After months of steady house prices, Rural SA has recorded a strong median house price of $196,000 in the June quarter which is a 12% rise over the past 12 months.

The Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) said this was also a 2.6% increase from last quarter and matched rising trends across the State.

REISA President Mark Sanderson said this result was expected as the market had been buoyant for the past couple of months.

“There is vigour in the South Australian marketplace at the moment,” Mr Sanderson said.

“Real estate professionals across the State have been seeing a renewed interest in the property market and the steady prices we experienced leading up to the June quarter has triggered this demand.”

Mr Sanderson said the country result had contributed to a strong State-wide median house price of $270,000, which was a 5.4% rise from last quarter and 5.8% from this time last year.

It mirrored trends in Adelaide where the median house price rose by 3% for the quarter and 4.1% for the year to $286,500. These figures are based on preliminary statistics released by the State Government this week.

He said the Riverland town of Berri was the standout in country areas this quarter.

“Berri's median house price rose by 22.9% from last quarter and 27.3% from this time last year to $195,500. The booming tourism market in the Riverland has strengthened the demand for accommodation in Berri and surrounding areas in recent times,” Mr Sanderson said.

“The Iron Triangle towns of Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla again performed well with increases of 17% or more over the past year. These are very healthy markets and very attractive for locals and investors.”

Mr Sanderson said he hoped the latest figures alerted people to the fact that bricks and mortar really is the best investment.