Hi All,
Is it good to invest in a house/land in Russell Island?
What are the Pro's and Con's?
I have Heard of Snakes and flooding.
i had an uber driver who had a property in russell island (holiday home) for last 20 years and he said he loves it.
Thanks in Advance :)
isnt there a ferry ?
Describe a ferry?
Yes, but do you want to rely on that? Least of your worries anyway. What are you wanting to live there for? Have you been? It's a mud island
never been there- but i wish to just to check it out.
@Sam Sharik: You're thinking of investing in an island you know nothing about and haven't been?
/thread
@[Deactivated]: I always rely on the opinions of the posters who perform well considered due diligence on topics they certainly know about before pressing submit.
'… but i wish to just to check it out.'
I will bet London to a brick that if you go there, you will like it. Post back on this thread if I'm wrong, and I will eat my keyboard.
'… but do you want to rely on that?'
ERM… have you ever had to rely on, say, the MET brenners?!? I'll gamble on the ferry over suburban rail, any day of the century.
@GnarlyKnuckles: I don't know what an met is. Or what an ERM is. It's more that's you can't go where you want when you want. At the end of the day you'll still be on russell island, getting eaten alive by mozzies and sandflies.
"isn't there a ferry ?"
Yes there is a ferry, it runs extremely often, and it's cheap.
I had a quick check, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Getting a car onto the ferry can be as expensive as $118 return.
This is making island life unfeasible for me.
Hmmm… quite a bit of crap posted in this thread so far. Perhaps I can can provide some facts.
The obvious 'pro' is the price of the land. Cheapest coastal land anywhere near Brisbane/the Gold Coast as far as I can ascertain. Under $20k for 500 square metres or more. Someone below claims a relative of theirs 'lost a lot of money after being conned'… I guess everything is relative (as is susceptibility to 'being conned').
Re the 'midges', I'm told this can occasionally be a slight problem way down the bottom of the island, but certainly everywhere else a civilised community thrives; apparently not troubled by midges.
Re 'Having to catch a ferry to the mainland every time you want to do a proper grocery shop', this is simply straight up BS… there's an IGA supermarket on the island FFS …
Someone else below makes the utterly erroneous claim that there is 'no school' … I guess this joint must be some kind of 'Jedi mind trick' then?!?:
https://russellislandss.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx
While it's not quite the same 'fictitious issue', someone else below is evidently outraged that there is 'no hospital' on the island. At least that claim is actually true, but that doesn't make it any less ridiculous given the size of the population on the island.
Don't be discouraged by the naysayers Shreksam. Live on the 'edge'… Take a chance. I DARE you. SPEND a piddly few grand on a block on Russell Island, and you may well find it's the best investment you ever made. This thread has prompted me to look into it, and I like what I see. I think I will do it. If you buy a block there, drop me a PM and we can hook up at Russell Island RSL (near the bowls club) and make cool plans.
A few more 'pros' I just thought of before I sign off… virtually no crime, quiet lifestyle, safe roads, cohesive community, united citizen interests by way of a relatively insulated community… and that is before you consider anything like fishing, low-stress environment, etc…
IN FACT …
Ef this 'Melbourne rat-race… I'm 'upping stumps and pi$$ing off to Russell Island RIGHT NOW!
Thanks. Will PM you soon.
Nice to see someone who isn't a negative Nelly keyboard warrior in this thread.
Thank you,
Don't do it!
My brother was conned into buying a property there many years ago on the promise of many improvements would be made to the island. They never happened and he lost a lot of money. There was a story recently on TV on the number of people who were very upset about buying there.
thanks
I used to work nearby (11 years ago now). Heard a story about how they set up the property poles/flags on a huge block, and flew some potential buyers over in a small plane to survey and show off the size of the land.
They purposely did this during low tide, as the block of 'beachfront land' is underwater at high tide. They are dodgy enough to sell land that is part of the ocean.
And as above, plenty of midgies, no school, and not a tourist area (for renting). It's a beautiful island with scenery, but not an investment.
This happened to my mates about 20 years ago..they got flown over in a helicopter ..they got scammed and lost heaps
Pro: You own a property
Con: It's on Russell Island
Pro - You get to live on an island.
