leave out

Falling prices are only half the picture. Four facts point the other way, and they shape where the opportunities are.

  • Australia still has a rental shortage. SQM Research put the national vacancy rate at 1.3% in July 2026, with Brisbane at 0.9%. SQM's managing director, Louis Christopher, said the rental market remains undersupplied. ( SQM Research, July 2026)
  • Yields are improving. Because values are falling while rents are still rising, Cotality's national gross rental yield reached 3.85% in September, the highest since August 2019. National rents were still 5.5% higher than a year earlier.
  • Most owners are not under pressure to sell. The RBA's October Financial Stability Review estimates fewer than 1% of borrowers are in negative equity. ( RBA, October 2026)
  • New builds kept their tax benefits. Under the new law, which received Royal Assent on 26 June 2026, eligible new builds are exempt from the negative gearing restrictions and keep access to the 50% CGT discount. ( DFK Gooding Partners) Only the first purchaser of an eligible new build gets those concessions. ( Aussie)

That last point matters more than any headline. The rules now steer investors toward brand new housing. And few regions have a bigger housing task than South East Queensland. The state's regional plan expects SEQ to add 2.2 million people by 2046, requiring almost 900,000 new homes, or about 34,500 a year. ( ShapingSEQ 2023)

Put those together and you get our shortlist: growth corridors in SEQ where population is arriving, rentals are scarce, and new house and land is still being built.

The top 5 places to invest in Australia right now

Full disclosure: Dwyer Property Investments builds in all five of these areas. We chose them because the data supports them, and we have laid out the risks for each one so you can judge for yourself.

1. Moreton Bay: Australia's third largest council, still growing fast

The City of Moreton Bay had 532,445 residents at 30 June 2025, making it the third largest local government area in Australia. It added 10,951 people that year, growth of 2.1%. ( QGSO, 2024 to 25)

  • Council expects the population to approach 800,000 by 2046, and the state's regional plan requires the city to accommodate 125,800 new homes by then. ( City of Moreton Bay)
  • Supply is lagging. Housing analyst Michael Matusik reported that of nearly 4,800 dwellings approved in Moreton Bay in 2025, only 2,280 were registered. ( Matusik)
  • The rental market is tight, with a Moreton Bay vacancy rate of 0.9% in March 2026. ( PRD Caboolture)

Where we build: Morayfield, Burpengary East, Narangba and the Caboolture corridor, with house and land packages starting from $892k. ( Dwyer Moreton Bay)

The honest catch: Moreton Bay sits inside the Greater Brisbane market, which led the capitals' price falls in September. Buy for the 10 year story, not the next 12 months.

2. Caboolture and Waraba: a city the size of Mackay in the making

Caboolture combines today's rental demand with one of the largest planned growth areas in the country next door.

  • In Q1 2026, Caboolture's median house rent was $650 a week and vacancy was 0.7%. ( PRD Caboolture)
  • Waraba, formerly Caboolture West, was declared a Priority Development Area in August 2024. It is planned for around 30,000 new dwellings and about 70,000 people. ( Economic Development Queensland)
  • The state expects Waraba to support around 17,000 local jobs. ( Queensland Government)
  • Forecasters at .id expect the Upper Caboolture area to grow from 3,292 people in 2021 to around 31,000 by 2046. ( .id forecast)

Where we build: established Caboolture estates such as Central Springs, plus Caboolture West.

The honest catch: Council says Waraba could take up to 40 years to fully develop, so early buyers live with fewer amenities for a while. ( City of Moreton Bay)

3. North Harbour: a proposed marina precinct with state backing

North Harbour at Burpengary East, about 42km north of the Brisbane CBD, was declared a Priority Development Area in July 2025. ( Queensland Government)

  • The proposed plan includes more than 3,700 homes, a 400 berth marina, tourism and hotel precincts, and an early release area of 200 fast tracked homes. ( The Urban Developer)
  • The existing North Harbour development is already home to 3,000 residents and is one of five significant projects in the City of Moreton Bay's economic development strategy to 2041. ( Queensland Government)
  • The proposed broader masterplan is valued at $2.74 billion and includes a 319 hectare waterfront recreation area. ( Outdoor Design)

Where we build: fixed price house and land packages inside the North Harbour masterplan, starting from $1.008M. ( Dwyer North Harbour)

The honest catch: the marina is not built yet and remains subject to approval. Economic Development Queensland is still preparing the detailed development scheme, so part of the upside depends on delivery.

