Yuelamu NT Property Investment

The single most important number is $75 per week median rent. With a population of just 149 people and an owner-occupier rate of only 5%, this suburb has virtually no functioning private rental market. You cannot build a viable investment strategy here.

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Yuelamu has no recorded median house or unit price. There is no 1-year price growth data available. The 5-year compound annual growth rate sits at 4.5% per year, and the 3-year growth forecast is 4.1%. Days on market are not recorded, which signals extremely low transaction volumes — likely fewer than a handful of sales per year.

The market cycle is classified as stable, but that stability reflects a lack of activity, not healthy demand. For buyers, there is nothing to buy. For sellers, there is no market. This is a dead zone for conventional residential investment.

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• Median weekly rent: $75/wk
• Vacancy rate: 3.0%
• Gross rental yield: Not available (no purchase price data)
• Rental demand rating: Moderate

A $75 weekly rent is below the cost of basic maintenance on any habitable dwelling. Even if you owned the property outright, the rental income would not cover insurance, rates, or repairs. The vacancy rate of 3.0% appears tight, but with only 149 residents and a 5% owner-occupier rate, the rental pool is tiny. "Moderate" demand in a population of 149 means you are competing for maybe 10–15 renters at most.

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• Median nightly rate: $171/night
• Occupancy rate: 30%
• Estimated annual revenue: $171 × 30% × 365 = $18,724 per year

At 30% occupancy, this property sits empty 255 days per year. Even at $171 per night, the annual revenue of $18,724 is poor. Compare that to a long-term rental at $75/week = $3,900 per year. STR is clearly the better option here, but neither is good. The occupancy rate is too low to generate meaningful returns, and the nightly rate is too low to compensate for the downtime.

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• Major projects: None on file
• Transport: Standard suburban transport access
• Employment base: Unemployment rate is 17.8% — more than double the national average
• Supply pipeline: Moderate — development activity consistent with long-term averages

There are zero known infrastructure projects driving demand. The 17.8% unemployment rate indicates a weak local economy with limited job opportunities. The moderate supply pipeline suggests some new housing is being built, but with no population growth driver, that supply will likely sit vacant. This suburb has no economic engine to attract new residents or investors.

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If conditions improve, the upside scenario requires a dramatic turnaround:

• Population growth from 149 to at least 500 to create a functional rental market
• Unemployment dropping from 17.8% to below 5% to generate income for renters
• Median rent rising from $75/wk to at least $300/wk to approach viability
• STR occupancy rising from 30% to 60% to double annual revenue to $37,448

Even in this optimistic scenario, the numbers remain weak. A $37,448 STR revenue on an unknown purchase price is unlikely to yield above 5% gross return. The 4.5% annual growth rate over 5 years is below inflation-adjusted averages for Australian property.

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Vacancy risk: The 3.0% vacancy rate looks low, but with a population of 149 and only 5% owner-occupiers, the rental pool is minuscule. One or two properties coming vacant could push the rate above 10% overnight.

Single-employer dependency: The 17.8% unemployment rate signals extreme economic vulnerability. If the local employer (likely a community or government service) reduces staff, rental demand collapses entirely.

Supply pipeline risk: Moderate development activity with no population growth means new supply will exceed demand. This suppresses both rents and prices.

Rate sensitivity: With no median price data, you cannot calculate loan-to-value ratios. Banks will not lend on properties in this market. You would need cash, and the returns do not justify the capital outlay.

Distance from CBD: The scorecard flags this as a risk. Yuelamu is remote, which limits employment options, tenant pools, and resale potential. This is a genuine structural constraint.

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Entry range: Impossible to determine — no median price data exists. If you can buy a dwelling for under $50,000, the gross yield might approach 7.8% on LTR ($3,900 ÷ $50,000). But you will never find a tenant at $75/week.

Minimum yield to target: 10% gross yield to compensate for the extreme vacancy, illiquidity, and maintenance risks. At $75/week rent, that requires a purchase price of $39,000 or less.

Watch signals: - Population growth above 200 - Unemployment dropping below 10% - Median rent rising above $200/week - Any major infrastructure announcement

Recommended strategy: Do not invest. This suburb has no market, no rental demand, and no growth drivers. The 28.0/100 scorecard rating confirms it. If you must invest in remote NT, look at Alice Springs or Tennant Creek where there is actual transaction data and rental demand. Yuelamu is a trap for inexperienced investors chasing cheap entry prices.

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This analysis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Seek professional advice before making investment decisions.