Con - Its Russell Island.
The constant noise of the bushes rubbing together would drive me nuts.
I'll gladly trade for the sound of a lancer with the baffles removed.
lolololol (rustle rustle); hilarious brazmo… a "THINKIN' MAN's" gag!!! ;-P
If I was going to live on an island then I'd rather get something on Stradbroke; it's still remote but the beaches and lifestyle are nice.
I assume op is interested because he can get a place on russell island for $50k, instead of the $500k++ for straddie.
You're not buying anything immediately liveable, even on Russell Island, for $50k. You're looking at about $130k for a fibro shack/demountable on a small block on RI. On Straddie you're paying about $300k for a two bed apartment.
'… then I'd rather get something on Stradbroke'
Erm, yeah, brenners below has nailed it… it's kinda like casually stating that you'd rather own an acre block in the middle of Melbourne that a bed-sit in Bendigo… Nuff said.
Having to catch a ferry to the mainland every time you want to do a proper grocery shop or pay exorbitant prices on the island.
Ferry times are limited so you need to plan outings well.
Cost of ferry. Cheaper if you don’t take the car over but then parking is a pretty big issue.
There has been talk for many many many many years of building a bridge to the mainland. It will never happen. Residents constantly complain that council forgets about them.
No hospital on the island.
The IGA on the island is actually really good now with many prices matching woolies and coles and theres the normal weekly catalouge often with tonnes of half priced products (not so much around christmas time).
But yes, ferry times are stupid if you work on the weekend but okay for weekdays, parking is an ever growing problem.
There is no hospital but theres the ambulance ferry and there are numerous helicopters landing each week to fly directly to the hospital for the more serious cases.
Anyone who tells you they love living on Russell Island fall into 1 of the following categories:
Lol, GnarlyKnuckles has rushed in and made 15+ posts defending the island….despite living in Melbourne. Probably has a block he's been unable to offload for a decade and is sick of paying rates.
This. Have a look on gumtree, gnarlyknucles block will be on there at the moment.
Stay clear of it..my mates bought land there years ago and ended up losing a lot of money…..promised some major development years ago and it never happened
I fail to get this 'losing a lot of money' concept… How on earth COULD anyone 'lose a lot of money', by buying a block of land on Russell Island? Please enlighten me Sazmotron…
For a $20,000 rates are a significant portion at $2000 per year. You have to keep it cleared or face council fines but you cant just drive over to the island with equipment and mow it so you have to hire someone or spend $120 on the barge to diy.
Then cost to sell the land now that they did not get what was promised, all up over 3 years nearly 50% of the investment is gone.
'For a $20,000 rates are a significant portion at $2000 per year …' (etc.)
Red alert, red alert: Everything in the above post is total BS
@GnarlyKnuckles: Huh, your right. All those hate posts were quoting rates for homes not empty blocks which is actually 1200 a year.
As for having to keep the blocks cleared, if they are overgrown bush blocks they do need to be slashed, and argue that too the many who recently received the council notices for them… if every bush block was fully overgrown piling up with dead matter just imagine the mammoth increase in bush fire danger over what there already is.
Please do google the cost of the barge… $61 each way from russell island to redland bay. Hour trip each way. You may be thinking of the passanger ferry, but your not going to be getting a lawn mower let alone anything else you need over on that. Neither of them go to the city…
Edit: a bit of research shows that they are able to give enforcement notices to clear overgrown blocks on russell island due to the fire danger. If your getting a 20k block, its likely the dense bushland blocks, even if it is cleared, the amount of stuff growing almost human high in the cleared grass blocks and drying up is insane and would make a massive bonfire if it were to go up. It would be a huge diaster if blocks and blocks rapidly went up trapping people, theres already a huge percantage of the island demanding more action and more clearing, of which they have been doing. This has both been in creating bigger fire blocks, clearing council blocks and roadways and issuing notices to those who do neglect there blocks.
@benjabot: Sigh, much of this is simply more BS banana-man, but I do appreciate your apparent effort to at least avail yourself of a few facts.
