Revealed: Coast’s $75.45b debt-free property pool
The Gold Coast’s new wealth hotspots have been revealed
The Gold Coast’s mortgage-free homeowners are sitting on a $75.45 billion property goldmine, with new data revealing some unexpected pockets of unencumbered housing wealth across the city.
Yet as these debt-free enclaves grow, young buyers without access to the burgeoning bank of mum and dad are finding it even harder to break into markets dominated by equity-rich owners.
Analysis by SuburbTrends, drawn from Census and current market data, shows 43 per cent of all private dwellings in family-friendly Burleigh Waters are owned outright — totalling an estimated $2.97b in debt-free real estate. That makes it the Gold Coast’s top suburb for mortgage-free housing wealth.
36 Honeyeater Drive, Burleigh Waters is for sale
Retiree haven Hope Island follows, where 42 per cent of homeowners also have no mortgage, amassing $2.93b in unencumbered value, while in Runaway Bay, 50 per cent of owners were debt-free, amounting to total wealth of $2.21b
Rounding out the top 10 were: Mermaid Waters ($2.58b), Robina East ($2.51b), Palm Beach ($2.5b), Broadbeach Waters ($2.28b), Paradise Point-Hollywell ($2.28b), Surfers Paradise-North ($2.23b), and Tamborine-Canungra ($2.18b).
A total of 11,748 houses and 6,141 units were owned outright among those suburbs, reflecting the higher value and longer ownership of detached houses compared to apartments, which often serve as a stepping stone for first-home buyers or as investment or second homes.
Canals of gold
SuburbTrends founder Kent Lardner said suburbs with high levels of mortgage-free homeownership tended to be “more stable, less vulnerable to interest rate changes, and experience lower housing turnover.”
“These areas often have older, long-term homeowners who have built significant equity, meaning they are less likely to sell, keeping supply tight,” Mr Lardner said.
Mr Lardner also noted a rise in mortgage-free equity in regional areas this year.
“A key shift is that outright property wealth is growing fastest in affordable, high-growth regional areas, not just premium lifestyle markets,” he said.
2511 Cressbrook Drive, Hope Island is under contract
Across the state, Townsville, Gladstone, and Rockhampton also saw big wealth gains, driven by strong house price growth and affordability.
“Another trend is that outer Brisbane and semi-rural areas like the Southern Moreton Bay Islands are attracting mortgage-free downsizers and cash buyers, pushing up unencumbered wealth,” Mr Lardner said.
In contrast, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast suburbs had steadied, reflecting limited supply and already high values.
The top wealth hotspots effectively served as a collective bank of mum and dad, brimming with equity and ready to assist the next generation in cracking an overheated property market.
Half of the homeowners in Runaway Bay is for sale with an $8m price tag
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“Intergenerational wealth is now one of the biggest factors in determining homeownership, especially in high-equity suburbs. Family wealth can fund deposits, reduce borrowing costs, or provide loan guarantees, giving those with property-owning parents a major advantage,” Mr Lardner said.
Conversely, younger buyers without family support faced longer rental periods, higher mortgage debt, and greater financial pressure.
“Without property wealth to pass down, younger generations may struggle to enter the market at all, increasing the divide between those who inherit property wealth and those who remain locked out,” Mr Lardner said.
This Palm Beach is for sale priced at between $3.8-4.2m
“If this trend continues, homeownership risks becoming a privilege rather than an achievable goal for all Australians.”
Possible solutions included incentivising downsizing to increase supply, expanding first-home buyer assistance, and planning reforms for higher-density housing in high-equity areas.
“Without intervention, property wealth may become increasingly inherited, limiting economic mobility for future generations.”
The post Revealed: Coast’s $75.45b debt-free property pool appeared first on realestate.com.au.
