Records Spin Out In Coastal Rush
Newcastle Herald
Saturday August 9, 2003
THE first house in the Swansea/Caves Beach/Nords Wharf area to score a million-dollar sale was in March this year.
The fourth, just last week, was 195A Bowman Street, Swansea, which sold through Tony Rich of Dowling Swansea before last Saturday's scheduled auction for a Swansea record price of $1,125,000.
It shows buyers can now expect to pay similar prices for the best positioned homes from Caves Beach to Merewether.
The absolute waterfront house facing Black Neds Bay our House of the Week on July 12 had an auction price guide from $950,000. Owned by business people Peter and Noeleen, it sold to buyers from Bathurst who are retiring on the coast.
Tony Rich also set a Nords Wharf record selling 30 Marine Parade for $1,117,000 in May (settled last week), and an earlier Swansea record when 3 Lambton Parade, Swansea Heads sold pre-auction for $1million.
But the top price for the area was set last month when 3 Sea Cliff Place at Pinny Beach sold through Dowling agents Bill Messiter and Les Jarvis for $1.25million.
Prices are spiralling in the area. In the heart of Caves Beach, 150 Caves Beach Road owned by Sydney couple the Dawsons resold as a holiday home to another family from the big smoke, a dentist named Wang. Selling agent Shaun Elmes of Century 21 Shaun Elmes said the eight-year-old home was on the market for only a week and brought inquiries from as far afield as London.
Views boost potential
MAGIC views and the hot market for Lake Macquarie properties have boosted price expectations to $1.6million plus for the Princehorn family's renovated investment property at 2 Marine Parade, Nords Wharf.
Just listed by Jo Black of Aaron & Burke Real Estate, the house on 980 square metres with a jetty is in a prime spot on the point known as Hendersons.
Renovations with care
THE million-dollar coastline stops short of Stockton where the highest price paid to date was $822,000 in April for a knockdown on 700 square metres at 183 Mitchell Street across the road from the beach.
That may change when Keith Wagner of Keith Wagner Real Estate takes 11 Clyde Street to auction on August 30. The 1920s property on an 840 square metre block offering views across parkland to the beach was bought by vendors Robert and Linda Stuart about four years ago and carefully renovated.
It is open today from 1pm to 1.45pm.
Buyers back again
CHARLESTOWN and Kotara are being rediscovered by buyers eager to find something affordable and family sized yet close to the newly bypassed town centre.
Creer Property's Matt Fox has just established a record price for Charlestown with his $580,000 sale of 93 Tirriki Street, pictured.
Sydney buyers, the Chesworths, looking to get out of the fast lane to a Newcastle lifestyle, bought a lot for their money in the five-bedroom plus study air-conditioned house on a 1635 square metre block with reserve views. It was on the favoured ocean side of the Pacific Highway.
On the other side, 69 Park Street found three keen buyers and sold for a street record of $459,000 on its first day on the market through Lynette Allison of Robinson Property.
It was owned by Wendy and Graham Morris of Graham Morris Motor Cycles at Broadmeadow who are building on an acreage in Medowie.
More affordable houses that show the sort of buys available in Charlestown were sold last month by Century 21 Carkeet Jacobs Smith. They include a three-bedroom weatherboard and tile on 556 square metres at 17 Willoughby Street which went for $275,000, a three-bedroom brick and tile with study and double garage at 57 Ocean View Parade bought for $376,800 and a two-bedroom unit at 3/38 Smith Street that fetched $234,000.
Steve Macnamara of Justin O'Brien First National had three beauties sold in one day at Kotara South for either the full asking price or above: a four-bedroom weatherboard and tile with a pool at 6 Inglis Street at $320,000; at 1 Boundary Street where the mainly brick and tile house sold for $280,000, $10,000 above the asking price, and a brick and tile at 15 Bellett Street for $270,000.
Girl power rules
THE agency Greg Gray Real Estate has kept the name of its ebullient founder who died recently. But it is now Newcastle's only all-female real estate agency. It was bought by Deborah Kerin, formerly licensee of the Future Property Group.
Ms Kerin said business was going so well with the eight women in the office she was looking to recruit more experienced sales staff of either sex.
There's a chair in there
MEREWETHER identity Harry Rowland ran his barber shop from the front room of his house at 96 Mitchell Street.
Now agent Carmen Gibson of LJ Hooker Newcastle has listed the property, with the barber's chair still in the front room, for sale for the first time in nearly 100 years.
Mr Rowland's parents built the present house in 1963 to replace the original on the 557 square metre block, now zoned for business/residential. Ms Gibson expects bids from $450,000 at the 23 August auction.
Grounds to appeal
THE elegant 1911-built Georgetown residence has its first open house for an hour from 11am today.
Stewart and Ros Birt have decided to move back to Hamilton South and their renovated residence on lovely 914 square metres grounds at 11 Parkview Street, originally built for Andrew Harold Adams, has been listed for August 30 auction with Richard Hille of Walkom Linehans First National. Bidding from about $420,000 is tipped.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald
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