Not many first-time home buyers make an eight-hectare regional property their first acquisition.<\/p>\n
A nomadic career saw Sahara Dry leave her affluent childhood home in Zimbabwe for university studies in Australia and subsequently led to stints in Launceston<\/a>, Byron Bay<\/a> and the Gold Coast before settling in regional Queensland.<\/p>\n The 35-year-old paramedic tried her hand at as many jobs as towns before finding her dream career and \u201cforever home\u201d in Charters Towers<\/a>, population 8,120, 135 kilometres southwest of Townsville.<\/p>\n Ms Dry told API Magazine<\/em> she knew her first home would always be her permanent home as soon as she drove through the small town.<\/p>\n Within a few years of settling in and becoming a local, Sahara spent $390,000 on a large rural property with a four-bedroom home and powered shed.\u00a0<\/p>\n The affordability, sense of community and career progression are just some of the many reasons Sahara decided to call Charters Towers home.<\/p>\n \u201cI was always set on making my first home my forever home,\u201d Ms Dry said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a horse lover, that always meant looking to buy acreage.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I was always putting savings away for my future home, the first time I felt the urge to look at property was when I moved to Charters Towers; it just felt right.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent data shows Sydney first-home buyers, as couples,\u00a0take eight years to save<\/a>\u00a0for a deposit. The Melbourne<\/a> median house price has moved past the million-dollar mark, while Sydney<\/a> and Brisbane<\/a> house prices continue to reach record highs.<\/p>\n As the regions absorb so many city dwellers dissuaded by high suburban property prices, Charters Towers is typical of many towns enjoying an influx of new residents.<\/p>\n Paramedic, Sahara Dry, has found her ‘forever home’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mining and cattle farmers have been joined by young professionals like Ms Dry.<\/p>\n In the last 12 months, 55 per cent of homes sold in Charters Towers were to first home buyers and investors outside the region.<\/p>\n Julia Fraser, from Harcourts Kingsberry Towers, said there had been a record number of relocation enquiries from people living outside the local region over the past year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve not seen this level of demand for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Dry acknowledged that Charters Towers was a slow-moving property market and said her decision was driven by her heart and not her wallet.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I drove across the Burdekin Bridge from Townsville, I immediately felt like I was home.<\/p>\n \u201cThere may have been a slight feeling of nostalgia, with the lay of the land reminding me so much of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n \u201cMy employment had me make the move to the area and the lifestyle was the driving factor to settling my roots.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me this was home; investment and growth were not a consideration at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Paramedicine and perseverance<\/strong><\/p>\n A life-long goal to have a home she could call her own led to her committing to a savings plan long before she started looking at properties.<\/p>\n Before retraining and securing work as a paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service,\u00a0the former architecture student\u00a0was self-employed in the fitness industry with a few additional casual hours in gyms to bolster her income.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had continued with this work, my savings goal would have been extended out several more years but permanent full-time employment with Queensland Ambulance Service certainly helped the savings grow and I put a lot of effort into filling overtime shifts to boost that income.<\/p>\n \u201cMy spending was reduced to the necessities with a budget enforced each week.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of my deposit was saved over two years, where I heavily budgeted myself and maximised my income.<\/p>\n \u201cIn saying this though, the deposit needed for properties in regional north Queensland are far below the deposit expected for Sydney properties; for the price I paid here, in Sydney I would be looking at a studio apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n Banks reticent<\/strong><\/p>\n While the relative affordability of buying in Charters Towers was a welcome boost for Ms Dry, the banks were not necessarily as excited about the relatively slow-moving property market.<\/p>\n \u201cPurchasing property in an inland regional area has the great advantage of more bang for your buck, but there is also higher risk on the loans as it is a slower moving sales market.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first approached the banks for a home loan I was knocked back, informed that I could not be considered for finance without a minimum deposit of 30 per cent.<\/p>\n \u201cEarly on, to be considered for a loan, I had my parents sign on as guarantors and as my savings grew I no longer needed to have my parents\u2019 assistance, but it was a great security net for the beginning of my property purchase journey.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Dry said she opted for a variable interest rate as this granted her more control of loan repayments, with the added bonus of redraw should the financial need ever arise.<\/p>\n So, with her forever home secured, Ms Dry is now able to focus her energy on giving back to the community she said had accepted he so warmly.<\/p>\n \u201cA workday starts early, ensuring all pets are fed and watered before I head out the door,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy property in \u2018the middle of nowhere\u2019 is just a six-minute drive to the ambulance station, with no traffic to contend with.<\/p>\n \u201cThe coverage area for the Charters Towers station is huge, extending 50 kilometres east towards Townsville City<\/a>, 200 k\u2019s south to Belyando<\/a> Crossing, another 110 west to Pentland<\/a> and 100 north towards Greenvale<\/a>; so there are times where driving makes up the majority of your day.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the 12-hour shift, the day is not done; on-call duties begin, which entails taking an ambulance home and being ready to respond when the call comes in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n For anyone looking to replicate her lifestyle and property decisions, Ms Dry said it was most important to know what you wanted in life and not just financially.<\/p>\n \u201cGet to know the property market of the area in which you are looking to purchase.<\/p>\n \u201cFor example, the slow-moving market in Charters Towers makes it unrealistic to \u2018flip\u2019 homes.<\/p>\n \u201cI decided early on that I wanted my forever home, so my purchase is a win.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Paramedic,](\"https:\/\/www.apimagazine.com.au\/media\/misc\/Sahara-Dry-inset.jpg\")
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