Gosford's rebounding residential property market is now on the radar of Sydney investors and home buyers. Geoff Tilden, Principal of Raine & Horne Gosford, said buyer enquiries are about 50 per cent above the historic average, and quality stock is being snapped up fast thanks to a very strong level of buyer interest. “We just don’t have enough homes for sale to meet this level of demand," said Tilden.

Booming Sydney prices are leading buyers to look at the Central Coast. “Sydney-based investors, who have been priced out of the market in the City and are now looking for value and decent yields in Gosford,” said Tilden. “Around 60 per cent of our investors are from Sydney, with 20 per cent based overseas from countries such as Hong Kong and South Africa. The remaining 20 per cent of investors are Central Coast locals. The Central Coast offers an affordable lifestyle alternative to Western Sydney and more Sydney-siders are starting to realise that it’s not 300 miles away," said Tilden. "The commute from Gosford is on par with public transport alternatives like Liverpool in Sydney’s west.”

Tilden expects to see very strong demand for existing and off-the-plan entry level apartments in Gosford, North Gosford and East Gosford in 2015. Since Christmas, Raine & Horne Gosford has sold 29 of a possible 31 apartments in a brand new residential complex at 10 -12 Batley Street, Gosford, with the vast majority of the apartments have been sold to investors. The apartments have sold in the low $400,000s and are expected to generate weekly rents between $400 and $450. "It would almost be impossible to find this sort of value in Sydney,” said Tilden.