The North Shore

With the median house prices in the North Shore being around $1,000,000 it's clearly a very crazy market. What do you guys think? Is it still worthwhile (as an investor), to purchase property around here?

The key benefits of property in the North Shore are:

• Very good infrastructure - the Northern Express bus lanes make it very easy to go from Shore to City, or even from parts of the Shore (say Sunnynook) to other areas (such as Albany).
  
• Amazing beaches - the North Shore is the name given to Northern Auckland for a reason. The amazing beaches! Spanning from Takapuna to Mairangi Bay to Long Bay and beyond, the coastline provides an amazing lifestyle and beautiful environment for those who wish to escape the busy concrete jungle of the CBD and surrounding suburbs while still being a ~20 minute bus ride commute (see Northern Express point above) away!
  
• Top tier schools - if you want top schooling for your children, there are few schools that can compete with the likes of Westlake Boys' High School and Westlake Girls High School in academia, sporting and cultural pursuits. The double Westlake area of the North Shore allows your sons and daughters to study at these top secondary schools and set them up for a great education and career. This means that you can enjoy the beautiful sunshine and beaches while not feeling guilty since your children are still having a quality education!
  
• Lifestyle - as hinted above, the lifestyle of living on the Shore is second to none. Skipping over the education and environment, the North Shore also offers amazing commercial hubs such as Albany and Takapuna, meaning that you do not need to go to the City everyday and even walk/bike to work! There are also a plethora of big shopping centers and amazing cafe stores that will keep your social life at the highest it's been since your youthful years.
  

So what do you guys think? I personally and still looking for a good value property around the North Shore. Realistically, it will probably have to be around Albany (which is still very good!) or around there since the new developments in the area means the properties are relatively cheaper than your exquisite lakefront or beachfront property in Takapuna/Milford. Regardless, I believe it will be a great investment and I will rent it out to deserving tenants who can make the most of the schooling and working benefits.

Comment below!

Some stunning pictures of the North Shore:


Browns Bay - North Shore, Auckland by Kesara Rathnayake, on Flickr


Long Bay, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand, 5 April 2010 by Phillip Capper, on Flickr


North Shore and Rangitoto by russellstreet, on Flickr

The more I look at these pictures the more I want to own a house here...

Being by the beach will be ideal, but I know that these go for even more than the median price.

Relatively cheaper areas of the Shore would include areas such as Beachhaven (which you can still get amazing harbour views), Northcote, Glenfield and the outskirts of Albany. While not the most glamorous of places, they all still have their unique benefits that suit certain families. And because everything is so accessible, it's probably only 15-20 minutes maximum car ride away from the beaches anyway! These places area also constantly being developed and generally have a large shopping complex nearby making it very convenient for everyday living and socialising.

The schools and education around the areas might be a concern though. If you live near Albany, there is always Kristin College, a private school to send your kids.