Western Sydney and Dubbo top buyer surge as NSW house sales plunge

Key points

• Buyers in New South Wales are turning away from houses and toward vacant land and apartments, particularly in Sydney's west, as affordability worsens. InfoTrack's quarterly figures show houses fell to 55 per cent of purchases, down from 67 per cent, while strata properties reached 37 per cent and empty blocks 7.58 per cent.
• InfoTrack's chief operating officer, Lee Bailie, said first home buyers are drawn to established apartment markets, with almost four in five of their purchases being apartments.
• Parramatta has led for first home buyers since the start of the year, and Dubbo ranked first overall again.