Re your whole 'keep[ing] the blocks cleared' trip/notion, have you actually had a LOOK at satellite photographs of the uninhabited blocks on the island? Are you aware that there are koalas on the island (and anti-clearing measures in place to accommodate those koalas)? I suggest you either 'bow out' or do a bit more research, then revisit your somewhat 'abstract assertions' (which are in fact absolute BS) about the 'land clearing requirements' that you are falsely telling people apply on Russell Island. Currently, you appear to be just 'making sh*t up as you go along'.
Please note that doing that in public forums with a broad readership is counter-productive for society.
@GnarlyKnuckles: How about you actually move from melbourne and come and actually live on the island, perhaps then you might actually have some clue about this rather then telling a resident they are talking bs.
What anti-clearing measures? Who is going to by a 20k block if they cant clear trees and build? In the past month 3 blocks on my street were completely emptied of trees.
As for keeping blocks cleared i was not saying you need to cut down trees… you need to have it slashed and cleared of overgrowth, large fallen branches, highly flammable materials etc.
Again, come live here, experince what the community does in regards to the majority giving demands to the government and also experince the discussions surrounding the last wave of block clearing notices.
these links have good information. Thanks
Why don't you consider nearby mosquito island? I heard the living conditions are fantastic
I worked with a guy who lived on russell island and commuted to Brisbane most days. He was happy with his life. (But he was a consultant and worked hours that suited his lifestyle (ferry timetable maybe??).
To me it's the equivalent of getting a country lifestyle home and having to commute to work. That sounds appealing too.
But for me, I'd rather live next door to the office.
I think Russell Island would be a great place to live for someone who wants to live on Russell Island.
oh, and a relative of a friend of a relative lives over there and apparently the mud crabs are plentiful (well that must have been 20 years ago I met these people) and that got me very interested at the time.
I think Russell Island would be a great place to live for someone who wants to live on Russell Island.
you don't say ?
Yeah, I'm not sure what all the debate is about:
Pro: island lifestyle
Con: you’re on an island.
That is all
So why is he driving uber?
Pro: no volcanoes
Con: it’s not really in Australia
too soon
Yeah Canders, unfortunately you aired your cunning wit too soon. You should have waited until the heat died down.
What’s the internet and mobile coverage like?
South half mobile reception is often non existant, however a new mobile tower is being built.
Internet is dead slow of afternoons, IF there is a free spot on the exchange to connect you otherwise have fun with 4g and constant dropouts. NBN is under 6 months away but there is doubt many premises will reach 25mb/s due to various factors, and it seems many homes will miss out.
However, if you can get connected to the existing adsl2+ its useable.
I am now confused Mr Pirate of BenZance… because this most recent post of yours suggests that you or a close mate or relative of yours actually lives there…
If that is so, would you mind if I ask you a few more 'probing questions'…!?!
Just do your homework if you need to borrow money for the purchase. Some banks (I'm looking at you, St.George) won't lend money for properties on islands that aren't connected to the mainland by a bridge.
Wow. That rule sucks for Tasmanians …
Haha that's an exception… I should have specified the Qld coastal islands… having said that, for the longest time St.George wouldn't accept Tasmanian security because they didn't have any branches there where settlement could take place - unless both solicitors involved were happy to settle in Melbourne. Things changed when Westpac took over.
Lack of mobile coverage in southern part of island.
I couldn't imagine anywhere worse to live than Russell island…
Forget that and buy a Mercedes C63 AMG - take a loan out if you can afford it
op I know you are desperate on investing, how about starting with not investing something on an island?
Pros: it's an island
Cons: It's Russel Island
Hard enough to make money on property in populated areas where the land has actual utility. It amazes me that anyone would "invest" in tourist real estate sight unseen. There really is one born every minute.
By the way, if you think Russell Island sounds good, wait until I tell you about this bridge I've got for sale.
If it's a bridge to Russel Island then that would remove the ferry hassle!
Myeah, I'll buy that bridge from you if you can deliver one end of it to the mainland, and the other end of it to Russell Island. How much do you want for it?
I am very late to this board, but 2 years on, and the lands are still cheap.
Still not worth it?
It's probably worth it if your only other options are Inala, Frankston, Elizabeth or Cabramatta.
Late to the party. But this was a very entertaining thread, thanks to all for posting!!
No beach, a lot of midgies, have to get there by boat.