House prices across the country have fallen 7.8 per cent in the past year, but for five years the median house price on the Border and in the Southern Riverina has been rising consistently, and at times swiftly.
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In March 2014, someone looking to spend $300,000 on a house would have been able to buy in Albury, Wodonga, Indigo, Alpine or Wangaratta municipalities, but these days it's not that simple.
In March 2014, the median price for a house in the Albury council area was just $282,750, but in the last five years, it's risen more than 22 per cent to $346,250.
Meanwhile, the median house price in Wodonga has increased 21.7 per cent from $287,000 to $349,250 in five years.
Stean Nicholls director Nicholas Clark said over the past five years Albury-Wodonga had really come into its own as a city and was no longer reliant on a couple of employers or industries.
"Albury-Wodonga and the surrounding region has just ticked over 100,000 in population, and you find when that happens the economy tends to shift up two gears. In the past 20 years we've seen Albury really stand on its own two feet," he said.
In the Alpine region, inclusive of Myrtleford, Bright and Mt Beauty, the median house price has skyrocketed, up 67 per cent from $280,000 to $467,500, while the median price in Indigo has increased 49.3 per cent from $267,500 to $399,500.
In Sydney and Melbourne the median house price has decreased to $1 million and $809,468 respectively.
Mr Clark said as the Border had grown and the industries diversified, the area had become more attractive to potential residents. With the baby boomer generation having reached their 70s, many had moved to Albury-Wodonga, either downsizing from the wider region or in search of a tree-change away for high metropolitan prices.
Mr Clark said although central Albury's median house price was sitting at $550,000, there were still many outer parts of the city where you could buy a home for about $300,000.
We examined what you can purchase with $300,000 in 2019 across the region - and where you'll get the most for your money.
Albury
If you're looking for a family home for $300,000 or under in Albury, you're going to have to sacrifice space or look beyond the city centre.
In Albury central, no houses were listed on Domain with a price of $300,000 or less, but four two-bedroom units and five pockets of land were priced within budget, including land and architectural plans within new development Sadie Lane.
The Australia Bureau of Statistics found Albury home-owners pay a median monthly mortgage repayment of $1625.
In East Albury, the median repayment is smaller at $1517. East Albury also had more variety for those on a budget with 17 units and one parcel of land on Eastern Circuit listed for under $300,000, including an Andrews Street four-bedroom unit on 322m2 of land.
Venturing into West or North Albury, $300,000 should secure a family home, with both suburbs boasting lower median monthly mortgage repayments of $1326 and $1175 respectively.
In West Albury, three houses, five townhouses or units and four plots of land were available for less than $300,000 - including a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home on 151.97m2 in Myrtle Street with a sale price of $260,000.
In North Albury, 18 homes, four units and three plots of land were available for $300,000 or less, including a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on 708m2 in Union Street.
Towards the border in South Albury, where the median mortgage repayment is $1300, only one unit was listed for sale for less than $300,000.
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However Lavington had a number of houses for sale for under $300,000, including both a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on Douglas Road listed for $299,000 and a two-bedroom one-bathroom house on 1012m2.
In total 33 houses, 51 units and townhouses, and nine plots of land were listed with sale prices under $300,000 in Lavington, where the median monthly mortgage repayment is $1300.
Moving west to Glenroy, one house, two units and four parcels of land were listed for less than $300,000, while in Springdale Heights, where the median monthly mortgage is $1387, $300,000 won't just get you a home, but a pool as well.
Within the suburb, 11 houses, eight units and 12 parcels of land are listed below $300,000 - including a Buronga Drive property with three bedrooms, one bathroom and a swimming pool listed for $270,000-$299,000.
In Hamilton Valley, $300,000 won't get you a home but can get you 3.5 acres of land, with six parcels of land listed within the price range.
In Thurgoona, only one house - a four-bedroom, one-bathroom home - was listed for sale with an asking price below $300,000, alongside six units and 19 parcels of land. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Thurgoona was $1689, dearer than central Albury.
Riverina
Further north in Culcairn, $270,000 would get you a three-bedroom, three-bathroom brick veneer home on 1088m2, complete with sunken swimming pool and a boat carport.
The town boasts the region's lowest median monthly mortgage repayment of $960, and had 22 houses and four blocks of land listed for sale within the budget.
Up the highway, the cheapest plot of land for sale in Henty, in the Sweetwater Drive over-55s estate, had an asking price of just $29,601 for 275m2 and views of the golf course.
A 1012m2 block of land on Ivor Street with a 1920s circa 'Federation-Californian Bungalow' style renovated house was listed for $290,000.
Across Henty the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1000, and there were 19 houses and seven parcels of land listed for sale for under $300,000. Jindera, Walla and Burrumbuttock each had three houses listed for sale under $300,000.
In Howlong, there were nine houses, four units and seven blocks of land listed for less than $300,000 and 26 houses, eight units and 39 plots of land in Corowa.
Wodonga
While $300,000 would only get you a unit in Albury, in Wodonga, where the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1350, 39 houses, 33 units and 20 plots of land were listed for sale within the price range.
The budget would allow you to purchase an off-the-plan three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Day Street, or an existing three-bedroom house in Stanley Street.
In West Wodonga, only three units and one plot of land were listed for $300,000 or less, including a unit in the over-55 Village Life estate.
In Banaduda, Leneva and Bandidana, only plots of land were listed for under $300,000. Only one block of land was for sale for less than $300,000 in Bonegilla, where the median monthly mortgage repayment is $2000.
North East
Travelling out to Tallangatta, three units were available for less than $220,000 each and the median monthly mortgage repayment is $1983.
In Tangambalanga $295,000 would get you a four-bedroom, one-bathroom home on 1004m2, while another 800m2 parcel of land was listed for $115,000.
In Yackandandah, only one two-bedroom 266m2 unit and one 4103m2 plot of land were listed for less than $300,000, while in Beechworth, no houses and no units were available, with only two blocks of land listed for that price.
However between the towns, in Wooragee, $280,000 would buy you a 7.7-acre plot of land, zoned rural living.
The median monthly mortgage repayment for each of the towns was $1500, $1430 and $1509.
Nine houses and 19 parcels of land were available in Myrtleford for $300,000 or less, but only one piece of land was listed within the price range for Bright.
In Chiltern, five houses, one unit and three blocks of land, including a 3.3-acre parcel listed for $132,000, were all available for less than $300,000.
In Springhurst two properties were listed for less than $300,000 while in Rutherglen five houses, one unit and 14 plots of land were for sale for less than $300,000.
In Wangaratta, 18 houses, nine units and 61 parcels of land were priced under $300,000 compared to 30 houses or cabins, 21 units and 32 plots of land in Yarrawonga and 30 houses or cabins, 21 units and 34 plots of land in Mulwala.