Another Sunrise presenter on the move, as Channel 7 stars spend up on new homes: Title Tattle
Channel 7 Sunrise sports presenter Mark Beretta has listed his Mosman house (pictured above), presumably upgrading in the neighbourhood. He’s previously been effusive in his praise for the Sydney suburb, saying it was a really nice quiet area that was safe and secure. Beretta, who comes from a family of plumbers, and his wife, Rachel, have been at the property since 2005 when they paid $1.47 million. More than $2 million is being sought through Piers van Hamburg at McGrath Estate Agents. It’s a charming single-storey house on a 610-square-metre block. The talk is they have spent about $2.8 million quite close by. Of course they join the contagion at Channel 7, where many on-air presenters are on the move. Larry Emdur, Tony Squires and Kylie Gillies have been recent players in the market, and Simon Reeve had a shot last year in Coogee but Title Tattle doesn't recall it selling.
Billilla, the 20-room Brighton mansion, (pictured above) is up for lease. The Halifax Street signature property has been owned by the Bayside City Council since 1973. It dates back to as early as 1872 when the site was first acquired by Sir Thomas Bent. Its wealthy ownerships included members of the Chirnside and Weatherly families.
Over recent times it been an art gallery and as a wedding venue given its magnificent gardens. In 2005 Xavier College entered into a 15-year lease of the property at a current annual rental of $70,000 plus GST and outgoings. Xavier has used Billilla until recently for its drama and arts streams but these activities have recently been consolidated to the school’s Kostka Hall Campus nearby in South Road.
Xavier has now appointed agents O’Callaghan Commercial in conjunction with Davie and Bancroft to seek a new tenancy for its remaining nine years to run. O'Callaghan Commercial agent David O’Callaghan and James Davie from Davie and Bancroft will take offers until December 12.
“But I want to make it clear that the Bayside Council as the owner of Billilla will seek out a low-impact future tenancy for approval that will respect the rich historic character of this impressive landmark building and use of its gardens as well being compatible with the adjoining residential precinct. “It will make the ultimate decision in the best interests of Billilla,” O’Callaghan says.
Veteran broadcaster Tony Pilkington, who was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame recently, has sold his Mosman home (pictured above) for $1,201,000. Pilkington bought the Cowles Road house for $1.3 million a year ago but is moving back to Adelaide to be with family. It sold through McGrath Neutral Bay/Mosman with a price guide of more than $1.2 million.
Having last sold unrenovated for $4 million in 2008, Allowah, the 1881 Mosman sandstone mansion, has been listed for sale by the Robinson family. It sits on 1,200 square metres close to Curraghbeena Point. When last traded it was divided into five flats. Its LJ Hooker Mosman listing agent Geoff Smith says there’s been a meticulous reinvention of one of Mosman Bay's earliest homes. “It has created a truly exceptional family retreat with views over the tranquil harbour to the city skyline,” Smith says. Restored and recreated, the five-bedroom, five-bathroom house sits in Paul Bangay-designed gardens.
Windermere (pictured above), the sandstone Hunters Hill riverfront house on 3,000 square metres that was constructed in 1857 by early entrepreneur Jules Joubert, has been bought for $10.5 million by Lorraine Tarabay. It was sold on extended settlement terms by Warren and Catherine Fraser of Fraser's Motorcycles, who are off to The Residence on the edge of Hyde Park. Their apartment in the Residence on College Street cost about $6 million plus through CBRE agents Caroline Fagerlund and Ben Stewart. Windermere had been listed initially in March last year with $12 million-plus expectations through Bill Malouf of LJ Hooker Double Bay. The fine furniture maker Andrew Lenehan, who arrived from Ireland in the 1830s, was its second owner, buying it in 1867 for £900 after Joubert was briefly declared insolvent in 1866. It was later the home of architect Donald Crone, whose widow, Annelies Crone-Arbenz, sold it after 37 years of ownership for $4.4 million in 1998 to the Fraser family. A renovation in 2004 included a 460-square-metre wing designed by architect John Rose of Tanner and Associates. It was acclaimed as the best house for 2004 at the NSW HIA Housing Awards.
The Anchorage (pictured above), the imposing classic Italianate terrace Louisa Road Birchgrove house, remains listed for sale with $4.4 million hopes by the Lee family. It last sold in 1999 when offloaded for $1.72 million by entertainer Glenn Shorrock, the Little River Band former lead singer and his wife, Jo. The three-storey Victorian home was built in 1896 and renovated most recently in 2001. They had lived in the restored house for about 17 years, about the same time he initially quit fronting the Little River Band in 1982. The four-bedroom waterfront, which features a rooftop widows walk, sits on a 409-square-metre block. It’s listed through Kate Lorden and Mark Bowis at Sarah Lorden Real Estate. The pricey strip’s most recent sale was when the Dusseldorp family sold through Danny Cobden at Cobden and Hayson. It had been listed recently at $4.85 million having been initially been listed in 2008 at $5.85 million through McGrath Estate Agents.
There were red faces at Domain this week, when the Fairfax-owned website had the grand Terrey Hills house now dubbed Symingtonia – which was the setting of The Biggest Loser series – as its featured home listed for sale at $11 million. Oops, they meant listed for rent at $11,000 a fortnight. It all came down to a simple misunderstanding between $11m and $11k. The house (pictured above) ranked as the highest recorded house price in Terrey Hills when $6.25 million was paid in 2005 by the company director Howard Symington. The Kinka Road property, once known as The White House given its four-column portico facade, was built by software developers Michael and Mani Martin on its 1.7 hectare site. The house has five bedrooms, guest quarters, indoor pool, elevator, 10 bathrooms and tennis and basketball court all monitored by 12 security cameras. It’s been listed for rent at around $6,000 a week through Nathan Mainhoff and Joanne Hagen from Crane Property. It was the home in the headlines recently when rented by radio broadcaster Kyle Sandilands. The sometime novated car leasing company director Symington now runs a pinball and amusement game leasing business.
Title Tattle aims to tell you as soon as it happens – if not before – but some deals are tricky to track down. Especially the suggestion that after pocketing millions earlier this year from the sale of his Allied Medical Group, former GP Geoffrey Edelsten has forked out "millions" to buy a Dominican Republic resort and casino. Edelsten and second wife Brynne reputedly exchanged contracts on the Playa Chiquita Resort and Casino, a small resort in the Caribbean, last month. Title Tattle seems to recall it being listed for a reputed $US400,000 some years ago.
Playa Chiquita (meaning small beach) is on the coast of Sosua and is one of two casinos in the region, although the Dominican Republic itself is a gaming sanctuary. Sounds suitably glamourous, but Title Tattle's Caribbean contact says its not and the Edelstens have yet to make a mark on the locals has they have in Melbourne. "Yes, the hotel was sold, but I don't really know who bought it," says Alex Hernandez, the broker/owner at Rabbit International Real Estate D.R. "The hotel doesn't work at all, so the new owner will have remodel at all, as it is completly destroyed."
"It will take the couple six months or a year to remodel the property and spend millions of dollars," he added. When Title Tattle rang the casino's number, it was the building crew who answered, so works of some sort are underway.
And don't say that Title Tattle told you, but the Murdoch family are obviously a little apprehensive even in Sydney. Lachlan Murdoch has finally lodged plans for his Bellevue Hill mansion redevelopment at Le Manoir. Title Tattle notices it includes "construction of a new garage with security access areas with subterranean access to the dwelling". It must be a $10 million spend, although it's not immediately apparent. Of course James Packer's doing his Batcave-style security fortress set-up too out at Vaucluse, and that building contract could be four times dearer.
