How much have you seriously looked into prices in different areas, as opposed to relying on assumptions you've been brought-up with?
I ask because I was guilty of assumption ... and was surprised how much relative prices change over time, and how much different types of houses in different areas vary ... and, I guess, of the difference between areas/suburbs being the same as they were 20 years ago. Where we are in the Ryde area, it'd be unlikely we could find a new-ish standalone house of 3+ bedrooms for under about 1.3m, yet we couldn't sell our vinyl-clad 50's leaky 4-bed house for over maybe $750k. I know it's a lot ... but it also means that (with patience) you could have a new Fernside or a Chifley 15 minutes from the city for the same price as an Edge at Kellyville.
I was also surprised at how it was almost no extra to buy a leaky old fibro shack on a quiet backstreet at North Ryde than to sell a leaky old fibro shack on a busy road down at Gymea.
And I was also surprised when a friend-of-a-friend bought a house at St Ives because it was cheaper than buying in North Ryde. Which infers it's cheaper to buy a house at St Ives than in Gymea ... which, again, is odd & goes completely against the way I thought things worked. Cats & dogs living together, etc.
*edit*
Oh ... and the other obvious one is being averse to "the west" or "the south" or whatever, massive varied areas that you cover by the description ... ... I think you sorta have to go hunting for specific areas, the good places to live in suburbia are hidden in a way because you tend not to travel through them!
Anyway, that's just me musing out loud while some stuff compiles, ignore my ramblings.