MARYBOROUGH is not a place known for its real estate market but developer Mark Dellavedova is convinced it is a home owner's dream waiting to be discovered.
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Mr Dellavedova is the first to say he's biased - he's a fifth-generation Maryborough man, whose forefathers came from Italy.
But he makes a compelling case for buying land in the town of 7500 residents.
"Geographically we're well located," Mr Dellavedova said.
"We're about 50 minutes from Bendigo, 45 minutes from Ballarat, two hours just shy of Shepparton and Swan Hill. Geelong is an hour and 50 minutes away," he said.
The developer has done about 10 subdivisions across the town to date, which, added up, amounts to 300 lots.
Driving around one of his latest developments, Whirrakee Estate, Mr Dellavedova points out the range of blocks he's selling.
He has small blocks of 350 square metres available for $64,000 ranging up to 1300 square metres for $112,000.
"Maryborough is very much a working class town and affordability comes into it," Mr Dellavedova said.
He points to a completed home.
"That's on the market for $265,000. It's getting rented out currently for $280 a week and it's three bedroom, two bathroom, double garage, it's all done."
The homes come fully equipped with a dishwasher and other amenities.
"You don't have to do anything. Just move in and put the furniture in," he said.
Mr Dellavedova said he had buyers relocating from Melbourne because it offered such an attractive financial opportunity.
"We hear stories where people want to maybe move out of Werribee, Melton or Sunbury because they have grown too quickly and infrastructure hasn't kept up.
"When we tell them what infrastructure we've got here, we've actually had people come up on a weekend, have a look, fall in love with Maryborough, and we've sold blocks.
"I've spoken to them one or two years later and they reckon it's the best thing they ever did. Because they sold a house worth $600,000 that they owned, they had no super and they have $300,000 in their back pocket."
He said he had seen a lot of older, widowed women take this path but that the homes were also attractive to younger, local families.