St George Bank commissioned the National Hotspots property report, which identifies 24 locations nationally that are likely to provide the best value for home buyers.

The locations were chosen based on their location attributes, the value of housing in the area, the level of amenities in the suburb and the demographic mix.

Dickson was the only suburb identified as a good bet for Canberra buyers, whether they're looking for a place to live or a medium to long-term investment property.

The bank's chief economist, Besa Deda, said Dickson, as with other areas identified in the study, had weaker capital growth compared to new buyer suburbs.

''It's got a median sale price of $505,000, and that's relatively affordable when you compare it to other suburbs in northern Canberra,'' she said.

''We also look at amenities and how close the suburb is to cafes and restaurants, and again, Dickson rates quite highly there. It's got its own commercial hub, which includes offices, retail, social and dining amenities, and also Dickson is only 4km away from the city.''

She said Dickson also had a dominance of separate housing on large blocks, with plenty of potential for renovation.

Many of the suburbs that came into the report's top 24 were not traditional blue-ribbon areas, and have been overlooked by buyers and investors despite having plenty of advantages.

Joseph Lee already knew this from his research when buying a house in the inner north.

The 45-year-old IT consultant, who now lives in Bruce, bought an investment property on Moncrieff Street last month, paying $527,000 at auction.

He said yesterday he planned to tear down the house in four or five years' time and build a bigger house on the 782sqm block for his large family.

Dickson is a suitable area for his wife, five children and elderly mother who, as a Chinese migrant, wants to eventually live closer to the Asian restaurants and grocers in Dickson.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times