Few know more about Orange and Central West property than Jim Maher. He's seen it all.
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This December, the Williams Machin owner will surpass six-decades in the industry.
"It's a time of reflection," he told the Central Western Daily this week.
Since taking over the current business from the Williams family in 2003, he's sold about 700 Orange houses and managed many rentals.
"Orange is a good town ... it has changed massively," he said.
"The biggest change in my time was 2020 to 2022. Land values just increased dramatically, it's hard to imagine.
"Houses in Blayney when we first got there in 1977 were $30,000 to $40,000, with an occasional house to $90,000. Now the same things are probably $600,000 to $800,000, with a few refurbs along the way bring them up to today's decore.
"There's a real resurgence in Blayney, Milthorpe, Cudal, Carcoar, Mandurama, Lyndhurst ... It's driven by tree changes. People like the quiet and just live on the side of the hill and enjoy the views."
He ran his first business in Blayney from 1977, after jobs in Tamworth, Parkes, Gunnedah, and Wellington. He set up shop in Orange in 2003.
Mr Maher doesn't see prices easing any time soon.
"The people that supply the houses ... probably don't get looked after as well as they should. I can probably only see it getting tougher for rents," he said.
One constant has been his impressive fish display in the Orange office.
"They're good calming things. People sit down and just watch them go around," he said.
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