Would R650,000 - 800,000 (inclusive of transfer fees etc) get me a decent 3 bedroom property in Cape Town? Where?

Looking for a house within 20 km of UCT.

Thank you for any leads.

Why would you want to buy in Cape Town? The property bubble over there is as bad as the UK. Bear in mind that salaries are significantly lower.

have a look at this, from an independent property economist:

http://www.rode.co.za/news/article.php?ID=2117

The rental market is saturated by BTL investors, and CT has never had a decent rental market anyway. You can rent fantastic apartments for a fraction of what they would cost to buy. Interest rates are at historic lows and the Rand very strong, so all the good news is already in the market.

You will be able to get something quite good if you decide to buy, but then bear in mind 20km from CT could put you in the middle of a township! Not good for your life expectancy.

If you're going to study/work at UCT there are plenty of flats nearby, you could rent until you find if it's really worth buying...

BandWagon, thanks for the informative link.

I intend to wait these crazy Cape Town prices out. Already SA property websites are starting to show little churn for houses in the R700 - 900,000 price bracket.

http://www.seeff.co.za/

Thanks. For those prepared to transact one-on-one with the seller (without involving estate agents) www.privateproperty.co.za is a good place to start from. Property prices as advertised by owner-seller are often lower than comparable property on 'agent-driven' sites.