We have so much going for us here in Wagga Wagga, why wouldn’t you want to live out here? Who wouldn’t like a tree change?

With numerous reports showing soaring house prices in the capital cities are cutting young people out of the real estate market, the spotlight is shining on regional centres like Wagga as an alternative option and the increasing trend of ditching the city life for a breath of fresh air.

Having all the amenities of the city with the benefit of the country lifestyle is precisely why first home buyers, families and investors are seeing the potential in more affordable regional areas, and with interest rates at record lows, it’s an opportune time to join the market.

“People are moving not just because of affordability, but also liveability,” Rod Kendall, former Wagga mayor and spokesman for Evocities (the organisation of seven regional cities encouraging Sydneysiders to make the move) told Domain. “The biggest hurdle they face is just their own preconceptions of what our cities are like. They’re not hick villages in the middle of nowhere; they look more like a suburb of Sydney with all the facilities and job opportunities, but few of the hassles.”

Wagga was the star of a story the TODAY show recently did on the tree change trend, demonstrating the difference in price for comparable properties in both Wagga and suburban Sydney. View the story here.

Affordable housing, a strong rental and labour market and rapidly improving infrastructure are the perfect recipe for investors.

“We have the University, the two armed forces bases and a really big agricultural base, so we have a massive renting population which increases our rent return, which is great for investors” Fitzpatricks Director Helen Woodhouse told WIN News Riverina on Tuesday. Wagga’s property market is becoming more attractive to investors who are coming to the region to purchase multiple properties, with plenty of competition between buyers.

With a new hospital and quality medical services, a broad education base and plenty of recreation opportunities, as a place to raise a family Wagga is very attractive.