Thank you flyingfox for bringing the thread back on course. My opinion on your question is that nothing will seriously change over the next 3 to 7 years. Some areas where there is not much demand will probably see prices go down. Some areas in high demand where there are more people than units available will probably increase, how much is another question.
I invest on the Northern Beaches in Sydney. My property is walking distance to the beach, shops, transport and clubs. I never have a problem renting it out and it is a popular area that people want to live and they will pay higher rents to live there.
Right now I am looking at buying a 2 bedroom unit there. I know the area very well, street by street. I have lived there most of my life. I can tell you without any doubt that in the last 3 years (when I moved out of that area) that a good 2 bedroom unit with all the facilities I want as described above have gone up in price. It is very hard to find what I want. These units have gone up and I must pay more now than what I would have 3 years ago. I can't really see prices coming down in that area, however I can not speak for any other areas of Australia. Just my opinion.
I do agree with your views. I would want to live in the Northern Beaches too if I could afford it. However as an investor, are you happy with the yields you are getting say if prices remain flat?