SUBURBS of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have emerged as hotspots for vendors, with a new report revealing the top places to sell.
According to a data provided to the Newcastle Herald by Suburbtrends, 24 suburbs are considered in-demand with buyers right now.
"What we've looked at is how many properties are listed for sale relative to demand," Suburbtrends founder Kent Lardner said.
"These are areas where things have actually become tighter in the last few months.
"If we see very few listings relative to what sells each month we expect things to be harder for buyers with limited inventory.
"If the buyer index has a higher number, it means we have more listings relative to what has been selling."
Use the heat map below to learn more about the property market in your suburb
In total, 15 suburbs in Newcastle achieved a buyers index score of 1 including Adamstown Heights which ranked among the best places to be a seller, alongside Kotara.
The median house prices in the two suburbs hover around the $900,000 mark, reflecting a market that Mr Lardner described as both "robust and consistent".
He said modest price growth over the past 12 months suggested that while the market was not overheating, it continued to provide fertile ground for sellers.
Alyson Foley has lived in Adamstown Heights for five years and her husband, Rob, has called it home for the past 15 years.
Collectively, the couple has owned three homes in Adamstown Heights and recently listed their five-bedroom, three-bathroom house at 392 Brunker Road for sale.
Ms Foley said she wasn't surprised to learn the suburb was ranked among the most in-demand for buyers.
"Our house is situated on a private laneway off Brunker Road and it's such a tight-knit little community," she said.
"Most of our neighbours around us have lived here for 30 or 40-plus years and we have a great community garden, and it's just a lovely place to raise a family and still be close to everything we want to be close to.
"Everyone around us has moved into Adamstown Heights to raise their families."
She said being within close proximity to the beach, the inner city and major shopping centres made it the ideal suburb to reside in.
"It's a leafy suburb, so close to the beach and the city and we always say that we are five to 10 minutes from anywhere we want to be," she said.
"It's 10 minutes to the beach and 10 minutes to town so it suits us.
"Our intention is to downsize and still stay in Adamstown Heights."
At the top of seller's markets, Merewether Heights and Tighes Hill hold consistent high demand with buyers.
Mr Lardner said the two suburbs had maintained their top position over the past year, underscoring their resilience and desirability.
Despite a slight dip in price growth, the median house prices of $1.2 million and $950,000 respectively affirmed that the value of home ownership in the two suburbs remained substantial.
Two suburbs on the rise are Mayfield East and North Lambton.
Mr Lardner said the median house price of $890,000 in Mayfield East and $800,000 in North Lambton, coupled with a healthy price growth, signalled a growing market that could see further appreciation, making it an ideal time for sellers to engage with the market.
In terms of affordability, Beresfield and Woodberry showed signs of being a competitive market for buyers with median house prices of $650,000 and $550,000 respectively.
Mr Lardner said that even at lower price points, sellers were in a position to negotiate strong outcomes.
Other suburbs with a buyers index rating of 1 were Cardiff South, Garden Suburb, Highfields, Kahibah, Rankin Park, Macquarie Hills and Warabrook.
Suburbs that also rated highly with a buyers index score of 2 were Argenton, Barnsley, Buttaba, Gateshead, Kotara South, Maryland, Tingira Heights, Whitebridge and Windale.
"Cardiff South is a stand out for me, it's brilliantly located and North Lambton is another stand out," he said.
"It's well priced and it's hemmed in by a few quality suburbs and it could be quite the beneficiary of the completion of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass."
Home in the Hunter selling agent Lauren McMahon said Adamstown Heights and Whitebridge were particularly desirable for buyers with young families.
"Adamstown Heights and Whitebridge are getting a lot of attention from buyers, especially Whitebridge," Ms McMahon said.
"Whenever we get a listing in those two suburbs it attracts double the amount of enquiries of other suburbs."
The Suburbtrends study is based on a buyers index score which looks at historical sales volumes over the last 12 months and compares that to how many homes are currently listed.
A suburb with a low buyer index score of 1 indicated it was a prime place to sell a home.
- Readers can now subscribe to Australian Community Media's free weekly Newcastle Herald property newsletter.
The newsletter will keep you informed about what's currently making headlines in the region's real estate market and beyond.
To sign up, click here, scroll down, enter your details, click the 'property' box and then click 'subscribe'.
