In this detailed Townsville real estate comparison, I analyse Townsville vs Cairns across eight categories, including market fundamentals, historical price performance, rental returns, population growth, employment, major infrastructure projects, land supply and long-term capital growth potential.

Buying property in Cairns can be a great opportunity, but the wrong decision can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. In this video, I break down five costly mistakes Cairns property buyers keep making, including failing to compare insurance quotes, overlooking council planning overlays, dismissing units because of body corporate fees, buying without a clear strategy and letting emotion influence the purchase price. Whether you are buying a home or investment property in Cairns, these practical due diligence tips could help you avoid an expensive mistake.

What does it really take to make a $54 million bet on Cairns? I sit down with Daniel Leipnik, the man behind the Cairns Aquarium, to unpack one of the biggest tourism and development stories our region has seen. This is not just a conversation about an aquarium. It is a conversation about risk, vision, business creation, tourism, leadership, employment, and the future of Cairns.

Cairns property investors are facing a new wave of uncertainty as government tax changes and shifting property policies continue to impact confidence across the market.

In this Cairns property market update, we discuss how recent tax changes, legislative inconsistency and poor communication from government can affect investors, landlords, homeowners and buyers trying to make smart long-term decisions. The issue is not just one policy change. It is the constant uncertainty. When rules are introduced, changed, withdrawn or poorly explained, it becomes harder for property investors to plan, manage risk and understand what the future may look like for the Cairns real estate market.

In this video, I break down the 5 best suburbs to buy property in Cairns and 1 suburb I’d be very careful investing in right now. If you’re looking at the Cairns property market, Cairns real estate, or trying to understand where to buy an investment property in Cairns, this video will help you think through the suburbs with long-term growth, lifestyle appeal, rental demand and risk.

In this episode, I am joined by David Galloway-Penny, Ken Turner and Tim Lyon to debate where they would invest today, including houses vs units, the best Cairns suburbs to buy in, the risks investors need to watch, and whether regional Queensland property still has room to grow.

Everyone told me not to buy this property. My wife hated the complex. Most investors would have walked away. On paper, it looked like the kind of property you avoid.

But I saw something different.

Seven years later, that $165,000 purchase is now worth approximately $470,000 and generates around $300 per week positive cash flow.

Would you bet your financial future on one property market Every property investor is making a bet, whether they realise it or not. Buying is a bet. Waiting is a bet. Sitting on the sidelines is also a bet.

In this episode, I break down how I would think about choosing a property market in 2026, using Cairns as the case study. This is not just a Cairns property market update. It is a decision-making framework for investors who are trying to work out whether they should buy, wait, or walk away.

In this episode of Investment by Design, we launch a new monthly segment: Beers and Business.

Each month, three Cairns locals working in the property, finance and investing space sit down to unpack the biggest stories shaping the Australian property market, business landscape and investor sentiment.

Is Cairns property still worth the risk in 2026, or has the market already run too far?

In this video, I break down the Cairns property market through the lens of risk vs reward, and more importantly, asymmetric returns.

Most investors ask the wrong question. They ask, “Will property prices keep going up?”

A better question is:

“What is the realistic downside if I am wrong, and what is the potential upside if I am right?”

Most property buyers think the hard part is finding the right property… But the reality is the way you BUY property can completely change the outcome you get.

In this episode, we break down the brutal truth about:

• Private Treaty

• Multiple Offer Situations

• Property Auctions

We discuss how buyers overpay, the psychology behind real estate negotiations, auction tactics, buyer mistakes, and the strategies experienced property investors use to stay in control during negotiations.

Are new builds actually the better investment… or are investors being distracted by tax benefits?

In this episode we break down the REAL numbers behind established vs new build property investing in Australia

The 2026 Federal Budget may have just changed Australian property investing forever.

The government says these changes are designed to improve housing affordability, yet Treasury is forecasting 35,000 fewer homes as a result of the policy changes.

At the same time, Cairns has secured major infrastructure funding including upgrades to the Western Arterial Road, education investment, and regional development projects.

So what actually happens next?

Is the Cairns property market heading for another boom, or are buyers about to get caught out?

In this episode of Investment By Design, I sit down with Cairns-based mortgage broker Stacey from Zory Financial Solutions to break down what is really happening with borrowing capacity, buyer behavior, lending conditions, and property opportunities in the Cairns property market in 2026.

With Cairns house prices rising sharply over recent years, many buyers are discovering that what they think they can borrow and what the banks will actually lend them are two very different things.

Everyone says we just need more housing… but in Cairns, there are already approved developments that never get built. So what’s actually stopping them?

In this episode, I sit down with James McPeak from McPeak Town Planning to break down the Cairns housing market, land supply, and the real reasons developments stall—even after council approval.

If you’ve ever wondered how to buy property with your super in Australia, this episode breaks down the process in a clear, practical way.

In this episode of the Investment By Design Podcast, we unpack the 5 key steps to buying property with super, including how an SMSF property investment works, the structures involved, the common mistakes people make, and what you need to understand before taking action.

Most property investors think wealth is built when the market is rising… But the truth is, real wealth can be built in any real estate market.

In this episode of the Investment By Design Podcast, we sit down with Todd Sloan from “Pizza and Property” to break down exactly how investors can continue to grow their portfolio, create equity, and build long-term wealth even in a slowing or declining property market.

In this episode of the Investment by Design Podcast, we sit down with Alesha Wilson from Ray White Cairns to unpack her journey from army life to building a property portfolio in one of Australia’s most talked-about markets. After moving to Cairns, Alesha didn’t just settle into a new lifestyle — she took action. Within just 3 years, she secured 3 investment properties and built a strong foundation for long-term wealth.

In this episode of the Investment by Design Podcast, I sit down with Natasha Whalley‑Thompson — one of Cairns’ leading real estate agents who has sold over 130 properties in the past 12 months and consistently ranks among the top Ray White agents in Australia.

Natasha shares what she’s seeing on the ground in the Cairns property market right now — from first home buyers turning to units, to auction strategies that actually work, and the big mistakes buyers make when purchasing real estate.

Over the last few years something interesting has been happening in the Cairns property market. Interstate buyers are arriving, billions of dollars are being invested in infrastructure, and property prices are beginning to move.

So the question is: Why is everyone suddenly talking about Cairns?