Omaha Beach bach sold for record $3m

Price a record for north-end properties.

A beachfront holiday home has set a new record for Omaha Beach as coastal property prices continue to soar.

The recent $3 million sale price for the bach was a record for the northern end of Omaha and shows it is catching up to the flashier southern end where prices already top $4m.

The concrete block and cedar property nestled in sand dunes at 39 The Southern Isle sold at auction by Bayleys real estate last month.

Agent Mark Macky said the three-bedroom, two-bathroom pad was bought by an Auckland family who had been holidaying in Omaha for years.

He said the record price was evidence prices on the seaside spit had bounced back from the global financial crisis.

Omaha Beach is one of the leading playgrounds for New Zealand's rich and famous.

High-profile Kiwis who have holiday homes in the area include Prime Minister John Key, former Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, and one of New Zealand's wealthiest women, Diane Foreman.

"It is a popular area because it is less than an hour from Auckland and is only five minutes from Matakana's cafes, restaurants and movie theatres," Macky said.

"There is a beautiful white sand beach, an estuary, an 18-hole golf course and plenty of tennis courts."

Macky said the average price in the area was around $1.2m, a figure he described as "a substantial amount for a secondary home".

James Wilson of Quotable Value said the Auckland coastal holiday market showed signs of strengthening but the gains were modest compared to residential areas in Auckland.

Areas that were displaying the "strongest strengthening" were Omaha, Point Wells and Mangawhai Heads.

Other coastal areas close to Auckland have seen increases in average house prices.

Figures from QV.co.nz e.valuer show Papamoa Beach had increased from its $440,450 peak in January 2007 to $461,800 this year.

Nearby Mt Maunganui was at $535,300 before the financial crash and has recovered to $538,550.