Just like the USA has the south and the deep south, so Johannesburg has its own south and deep south. In many people’s book the south ends at the N12 highway which links the N1 at Soweto to the N3 just past Alberton. For people needing easy access to the highway the suburbs on the northern side of the N12 provide the right blend of established residential areas and easy proximity to the highway without the premium so often demanded by suburbs in the north of Johannesburg. Linmeyer, although a reasonably small suburb, fits this description perfectly. With Marian College, or Marist Brothers Linmeyer, situated in the suburb, Linmeyer has easy access to quality private education with a history stretching back to the early mining days of Johannesburg and the school having been at its present site since 1966. In the area there is also St Martin’s and government schools such as Highveld Primary School and The Hill High School. With little recent development, the suburb has a stable pool of residents with almost 40% having owned their homes for 11 or more years. Of the stable owners only 20% come from the 18-35 year old and 65 and above categories, with the 36-49 age group making up close on 40% of owners. New buyers are also strongly from this age group with around 50% coming from this section of the market and another 35% coming from the 18-35 age group. This would indicate a strong preference from families moving into the area. With South Rand Road to the north and the N12 to the south, Linmeyer does not necessarily present the quietest option in terms of traffic noise, but because most of the traffic is directed towards these main roads, and Comaro Road just to the west, there is not a lot of rat-running through the suburb. The proximity of a major shopping centre, The Glen, also makes this little suburb ideally placed for those that value their retail therapy. Other smaller centres, including Comaro Crossing and Comaro View, round out the retail proposal. Since before the property boom of the 2000’s the suburb, like so many others, has seen property prices escalate by around 100%, in both the freehold and the sectional title markets, with the average price of a freehold house stabilizing around the R900,000 mark in 2008. It has remained there for the last three years indicating that recent purchasers are looking for value and stability, rather than quick returns on an investment. The number of sales in the suburb has also tailed off in the past few years from 120 plus in 2004 to less than 50 (freehold and sectional title) in 2010. While the numbers may not bode well for those looking to make a quick buck from a rapid turnaround, the lower sales and the stable average selling price make Linmeyer an interesting option for those looking to settle down and get to know the area.
Property Advice
