When Allison Greene and husband Wren sat down for coffee after missing out on yet another auction last weekend, she had had enough.

“I had a frustrated moment,” the 36-year-old said. “We had a debrief and I was just coming up with other ideas, like buying something small as an investment or [to] keep on renting until we can afford what we want.”

What the couple want is not unrealistic: a three-bedroom house around the Diamond Creek area, with a bit of a backyard for their future kids.

But they have missed out at four auctions since starting their search in May. Each were marketed around their budget of about $550,000. Each went for about $750,000.

Although she knows other buyers have been on the auction circuit longer, Mrs Greene said it was hard not to become fed up: “Every Saturday you’re driving around going to opens, going to auctions, you just end up grumpy with each other by the end of the day because it’s so disheartening.”

The couple — an assistant principal and university academic — decided they may have less competition if they look for land to build on, rather than competing against crowds of buyers who have helped contribute to Melbourne’s near-80 per cent winter auction clearance rates.

“We both feel like, we’ve got pretty good jobs, we earn pretty well, if we can’t buy a house, who can?”

It has been a similar story for Tamara Gesmuno. The 40 year-old, who works in finance, is looking to buy a period home in Yarraville or Seddon, with a budget of $1 million. Ms Gesmuno started her property search in March after returning from living overseas.

“I was always keeping an eye on the market, so when I got back, it wasn’t the prices that surprised me, just the amount of people bidding for every property,” she said.

The fierce competition is not imagined almost 1300 fewer houses went under the hammer this winter compared to last, though the election did disrupt numbers. So far this year, listings are down about 10 per cent on last year.

It has been no surprise to Domain Group chief economist Andrew Wilson, who said last year’s boom market was an exceptional case. Buying and selling decisions were brought forward with an enthusiastic rush to market in a low interest rate environment, he said.

“So yes, there’s less stock, but only comparing it to what was a bull market last year. The numbers are actually very similar to what they were two or three years ago.”

With Saturday marking the opener of spring, Dr Wilson said the market had since normalised, but high clearance rates and further interest rate cuts put it in incredibly healthy shape: “We’ve had the best winter lead in to spring for years.”

Buyers like the Greenes and Ms Gesmuno hope the traditional selling season will give them more of a chance, but the city’s regional breakdown suggests the north and the west may stay tough for buyers. Dr Wilson said the traditionally budget-friendly side of the city had replaced the east and south, which have now become out of reach for many, as the city’s strongest markets.

Harcourts South Morang director Josh Allison said investors even came from Sydney for the north because prices were still relatively affordable. In areas such as Mill Park, he said, prices had jumped $100,000 in 18 months.

In the west, at least three bidders raised their hands at every auction, Village Real Estate agent Gerard Hannan said. Competition came from people who had been priced out from the other side of the bay.