The couple had been looking for six months. They wanted something new, something low-maintenance, something close to good schools and medical facilities — but not at capital city prices. When they found a three-bedroom home at Havenwood on Highfields, they put down a deposit within a week.
According to CJAM Group, they were not alone. The company says a significant portion of the development's homes sold before the project had even received council approval — early demand that Craig McDermott, the company's founder, describes as a reflection of shifting buyer behaviour across the region.
Havenwood on Highfields, located at 57 Highfields Drive in the suburb of Highfields just north of Toowoomba, is a collection of 39 freehold homes developed by CJAM Group. The project features 27 single-storey and 12 two-storey homes, each built using the company's modular construction methods.
The development sits in a suburb that Craig says has drawn consistent buyer interest in recent years — offering green open space, schooling options including Mary MacKillop School, local shopping, and proximity to medical facilities. The Toowoomba CBD is a 10 to 20 minute drive.
"Highfields gives you the space and the quiet you don't get in the city, but everything you need is still right there," said Craig McDermott. "Schools, shopping, cafes, the hospital — it's all within minutes. That's the sweet spot people are looking for."
The homes are designed for flexibility. The single-storey options offer three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a double carport with open-plan living flowing onto a rear deck. The two-storey homes step up to four bedrooms plus a study and three bathrooms, with elevated living designed to capture breezes and views.
Standard inclusions across the project include stone benchtops, Colorbond roofing, powdercoated aluminium window frames, security screens, exposed concrete driveways, and landscaped rear gardens.
From an investment perspective, Craig says the Toowoomba region's rental market has been tight in recent years, and he believes new housing stock in well-located suburbs like Highfields is well positioned to attract tenant demand. He points to a combination of population growth and what he describes as a return-migration pattern — younger professionals who left the region earlier in their careers returning with families, drawn by affordability and lifestyle.
The broader context, according to Craig, is infrastructure. A new hospital is under construction at Baillie Henderson, near Toowoomba, and the city's role as a regional transport and logistics hub continues to develop.
"Two years ago, we started looking west," said Craig McDermott. "It took us about six months to find the right sites. When we saw the demand and the infrastructure pipeline, we knew this was the right move."
According to the company, council approval for Havenwood is expected by mid-2026, with construction to commence shortly after. CJAM Group says it is targeting completion of all homes by year-end — a timeline Craig attributes to the company's modular construction approach, where homes are built off-site in controlled conditions and assembled on location.
For the couple who put their deposit down within a week, Craig says the wait is nearly over. By year-end, they expect to be standing in a new home in a suburb they chose for the same reasons buyers across regional Queensland are increasingly making the same decision — quality of life at a price point that the capital cities can no longer offer.