Tree-lined streets, easy access to amenities and a strong sense of community are among the drawcards in the Melbourne suburbs home owners rarely want to leave. St Helena, in Melbourne’s north ...

Property buyers poured over $1 billion into the south-western Melbourne suburb of Point Cook in 2024, as rising interest rates and cost-of-living pressures drove demand for affordable family homes.

“Of the 10 suburbs with the most sales, nine were outer suburbs — and all of them have price points below Melbourne’s median,” he said. “But, without question, the family home was the ...