Penrith Panthers' Lou Zivanovic joins the Hunters Hill set with $12 million house

Former Penrith Panthers star-turned-wealthy property developer Lou Zivanovic has joined the colourful cast of home owners on the Hunters Hill peninsula, buying the Federation residence St Brelades for about $12 million.

The waterfront house with boathouse, jetty, pontoon and pool has been home to former Platinum Asset Management chairman Michael Cole since 1984, trading for $460,000, and listed earlier this year by Ray White Drummoyne’s Chris Wilkins.

The exact sale result remains a mystery given no comment by Wilkins, but locals say the Woolwich property is set to be a matrimonial home for Zivanovic and his wife Olivia, who, according to The Sydney Morning Herald’s columnist Danny Weidler, married a few months ago in a lavish ceremony on Hayman Island reportedly before a who’s who of sporting stars like Jeff Fenech and Greg “Brandy” Alexander and entertained by Australian Idol runner up Anthony Callea and the Australian synchronised swimming team.

It’s a happy turn of events since 2016 when Zivanovic copped a three-year corporate ban over the collapse of 18 building and construction companies he operated.

Hunters Hill’s historic homes have long lured more than its share of Sydney establishment, from billionaire Lang Walker and former treasurer Joe Hockey to Chinese “Great Gatsby” Sam Guo and the most famous local of all, corrupt politician Eddie Obeid.

Zivanovic has been based at his $5.2 million Turramurra house since 2018 when he sold his Bilgola Beach home for $8.1 million. In recent months his corporate entities also bought a waterfront apartment in Birchgrove for $3.59 million.

Brahimi buys up big in Berrima

Another week, another eastern suburbs identity heads to the Southern Highlands. This time it’s Sanchia Brahimi, the daughter of veteran investor Charles Curran, and her lawyer partner Paul Smith, buying in Berrima for $4.75 million.

The couple’s purchase of the 40-hectare property Weehope comes as Brahimi has sold her Vaucluse home for more than $17 million, returning a hefty windfall on the $6.5 million she and her former husband, celebrity chef Guillaume Brahimi, paid for it in 2004.

The Brahimis split in 2016, and Smith was widowed two years earlier when his wife, Katrina Dawson, was killed in the Lindt Cafe siege.

Their new Berrima retreat was sold by Woollahra-based Alison McKenzie, wife of Morgan Stanley’s head of institutional equities team, Will McKenzie.

Swapping one forest for another

Luxury acreage in Duffys Forest is usually out of the price range of many former Home & Away stars, but not so Christian Clark, who has bought a two-hectare property complete with a five-bedroom homestead, swimming pool, landscaped gardens and equestrian facilities.

No doubt helping to fund it is not only his acting gigs – which in more recent years included roles in the Rob Sitch-directed comedy Any Questions for Ben? and Sebastien Guy’s psychological thriller Nerve – but his fitness franchise businesses, Orangetheory and Anytime Fitness, and likely topped up by the sale of his Frenchs Forest home in May for $2.5 million.

The price remains undisclosed but is expected to be well into the $6 million range given a guide of $6.5 million to $6.9 million by Sydney Country Living’s Shayne Hutton, who incidentally is co-founder of Smile Elite luxury agency with former Neighbours star Scott Michaelson (better known to viewers of the early ’90s as Brad Willis).

Dialling it up

Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and her husband Rodney have sold their Vaucluse home, scoring what sources say is close to $8 million amid plans to upgrade locally.

Sotheby’s Barry Goldman declined to confirm the rumoured sale price despite being credited with the sale, but he was just the latest of a slew of agents who had listed it over the past year, originally with a 2020 guide of $7.5 million.

The result almost doubles the $4.5 million they paid for it in 2012 from rag trader Eli Alster and his wife, Kim.

Ring the bells

Adman John Singleton offloaded his Central Coast venue The Bells Restaurant and Resort at Killcare five years ago for $6 million but only recently relinquished a couple of adjoining acreages for a total of $5 million.

A house on 2.8 hectares directly behind the boutique luxury hotel as well as a neighbouring parcel of 3.2 hectares were sold by Singo’s investment company Coast & Country Properties to The Bells’ long-time managers and buyers of 2016, Karina and Brian Barry, taking the Barry holdings to more than 10 hectares at a cost of almost $11 million.