As immigration trends have shown, living in Australia continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In contrast to following popularity, using a list of “pros and cons” has always been an effective method of decision making, especially when deciding on where one will live. The following is a list of some of the most common positive and negative reasons associated with living in Australia. It is based on a recent survey of Australia citizens.

Pros of living in Australia:

1. Great weather – This is always a popular factor when weighing places to live. When contemplating a move people seem to be giving the climate more importance than ever before.
2. Good schools – Another common factor cited when considering living in Australia, especially given the concerns of family oriented communities. Australia is known for highly regarding family values and the education system reflects this.
3. Friendly, funny people – Everyday life seems to grow more stressful as time goes on and people are valuing their day to day interactions with friends and peers more than ever. Living in Australia is known to perk up even the most depressed among us with the help of some of the most friendly and good natured people around.
4. Outdoor lifestyle – As previously noted the weather in Australia is consistently pleasant and, combined with the great amounts of open space, such activities as camping, biking and swimming are popular leisure activities for a vast majority of people living in Australia.
5. Beautiful scenery – Not only is the climate tropical and the outdoor activities plentiful, but the physical beauty of Australia also ranks among the most magnificent in the world. Over 11,000 beautiful beaches and nearly 37,000 km of picture perfect coastline complement Australia’s other physical marvels.

Cons of living in Australia:

1. Very suburban – This is definitely true. However, unlike most suburban lands throughout the world, there is plenty of city and night life available so the negative impact is minimal.
2. High rate of skin cancer – Along with the warm, tropical weather and strong sun come the very real threat of diseases such as skin cancer. Yet there are plenty of ways to combat this such as not being out in the sun too long and staying extremely protected with strong sun screen when you do. This is a common problem in warm weather climates throughout the world and, if necessary, Australia boasts some of the most highly trained dermatologists in the world.
3. Dangerous wildlife – Certainly a legitimate concern but, again, using a little common sense and taking proper precautions when venturing outside, any potential safety concerns should be minimized.
4. Heavily populated with cockroaches (this was a particularly common complaint among Queensland residents) – While these unwelcome guests have been known to make their presence felt throughout the Land Down Under, staying meticulous in regards to cleanliness and having the phone number of a local exterminator handy should help you avoid any major problems.

Even if one were to say that there is some biases shining through in the above list, there would still be a compelling argument for living in Australia. The proof is by watching the number add up. Immigrants continue to pour in to the beautiful country and the pros of living in Australia seem to be wiping the floor with the cons.

The big story in most countries around the world is how they’re beginning to see daylight at the end of the tunnel in their real estate markets. Following the U.S. down a road of deflated prices and tough credit situations, most world markets are just now beginning to see improvement. Builders are forecasting new business, and existing homes are selling faster and at stable or better prices…mostly. But, it’s a tentative situation, and bears close monitoring to stimulate improvement and avoid a “double-dip” in prices.But, then there is Australia. In years past, Australia had relaxed foreign real estate purchase rules. But, they were reimposed in 2008. While there hasn’t necessarily been aggressive enforcement of these rules, the trend is now toward strict interpretations and fast actions. The influx of foreign money, much of it Asian, into the Australian real estate markets is generating complaints from ordinary Australians that they’re being priced out of their own housing markets.

In Australia’s major cities, prices have been climbing steadily, especially in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The country’s mineral exports bonanza is one contributor to this rapid growth. With the purchase of a $23 million property in November 2009 at auction, the Victoria state market accelerated, breaking through a weekly billion dollar sales barrier in March 2010. In an international survey at the beginning of 2010, Australia’s housing was the least affordable of six other nations, United States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. Foreigners are said to be bidding up prices in every area. One influence is the number of Asian children studying in the country, and their parent’s purchases of housing for them.

Some analysts blame a lack of housing supply and government grants to first time buyers are partially to blame. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had this to say: “We want to make sure that Australian working families are not being priced out of their own family homes. That is why we have acted in the way in which we have done. We want to make sure that foreign speculators are not going to force up prices for Australians seeking to buy their own home, buy their first home and we think this is the right course of action.” Violation of the rules is resulting in stiff penalties, including mandatory sell orders. Real estate agents are also being carefully monitored, with penalties to those found to be helping foreign investors to evade the rules.