Relishing laid-back Rotorua vibe

Born and bred Aucklander Phoebe Jackson wanted to live in a city that reflected her laid-back personality.

Rotorua fit the bill and she was thrilled to find a home that ticked all the boxes in Mangakakahi.

"I just loved that it had a big flat section that was well-maintained, there was little I had to do to it.

"The reasonable price tag was a very welcome change as well, compared with the property market in Auckland."

Jackson is not the only one seeing the charm of the up-and-coming suburb. Mangakakahi had Rotorua's biggest rise in median house values between June 2015 and June 2016, jumping from $187,100 to $239,100.

"I came down for one weekend and did 11 drive-bys and three open homes and managed to find the right place."

She was not surprised it had seen the biggest rise in values. "While I was looking I was a little shocked at how much the prices were jumping up, even within a few months, so it doesn't surprise me at all."

Jackson said she moved to Rotorua so she could "enjoy life more and have less stresses".

"I have wanted to get out of Auckland for a while and I picked Rotorua because I have more of a spiritual connection with the city - it's a lot more low-key and I'm very laid back so it suits my personality.

"It's a big change but an exciting one. I love how close Mangakakahi is to everything."

She found buying a home in Rotorua relatively easy. "There were a few other buyers but overall it was pretty straight forward. I think the key is finding the right real estate agent."