Roodepoort in the western suburbs of Johannesburg is a sprawling residential area that is in parts dominated by light industry and small businesses.
This home in Florida Hills offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a swimming pool and good security. It is on the market for R1.65 million - click here to view.
Named after the red soil in the area, Roodepoort dates back to when Fred Struben discovered the first payable gold in the area in 1884.
The Roodepoort region prides itself on having some of the most attractive residential areas in Johannesburg, offering charming suburbs, many with views of the city to the east and the Magaliesberg to the west. One of the best known suburbs is Florida, which is recognised as one of the most attractive townships in the area.
Once an open rolling veld, Florida has an interesting history filled with prospectors, gold and mining. Its popular lake was established for the thirsty mines.
Following Struben’s discovery of gold, prospector Jan Bantjes secured prospecting rights in 1885 on JA Nel van Wyk’s farm, Roodepoort, where he discovered gold in 1886. A number of other prospectors soon found gold on other surrounding farms, and mining camps were later set up on the farms to accommodate the influx of gold diggers.
This two bedroom townhouse in Maraisburg offers a bathroom, a kitchen fitted with modern cupboards,a lounge and dining room. It is priced at R450 000 - click here to view.
Four towns developed out of the mining camps namely Maraisburg, Florida, Roodepoort and Hamberg.
Adrian Goslett, CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, says there are a number of reasons why Roodepoort, and the suburb of Florida in particular, remain popular among buyers.
He says aside from the fact that the region offers charming suburbs with plenty of open spaces, golf courses and entertainment areas along with the well-known Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, it also offers easy access to a number of transport routes to the Johannesburg and Sandton CBDs along with a range of amenities including hospitals, schools and shopping centres as well as country lodges, trails and restaurants, golf courses and country clubs.
The market stock in Florida is almost equally split between freehold homes, which constitute 52 percent of the homes and sectional title units which make up the other 48 percent. The average price of freehold homes sold during 2012 has been R769 000 while sectional title homes have achieved an average price of R358 000.
This four bedroom , three bathroom home in Florida Park offers an open plan living room, underfloor heating, a swimming pool and a flatlet. It is on the market for R1.95 million - click here to view.
Goslett says the area is popular with young families, but an increasing number of young couples and up-and-coming executives are purchasing property in the area.
Property in Florida, he says, is reasonably priced with most of the transactions priced at R800 000 or less, with the majority of the property movement happening in the lower end of the market where properties are priced at R400 000 or less.
This is reflected in Lightstone data that shows while 40 percent of existing owners are aged between 36 and 49 years of age, 47 percent of recent buyers in the area have been aged between 18 and 35 years old.
Transactions between November 2011 and October 2012 show that 50 percent of transfers were in the R400 000 or less price band, while 35 percent of transfers took place on properties priced between R400 000 and R800 000.
Sectional title units have been the most popular property type over the past year, accounting for 126 of the 212 transfers.
The most popular sectional title homes are those priced at R400 000 or less, while the most popular freehold homes are those that fall within the R400 000 to R800 000 price range.
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