A month in to the new year and already finance and real estate experts have predicted Muswellbrook as a great place to buy or invest this year.

Money Magazine released its top regional centres for buyers this week and Muswellbrook came out as the best location in NSW.

The magazine lists the Hunter Valley as “one of the standout economies in NSW for 2011, thriving from infrastructure and real estate development against the general national trend.”

Muswellbrook was described as having affordable housing prices, with a median price of $285,000, and producing strong rental yields in a competitive market.

Sitting in the centre of a number of strong industry bases, such as horse breeding, vineyards, coalmining, power generation and tourism also gave Muswellbrook the edge.

Licensee and partner of JTS Realty in Muswellbrook Jay Shepherdson said buyers and investors had been quick to move on Muswellbrook’s good quality and well priced homes.

“Anything around the median price range gets snapped up,” Mr Shepherdson said.

“We listed one home yesterday at $360,000 and already we have had an offer on it for $350,000.

“It’ll be gone by the end of the week.”

Mr Shepherdson said the growth of the resource sector in the area had helped Muswellbrook develop its property spotlight.

“It all comes back to the fact we’re riding the mining boom,” he said.

“A lot of people are from interstate and are moving here for the lifestyle.

“They can be out in the middle of nowhere in Western Australia or Queensland.

“But a lot of people that I’ve spoken to have said they can move here, don’t drop a lot in pay and their kids can have a lifestyle and be close to facilities.”

The latest listing follows on from one last month by Smart Property Investment that placed Muswellbrook in the top 50 locations in Australia for investor sales.