Vinny Sovcheles has some advice for Stockton residents thinking of selling up to take advantage of recent booming house prices - don't.
The owner of Lexie's on the Beach cafe, Mr Sovcheles was born and bred in Stockton and has begun raising his own family in the beachside suburb.
His three siblings all either live in Stockton or are looking to return.
"We plan to stay here forever and Stockton's like that - there's generation after generation that seem to want to stay," he said.
"I know of people that have sold because of the prices and two years later wanted to come back and couldn't afford it.
"That's happened on multiple occasions now, they just missed it too much."
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Separated from Newcastle CBD by the Hunter River, Stockton sits at the bottom of a 32km stretch of beach running up to Anna Bay.
It has been fighting coastline erosion issues for years, yet housing demand has never been higher.
It has become an increasingly attractive seachange destination for city dwellers, and according to Mr Sovcheles, has a culture that makes newcomers feel welcome.
"Everyone's so friendly - there's people that pop in [to the cafe] without anyone, they'll join a table with a bunch of locals and sit down," he said.
"I've noticed a lot of people coming in that are new to Stockton who are either looking or have just bought - a lot of them are from Sydney or Gold Coast and they want to get away from the city life.
"That was prior to me buying my house so I was getting a little nervous - I was tempted to talk them out of it but I didn't."
MARKET OVERVIEW
Stockton has a steady population of about 4000.
According to CoreLogic, the suburb's median house price fell as low as $655,000 in May 2020 before hitting $865,000 in July this year.
Creative Property's Lucas Gresham said he was now struggling to get a listing under seven figures.
"There's 1886 houses here in Stockton and there's no more supply - when that supply gets renovated and built then the suburb just gradually goes up," he said.
"You'll never come down the street here and be overshadowed by high rises, that the whole uniqueness about it.
"It's definitely going to have more of a little Byron Bay type feel right on the fringe of the city."
Mr Gresham said he had noticed more younger families being attracted to the area, which has typically had an older population.
"You get the kids on the pushbike and you can go for a ride around the whole suburb and there's a multitude of parks," he said.
"Everything's flat, everyone knows everyone ... it's a very unique location for today's living, that's why I think Stockton's hit that next level."
Movable's Jessica Molan said it was not just city folk being drawn to Stockton.
"We're getting a lot of people making the change from the Hunter Valley and those sorts of places ... I think a lot of people are finally discovering it's not this sleepy little town any more," she said.
"[They're] having the beach and the ferry only five minutes to Newcastle, but yet they're not paying these exorbitant Merewether prices."
Mrs Molan labelled the suburb "well thought-out" and said its proportion of homes with rear lane access was a drawcard for investors and retirees with caravans.
"There's a lot of people coming in and then building granny flats on the back and having two properties on the block," Mrs Molan said.
"There's a massive trend for people getting long-term tenants in those granny flats as well and they're getting quite good rates."
FUN FACTS
- Stockton was formerly known as Pirate Point. This is because in 1800 a group of convicts seized Norfolk, the first ship to circumnavigate Tasmania, and ran it aground at Stockton Peninsula.
- Stockton residents are reportedly referred to as Stocktonites or Stocktonians.
FOR SALE
Mr Gresham is guiding $1 million for a three bedroom cottage on 409 square metres at 15 Lomond Street.
Mrs Molan will soon list a renovated three-bedroom home at 156 Maitland Street and another three-bedroom, brick and tile residence at 6 Hunter Street.
Expectations for the two houses are about $1 million and $1.2 million respectively.
