ABOUT two-thirds of those aged 18-24 are saving for a home deposit and intend to enter the property market this year.
A realestate.com.au survey has found that buying a first property is a priority for many in 2013.
Those respondents who already owned property planned to pay more off their mortgage instead.
About 60 per cent of respondents said they wanted to buy this year and nearly a third planned to sell and upgrade to something bigger.
First-home buyers Alexandra Green and Troy Abbott, both 22, made buying a home in 2013 a priority.
The couple signed a contract on a house at Eastern Heights, Ipswich, west of Brisbane with the sale expected to settle next week.
"We have actually been looking for the last couple of years,'' Ms Green said. ``We have just found it hard to find a property that we both liked.''
The couple chose a low-set three-bedroom timber home. Ms Green said they decided the time to buy was right as they had seen prices drop in recent years.
"Over the last two years, we have certainly noticed the market dropped,'' she said.
As a result, once they found a property within their price range the couple decided to jump on it.
Realestate.com.au general manager of sales and operations Arthur Charlaftis said the website's survey showed potential buyers were confident about the market but remained money conscious.
He said nearly half of the survey respondents planned to increase their savings and reduce their mortgage. About half of those aged 65 or older were planning to downsize.
Real estate agent Helene Shephard, who negotiated the sale of the property to Ms Green and Mr Abbott, said the area was popular because it was affordable and had good public transport.
"Our first-home buyers are finding exceptional value for their budgets, with our properties priced so well in the best buyers' market we have seen in many, many years,'' she said.
Ms Shephard said there was a variety of homes in the Ipswich area priced under $350,000.
