27 July, 2011

State government grant set to underpin Cooma real estate market

The NSW government’s $7000 regional relocation grant is set to attract city slicker families to Cooma, according to local real estate firm, Raine & Horne.

The grant, introduced July 1, 2011, will be available to homebuyers until July 2015, and provides a one-off payment of $7000 to help families with the cost of relocating to a regional home from Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong.

Raine & Horne Cooma principal Don Menchin believes the relocation grant made Cooma an even more affordable option for families considering a ‘tree-change’.

“For prices starting from $180,000, homebuyers can secure a three bedroom home in Cooma, while it is possible to snap up a three or even four bedroom cottage from $250,000," Mr Menchin said.

Mr Menchin also pointed out other choices available to families with bigger buying budgets.

“Good quality four-bedroom brick houses with a double garage and built on some acreage are available from $380,000 to $440,000.”

For example, Raine & Horne Cooma is marketing ‘Redhill’, a magnificent three bedroom homestead on the Snowy Mountains Highway (see photos), on the market for $400,000, built on a 43 acre block just 12 minutes from Cooma.

Apart from housing affordability, the town’s schooling and education programs are also major attractions for family-oriented buyers.

“Cooma has six schools, three pre-schools, four day care centres, and a TAFE NSW campus,” Mr Menchin said.

“Monaro High School serves Cooma and seven neighbouring rural towns, while St Patrick's Catholic School caters for Kindergarten to Year 10, as does the Snowy Mountains Christian School.”

Additionally, Mr Menchin said students in Cooma had access to sporting programs not generally available in the big cities.

“Apart from the four football codes, cricket and tennis, Cooma students also have the opportunity to join ski clubs and enjoy other outdoor activities such as mountain biking, kayaking, fishing and horse riding, which are not common in many other locations.”

Cooma is also home to the Snowy Hydro head office, which oversees the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, one of the most complex water and electricity projects in the world.

“Snowy Hydro is a major employer in Cooma and provides a range of white-collar, high salary jobs, while education is another popular profession in the town.”

Cooma residents also enjoy one of the purest and most freely available water supplies in the country, courtesy of the mountain-fed upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee River.

Meanwhile, Cooma benefits from a healthy tourism industry, with its position on the Monaro Highway making it the main rest stop for travellers heading to the nearby snow fields.

“We are only 40 minutes to Jindabyne and an hour to Thredbo, while it is just 70 minutes to Canberra and 90 minutes to the Far South Coast. This makes Cooma perfectly placed if you want to enjoy all the delights of southern NSW," Mr Menchin said.

For all your property needs contact Raine & Horne Cooma on (02) 6452 3777.

Raine & Horne is an iconic Australian property firm, with more than 360 offices worldwide. Also an established Superbrand along with Qantas, Vegemite, Woolworths and Myer, the company has four distinct property service brands including Raine & Horne Residential, Raine & Horne Commercial, Raine & Horne Rural and Raine & Horne Financial.

-ENDS-

For further media information contact:

Don Menchin, Principal Raine & Horne Cooma, 02 6452 3777 or 0413 028 795

Anna Truman, National Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator, 02 9258 5448