MACHANS Beach is the place to own a house if you are looking to make money in the Cairns real estate market.

But if you are looking to buy a house to get into the market, head south to Babinda, Gordonvale or White Rock.

That is how the Real Estate Institute of Queensland latest figures pan out in assessing the city's median house prices and their movements.

The figures, released to The Weekend Post yesterday, show Machans Beach - regarded as the poor relation of the city’s northern beach suburbs - as the big mover in the 12 months to end of September 2007.

At the end of September 2006, the median price for a home at Machans was $281,250. Last year it jumped a staggering 44 per cent to $405,000, rivalling better-heeled neighbours Clifton Beach and Palm Cove above $400,000.

While the median figures can be skewed by the number and quality of properties sold in the study period, it also is an indication of demand and awakening interest in less developed areas.

Agents contacted yesterday said the Machans results were no doubt bolstered by a relatively small number of sales for high-value properties on the beachfront.

As far as affordability, the REIQ figures show Babinda at the top of the scale with a median price of $181,750, followed by White Rock $265,500 and Gordonvale $285,000.

They are the only suburbs in the Cairns boundaries where the median price is under $300,000.

However, the southern growth push is likely to see both White Rock and Gordonvale crash that barrier if properties continue to rise at the same rate as they have.

At White Rock the percentage change during the 12 months was 19.2 per cent while at Whiterock at was 13 per cent. Babinda's prices rose only 6 per cent.

The suburbs where prices rose by more than 20 per cent were
Yorkeys Knob 24.1 per cent
to $350,00; Earlville 23 per cent
to $347,500; Edmonton 23 per cent $320,000; Manoora 22.4 per cent
to $300,000, Clifton Beach 22.1 per cent to $470,000 and Bung-
alow 20.4 per cent to $319,000.

REIQ chairman Peter McGrath said statewide figures showed most affordable suburbs in each major regional centre not only had median house prices under $300,000, but also recorded double digit growth.

He described the Cairns market where the local government area median price was $350,000 with an average 16.7 per cent growth as a "steady performer".