4. Sunshine Coast: lifestyle demand with a new rail line coming

The Sunshine Coast council area had 381,957 residents at 30 June 2025 and grew by 7,659 people that year. Caloundra West and Baringa recorded the second largest population increase of any area in Queensland, adding 1,980 people. ( QGSO, 2024 to 25)

  • The Wave, a new heavy rail line, will run from Beerwah to Caloundra in Stage 1, with stations including Bells Creek (Aura) and Caloundra. The federal and state governments have each committed $2.75 billion to Stage 1. ( Transport and Main Roads)
  • The government says the line will save passengers more than 45 minutes compared with driving in peak times. ( Transport and Main Roads)
  • Stage 1 is expected to enable housing for 50,000 people at Caloundra South. ( Queensland Government)

Where we build: Palmview, Caloundra and selected infill estates near transport. ( Dwyer Sunshine Coast)

The honest catch: Stage 2 to Birtinya is still subject to funding, and entry prices here are higher than in Moreton Bay.

5. Gympie: the affordable end of the corridor, now bypassed and better connected

Gympie is the value play on this list, and its main infrastructure project is already finished.

  • The $1.162 billion Gympie Bypass, a new 26km four lane section of the Bruce Highway, was completed in October 2024. ( Transport and Main Roads)
  • The Gympie council area grew 2.0% in 2024 to 25, among the ten fastest growing council areas in Queensland. ( QGSO)
  • In Q2 2026, Gympie had a house rental yield of 3.6% and vacancy of 1.2%. ( PRD Gympie)

Where we build: Gympie growth estates. ( Dwyer Gympie)

The honest catch: Gympie's median house rent eased 3.2% over the year to $600 a week, so rental growth is not guaranteed here.

The risks we would want you to know about

No location removes market risk. Here is what could go against you in any of these five areas.

  • Rates may rise again. Westpac's economists now expect another hike in November as their base case, and money markets on 30 September priced roughly a one in five chance of one. ( PIP analysis of bank forecasts)
  • Expect to top up the mortgage. Cotality puts Brisbane house yields at 3.4%, while the RBA's average rate on new investor interest only loans was 6.5% in July. As a rough illustration of our own, a $892k package renting at Caboolture's $650 median earns about 3.8% gross, so rent alone will not cover the interest. That is exactly why the new build tax treatment matters.
  • Regional Queensland is cooling too. Cotality's regional Queensland index fell 0.9% in September and is 2.8% below its May peak, although it is still up 6.3% over the year.
  • Policy can change. The federal Opposition has pledged to repeal the negative gearing, CGT and trust changes if elected. ( Resimax Group)
  • Growth areas take time. Waraba and North Harbour are long projects, and some of their value depends on infrastructure that is not finished yet.

This article is general information, not personal financial or tax advice. Speak to your accountant and broker about how the new rules apply to your situation before you buy.

Investing in a tough market, without doing it the hard way

A softer market rewards investors who buy the right product in the right place and hold it. It punishes guesswork. That is the gap Dwyer Property Investments was set up to close.

We are a builder, not a broker. Every home is built by Dwyer Quality Homes, which has more than 40 years of building in South East Queensland behind it. ( Dwyer Property Investments) When you invest with us, you get:

  • Brand new house and land in the growth corridors above
  • A fixed price guarantee, so the number you sign is the number you pay
  • A 3 Year Rental Guarantee, with monthly rent paid to you from the day your home is completed, even if a tenant leaves
  • Zero management fees during the guarantee period
  • One team from start to finish: land selection, build, tenant and ongoing support

You do not need to find the land, manage a builder or chase a tenant. You just need to decide whether it fits your plan.

Book a free Discovery Session with our team on 1800 088 437 or online here. We will look at your goals and finances, then show you which of these five areas, if any, makes sense for you.

Frequently asked questions

Is 2026 a bad time to invest in Australian property? It is a harder time. Prices fell for six straight months to September and rates are at 4.60%. But vacancy remains low, yields are the highest since 2019, and new builds kept their tax benefits.

Can I still negatively gear an investment property? Yes, if it is an eligible new build and you are its first purchaser. Established homes bought after 7:30pm on 12 May 2026 lose that ability from 1 July 2027. Check your situation with your accountant.

Why South East Queensland and not Sydney or Melbourne? SEQ is planning for 2.2 million more people by 2046, and its rental vacancy is tighter. Sydney values were 8.6% below their February peak in September.

Sources

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