"Many would sneer at the suggestion of buying in Ipswich or Frankston, because they're downmarket and a long way from the lifestyle precincts."
While that might be true of some FHBs, how many? A bit of a broad, condescending remark.
Don't know anything about Frankston.
But Ipswich is NOT in the Brisbane area, by any means. Very poor road access at peak times. Rail link to the Brisbane CBD is good, which is fine if you work in the CBD. Nor do I regard Ippie as "downmarket", the sort of slur you'd expect from someone who's never been there. However, if he had been there, and done some research into the market, he would find pitfalls that FHBs from outside the area are likely to fall into.
Which areas flood. Easy to check, but you would need to be aware of the risk. Most of the last flood media attention was devoted to Toowoomba and the Valley (where people died) or Brisbane (where the media live). Ipswich got scant coverage.
Biggest trap for FHBs in Ippie is subsidence. Difficult to check for, impossible to insure against, in this old mining area. If you see a real bargain, make sure it's not a trap.
