JONATHAN CHANCELLOR: Harbourview villa is a $14m sure bet

THE star stockbroker turned fund manager Charlie Aitken and wife Ellie are seeking to sell their $14 million Darling Point villa, writes Jonathan Chancellor.

Pic of Charlie Aitken and wife Ellie for Lehmann Saturday column

THE star stockbroker turned fund manager Charlie Aitken and wife Ellie are seeking to sell their $14 million Darling Point villa.

Now with two children, the family are looking for something with more lawn and a backyard pool.

Martin Ross at Black Diamondz Property has given early interested parties the $14 million price expectation guidance.

It was 2008 when the couple bought the property for $6.95 million from William Penfold, the last of the family members to head the country’s oldest stationery company, WC Penfold.

Beautiful: The property at in Darling Point.

The Eastbourne Avenue house, with bay views, had been home to the Penfold family since paying $890,000 in 1985.

The Mediterranean-style house, now with Thomas Hamel interiors, sits in gardens designed by Paul Bangay.

Aitken’s reputation for stock picking saw him recently establish the AIM Global High Conviction Fund which has performed well despite the highly volatile stockmarket conditions.

Since August, the fund is up while the ASX200 is down 11.5 per cent and the MSCI World Index down 9.6 per cent.

“We have preserved unit holders capital in a period of high volatility and steep losses for individual investors, index and long-only funds,” he told clients this week.

The clients include the Stokes media family’s money who invested $150 million in the new venture, Aitken Investment Management.

Interiors: This home will be hard to say goodbye to.

The AIM Global High Conviction Fund is open to investors with a minimum $250,000.

His six-member team includes his wife of 13 years Ellie, a former Clayton Utz lawyer.

Aitken began his trading career as a junior picking paper receipts off the floor of the futures exchange in 1993, then made his name with his “Under the Southern Cross” and “Ringing the Bell” newsletters.

He recently told The Saturday Telegraph columnist John Lehmann that while high, Sydney house price were more likely to rise further than drop — especially if the Reserve Bank cuts the cash rate to 1.5 per cent.

“They’re not going to crash tomorrow in a fit — they’ll only crash if interest rates go up sharply or if unemployment goes up to 10 per cent or if there’s a massive overbuild.’’

LOOSE LIPS

Nicholas Sacelly.

WATPAC Group construction general manager Nicholas Saclley has
bought the “Sydney Seidler” in Balmain for $5.725 million.

The split-level house features a
wave-shape roof, one of Harry Seidler’s signature designs.

The property includes a pool, boat shed and slipway into the Harbour.

Saclley and his interior designer wife Marina will be upgrading from nearby. The property last traded in 2001 for $3.41 million.

LUCKED IN

Chez and Brenton.

A THREE-bedroom Vaucluse apartment sold in The Block that aired on the Channel 9 reality television series in 2010, sold again this week.

Five years ago it fetched $970,000 after Chez and BrentonGravina’srenovation.

This week, the 100 sq m apartment sold ahead of its scheduled auction for $1.42 million through Mark Meyer at LJ Levi, returning a very healthy 8.25 per cent annual growth.

Research suggests these Vaucluse vendors have done better than many other buyers of properties from The Block offerings over the past 12 years.

LEGEND

THE Southern Highlands-bound former Vogue Living editor Robyn Holt and her husband, actor Jim Holt, have listed in Woollahra.

The Wallaroy Rd house on about 300 sqm was designed by 1930s architect F Glynn Gilling.

Bought in 2002 for $1.71 million from DSC Personnel boss Tom Smith, Ballard Property Group expects more than $4 million.

CRISTOVAO DEAL A BEAUTY

MRS Australia 2012, Veronica Cristovao (pictured right) and her property developer husband Duarte have sold their second waterfront duplex in Chiswick.

The Cristovaos built the duplex on the prime north-facing site after buying the land in 2010 for $3.655 million.

Duarte and Veronica founded Collingwood House, a property development and property management company. The latest architect-designed residence on Abbotsford Bay features five bedrooms, four bathrooms, infinity pool and approval for shared jetty.

The home’s twin was sold two years ago for $3.6 million to downsizing greengrocer supremo Chris Parisi and his wife Emily.

BresicWhitney agent Nicholas McEvoy was scheduled to take the latest offering to auction with $4.35 million-plus hopes, but secured $4.85 million two days before the auction, the highest sale to date for a duplex on Fortesecue St.

Happy with the profit they’ve made, the Cristovaos are already seeking their next project in the surrounding areas, with Woolwich and Drummoyne of interest.

Veronica also recently opened a children’s store, Diamond Kids Boutique, close by on Victoria Road.

Their Collingwood House website advises Veronica has a background in real estate and has studied interior design.

Duarte is a licensed builder, learning the tools of the trade working alongside his father in property development.

SUPREME SEAL ROCKS ADDRESS

GRANT Bourke, the Domino’s Pizza veteran executive, has purchased a beachfront retreat at Seal Rocks, on NSW’s mid-north coast, with wifeSandra.

They spent $2.3 million on the four-bedroom oceanfront that came with a $2.75 million list price through Mark Currie at Pacific Palms Real Estate.

Boasting ocean views from every room, the house will become a holiday let above Boat beach.

The $2.3 million sale of the eco-friendly 2007 Bob Stephenson-designed residence is not the highest for the coastal hamlet, as near neighbours sold for $2.35 million back in 2005.

Just down the road, 12 Kinka Rd has a $3 million-plus current asking price through Unique Estates, but that has been on the market for two years by Peter Adams, the Adams Timber heir. Until recently Seal Rocks was accessible only by dirt track.

Bourke, who sits on the board of Australia’s largest pizza chain, first became a franchisee in 1993. If the Bourkes get hungry, the closest outlet to Seal Rocks is around 40 minutes away at Forster.