- Two “Omaha shuffles” occurred over the holiday break, with residents upgrading to larger or better-located properties.
- Di Balich sold four shuffle-related properties within three weeks, highlighting Omaha’s property demand.
- Shuffles make up 25% of Balich’s sales, reflecting Omaha’s maturity and appeal.
Not one but two “Omaha shuffles” in the space of a few weeks took place over December and January, one of them in the same sought-after street.
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The shuffle is where people from within the luxury beach suburb an hour from Auckland eye up other properties, which are bigger, or in a better spot, or have a better view.
Precision agent Di Balich told OneRoof she sold four shuffle-related properties within three weeks for more than $14 million.
A bach on Matariki Street sold to Omaha newbies for $2.22m. Photo / Supplied
The Matariki Street vendor was able to upgrade to a $3.35m bach on Lagoon Way. Photo / Supplied
The first shuffle saw one Omaha resident move from one end of the suburb to the other, when they paid $3.35m for a four-bedroom property one back from the beach on Lagoon Way, in Omaha North.
The buyer was upsizing from their home on Matariki Street, which was four spots back from the beach in Omaha South.
Their offer on the Lagoon Way property had been subject to the sale of the Matariki Street house, which Balich quickly sold for $2.22m to Omaha newbies from Auckland.
The northern end of Omaha Beach is the more established and is often called “Old Omaha” by locals, but while the southern end of the town is newer, neither has higher status, according to Balich.
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Old Omaha was the first part of the subdivision in Omaha by a developer about 50 years ago, while the southern end was developed about 30 years ago when the causeway was put in, she said.
Sections in the north are historically smaller than those in the south, which is newer and has more modern infrastructure (Balich describes Omaha North as old money and Omaha South as the new money).
“You get bigger houses, or more contemporary I suppose is the word, at the southern end of the beach whereas the northern end is a bit of Kiwiana mixed with some modern houses.”
Few sections are left to develop at either end of the beach, and where people buy comes down to individual taste. “You get fans of Omaha South and they’d never go to Omaha North, and then you get Omaha North people who would never go to Omaha South.”
Balich also arranged a shuffle on the same street. Soon after she completed her north-south deal, she got a phone call from the owner of a Taumata Road bach who was keen to buy a neighbouring property on the same street which was on the market for sale.
The vendor sold his Taumata Road bach to an Auckland buyer for $3.35m. Photo / Supplied
He was then able to make a $5.75m offer on a neighbouring bach on the same street. Photo / Supplied
He wanted to know the chances of getting a quick sale on his place so he could make an offer.
As it happened, Balich had an Auckland buyer who had been looking for an Omaha spot for some time. “That particular buyer came and had a look at the house and put an offer in, so we had a shuffle within a street.”
The $3.35m offer was accepted and Balich’s caller was able to make a $5.75m offer on the neighbouring house, which was bigger and architecturally designed. “I think it’s one of only about five in the street that enjoy pretty impressive sea views,” Balich said.
She said shuffles had fast become a big part of her business, making up about 25% of sales. “I think it’s a reflection of the maturity of Omaha. People fall in love with it and as their circumstances change they either upsize or downsize.”
Balich also closed on a $4.1m deal for another Taumata Road bach. The buyers were a family who had owned a property in Omaha about 20 years ago and had been pining to come back.
Balich said her phone was still ringing: “I think people appreciate that it’s probably the best beach within an hour’s drive of Auckland – easy commute, safe beach.
“What I have noticed is people are coming here because of a perception it’s not a polluted beach, that 24/7 it’s relatively safe to swim in, and it’s an environment with fairly strict controls so you’re not going to get unexpected intensification of land use next door.”
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