Gus Sepulveda knows he is one of the lucky ones.
The Queenstown IT director was one of the first people to snap up a section in Shotover Country - his was the seventh house finished in the subdivision.
And he did it on his own.
Originally from Patagonia, Chile, Mr Sepulveda has been in Queenstown for 10 years. About five years ago he started looking into buying his own property.
''I was sick of renting. With Queenstown sometimes when you're renting ... the owner decides to sell, so you have to move out.
''I always wanted my own.''
With his business doing well, Mr Sepulveda was able to set aside money for a deposit, but before Shotover Country he could not find anything he ''fell in love with'' within his budget.
When the first stage of the subdivision was released to market, however, he was one of the first to buy a section.
He knows he is fortunate to be a homeowner in his adopted home country, but puts some of that down to good timing.
''Possibly ... I think I got in at the right time.
''I purchased in February 2013 and since then there's been a property boom ... If the situation was like it is today, I would have been looking at a completely different situation altogether, even in Shotover Country.
''When I bought my section, it was a bit under $200,000.
''The stage that went [last week] went for over $200,000 ... That would have made it a bit more challenging to afford it.''
