We have been looking to invest again in Emerald for a while now, and are actually now having a second look at the Riverview Estate.  We first looked at the Riverview Estate a couple of years ago and weren't impressed with the duplication (triplication!) of house designs.  However just recently quite a few more of the blocks are being built on, giving greater variety and improving the aesthetics of the estate.   I think as the estate is continually built on it can only improve from a visual viewpoint.  It is a lovely estate in terms of bikeways, family usable park areas etc.  Price-wise, Riverview is still quite affordable, however prices are on the rise.  With the Harvey Norman, Hardware store etc being built further south, I think these south side estates will continue to be popular with families moving to Emerald.  The house we are currently considering is being built now, and has been given a rental appraisal of $650 – $700.  That is with 2 living areas, and a/c to all bedrooms and living areas.  

For those of you worried about flooding, the Queensland Reconstruction Authorities website has a great interactive map, that allows you to enter in an address – it then gives a view of the extent of flooding in that area.  A great resource when doing your due diligence.