Caloundra's median house prices have performed the strongest of the three Sunshine Coast local government areas for the past 12 months, lifting almost 4% to March.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland figures also show the beachside suburbs of Buddina and Wurtulla jumping significantly.

Meanwhile research by Colliers International shows the riverside suburb of Minyama has topped the state in annual median price growth, lifting more than 90% from 2002, while the Noosa hinterland town of Cooran has more than tripled its median price in five years.

The REIQ figures show Caloundra’s median house prices rose to $395,000, with Buddina’s rising 23% and Wurtulla up 11.9% to $375,000.

REIQ Sunshine Coast zone chair Lloyd Edwards said Buddina’s growth would keep going, driven by the simple fact that it’s the coast and it is the beach.

“There is also a lot of renovation going on there and the next phase will be the on-sell of those increased equity properties that will drive that price up even further.”

He said the consistently strong growth in property was continuing to make it difficult for first home buyers but he urged them to leap into the market within the next 18 months, ahead of a predicted boom.

Strong population growth, economic growth, rising individual incomes and tight residential vacancy rates are contributing to steady median price growth in the Sunshine Coast house market.

Mr Edwards said the hinterland and railway towns had experienced good price growth in recent years, coming from a low price base and retaining an attractive price point.

He said this would ease as available land dried up and affordability fell but he expected the run would last at least another 12 to 18 months.

“In a strengthening market, if a first home buyer secures something, even if it’s not their ideal home, they will grow with the market place and be in a far better position than waiting for the market to come to them.”

The deep waterfront market is moving along at full steam, according to Ray White Mooloolaba’s Trevor Martin, with 11 properties selling in the past six weeks and all except one going to baby boomers.

“It is the baby boomers who are jumping in,” he said. “The properties are going to an array of buyers from here and overseas.”

“The big thing that sticks out is the baby boomers are out in force. Every sale other than one – to buyers in their early 30s – has been to people between 45 and their late 50s.’’

Mr Martin said Sunshine Coasters were seeing the great value that deep water represents while overseas buyers were looking for lifestyle.

“The deepwater market has been left behind in the past two years while everything around it has taken off, but that is about to change for the better,’’ he said.

People are realising the scarcity of prime deep waterfront land and the cost of berthing a boat at a marina.

When you can have your vessel at the doorstep it adds tremendous value to a property.” without on-going fees and the worry of a diminishing lease at yacht clubs and marinas

Rhonda Carter of Henzells Pelican Waters said anything in Golden Beach goes immediately and there had been increased demand at Pelican Waters.

This included the sale of a new spec home in waterfront release at The Landings in excess of $700,000 and significant sales in the older part of the estate: $525,000 in Investigator Place and $635,000 in Bancroft Street.

There has also been a run on land re-sales with a deep water block selling for $690,000.

Buderim, the dominant sales suburb on Sunshine Coast, performed solidly over the year to March with 6% median price growth.