Last edition, PropTrack's Eleanor Creagh warned that Cairns wouldn’t be immune for much longer if the Reserve Bank moved again before Christmas. Unfortunately, this time, Christmas coming early wasn’t a good thing.
On 29 September the Reserve Bank lifted the cash rate to 4.60%. That's the fourth rise this year, and according to the ABC it's the highest the cash rate has been in 15 years. The decision was unanimous, and the Board said it's prepared to go further if it needs to.
Two days later realestate.com.au's September Home Price Report came out. The data showed that National prices fell for the sixth month in a row, and Brisbane is now 3.9% below where it peaked in March 2026. Regional markets held flat for the month and are still 5.1% higher than a year ago, showing that Cairns is still holding on a little better than the larger cities in Australia.
One honest note. That's PropTrack's number. Cotality's index is a bit less kind, with regional Queensland down 0.9% in September, although still up 6.3% over the year. Either way the regions are holding up better than the capitals. But flat isn't growth, and it's worth keeping an eye on. Which we of course will do for you.
What hasn't moved is the rental market.
Why Edge Hill
This edition's spotlight is Edge Hill. If you know Cairns, you know why it's so tightly held. The Botanic Gardens, the cafes and restaurants in the Village, the walking tracks, and the CBD and airport only minutes away. It's also in the Edge Hill State School and Cairns State High catchments, which for a lot of families matters more than any of that.
So what does it actually cost? Going by Domain's sales over the last 12 months, the median one bedroom unit sold for $325,000, a two bedroom unit $465,000 and a three bedroom house $878,000. HtAG puts a typical Edge Hill house a little higher again, at around $1.04 million, up 9.56% on the year.
Three of this fortnight's six listings are in Edge Hill, and they sit right across that range.
The number to act on
About $400 a month. Four rate rises this year add up to a full percentage point. Take the $810,000 median Cairns house price for the first half of 2026 from Opteon, put down 20%, and you're borrowing $648,000. If your variable rate has gone up by the full point since January, your repayments on a 25 year loan are roughly $400 a month higher than they were. Every further 0.25% adds about $16 a month for each $100,000 you owe. If you got pre-approval before September, it's worth asking your broker to run the numbers again before you bid on anything below.
7 Bellevue Crescent, Edge Hill
Auction Saturday 24 October, 9:30am
4 bed · 2 bath · 624m² |
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Built in 2012 by Craig Burrows Custom Built Homes, all on one level, with a solar heated pool and a big timber deck out the back. Four bedrooms, a study nook and a separate media room, so there's room for everyone to get away from each other.
The practical stuff is good too. There's an 8m x 8m double garage and a 16m² storage room, and it's in both the Edge Hill State School and Cairns State High catchments.
It's going to auction on site and online on Saturday 24 October, with offers considered before then. There's no price guide, so if you're keen, ask the agent for recent comparable sales and get your finance sorted early. The agent is Nadine Edwards of LJ Hooker Cairns Edge Hill.
If you want Edge Hill without taking on a renovation, this is worth a look before auction day.
6/44-50 Pease Street, Manoora
Offers close 21 October
3 bed · 2 bath · 126m² |
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According to the listing, the owner is relocating overseas, and the agent doesn’t beat around the bush: investor liquidating, property must be sold, offers close 21 October.
If you’re looking for a three bedroom apartment but a house is looking out of your price range, this apartment is in a secure, gated complex of 34, built in 2005, and worth a look. It's been freshly painted, with new carpet in the bedrooms, new lights and fans and new kitchen appliances, and it's being sold vacant.
The agent's rental appraisal is $625 to $650 a week, which is $32,500 to $33,800 a year. Body corporate is about $6,738 and council rates about $3,266, so roughly $10,000 a year, or about 30% of the rent, is gone before anything else.
There's no price guide. But unit 29 in the same complex, also three bed and two bath, is advertised at $440,000 with Ray White. If this one sold around that figure, and that rental appraisal is accurate, you’re looking at a yield of about 7.4%. Worth knowing before you put your offer in.
If you're an investor, a seller who has to sell is exactly who you want to be dealing with.
11/6 McPherson Close, Edge Hill
$350,000
1 bed · 1 bath · 40m² |
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A top floor one bedroom apartment in Jardine Court, a small complex of 14 built in 1983. It's at the end of a quiet close, and a short walk to the Botanic Gardens and the Village.
It's leased at $400 a week until July 2027, so this one's for investors rather than someone wanting to move in. That's $20,800 a year, a gross yield of 5.9% at the asking price. Body corporate is $4,620 a year, which takes 22% of the rent. Add council rates of $3,500 a year and you're at about 3.6% before insurance and management.
For context, Domain has the median one bedroom unit in Edge Hill selling for $325,000 over the past year. This one's a fixed price at $350,000.
If you want an Edge Hill address in your portfolio with a tenant already sorted, start here.
7 Greenvista Way, Mount Peter
$459,500
600m² |
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Last edition I talked about Mount Peter as the long term answer to the housing shortage. What's worth knowing is that private estates down there are already selling land, and the listing says this block is surrounded by new homes.
It's in the Rocky Creek release at Pinecrest Estate. The block is 600m², elevated and north east facing, with a 17.14m frontage and a regular square shape, so you've got options with the design, a pool or side access for a boat (subject to approvals). At $459,500 it works out to about $766 a square metre.
Just remember the land is only the start. Get a quote from a builder before you sign anything, so you know what the whole thing is going to cost.
For anyone who'd rather build exactly what they want than fix up someone else's house.
27 Pyne Street, Edge Hill
Offers in the $900,000's
4 bed · 1 bath · 809m² |
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A 1950s house on a big 809m² block with rear access, a short walk from the Village and the Botanic Gardens. The agent is upfront that it's liveable as is and could be rented with minor repairs, but make no mistake, this is a renovation.
You get three large bedrooms plus a smaller fourth or office, a large main bathroom and a separate shower room, and two outdoor entertaining areas. Council rates are about $2,653 every six months.
Here's the thing though. Domain's median for a four bedroom house in Edge Hill over the last 12 months is $880,000, and this one is asking in the $900,000s before you've spent a dollar on it. What you're really paying for is the land and the location. Price up your renovation before you work out your offer.
If you're prepared to put the work in, the block is what makes this one worth it.
6 Torokina Street, Trinity Beach
Interest from $989,000
4 bed · 2 bath · 817m² |
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A family home on an elevated 817m² block in Trinity Beach, with views out towards the Macalister Range. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study, a pool and solar, and it's fully fenced, so the kids and the dog are sorted.
Last edition I featured 17 Master Circuit, also in Trinity Beach, guiding in the mid $900,000s on a 400m² block. This one is asking from $989,000, but you're getting roughly double the land.
Worth a quick update on Master Circuit too. Two weeks later, Ray White has dropped the mid $900,000s guide and it's now listed as "All Offers Considered". If you liked it last time, it might be worth another look. This wording change is something worth looking into.
Those after something low maintenance may want to look elsewhere. But if you've got a growing family and want a proper backyard on the Northern Beaches, this one is worth an inspection.
This is the one for the family that's run out of room.
That's edition two.
Three Edge Hill listings, from a $350,000 apartment to an auction, and a rate rise to think about with every one of them.
If there's a suburb you want me to cover next, a listing I've missed or a number you want explained, just hit reply.
See you in a fortnight.
— Cairns Listed
Cairns Listed is general information and opinion, not financial or property advice. Figures are sourced from third parties and current at the time of writing. Do your own research and speak to a licensed professional before making a decision.
