‘Worth the wait’: Family’s off-market find after four-year hunt

Key points

• Catherine and Aaron McArlein bought their first home in Springfield Lakes, south of Brisbane, for $1.28 million after a four-year search. The couple waited for prices to level off rather than stretch their budget, and found an off-market property through a local real estate agent after five rejected offers.
• The four-bedroom home has a pool, spa and a backyard for their dog. Mortgage broker Mark Winter urged buyers to keep saving and to ensure repayments remain manageable if interest rates rise further.
• The Reserve Bank of Australia recently lifted rates to a 15-year high of 4.6 per cent.