Friday 18th February

Kevin Rudd buys a $3.1m holiday house

Kevin Rudd has purchased a holiday home at Castaways Beach for the handsome sum of $3.1 million, down from the $3.75 million it was originally marketed at.

The Rudds, who have been looking for property in the area for a number of years, reportedly inspected the property numerous times before succeeding as the area’s newest celebrity residents. Fellow personalities to call the area home (or holiday home) are Sir Richard Branson, Pat Rafter, and Bob Ansett.

Reported by Rich Pickings in 2009, this fabulous Stephen Kidd designed property is only minutes from the Peregian shops, Noosa Heads and 20 minutes to the Sunshine Coast Airport.

The 5 bedroom property includes two living areas, a kitchen with Miele appliances and caesarstone bench tops, heated saltwater pool, double garage with internal access, ducted air conditioning and vacuum, full security systems, a main deck with built in BBQ and appliances, and unobstructed coastal views.

The Rudd family continue to own property in Brisbane that was bought for $384,000 in 1994, as well as a recently purchased property in Canberra.

For further information, find it on Millionplus.

Jennifer's on the move

American actress, film director, and producer, Jennifer Aniston has reportedly listed her Beverly Hills mansion for a cool $42 million.

“[The home] vibrates with the love that created it," says Aniston in an article by Architectural Digest.

After Aniston paid $13.5 million for the property in 2006, she went on to dedicate several years and a considerable amount of money renovating. The Hal Leavitt-designed home now sprawls over a massive 9,000-plus square feet.

Aniston also says in the article by Architectural Digest, “I am so proud of this house. And I want to celebrate the people who made it: the master craftsmen who poured so much of themselves into its creation.”

It’s rumoured that the star has hopes to relocate to New York, where she grew up, and may already be in negotiations with real estate agents in the area.

Sanctuary Cove home sets new record

While the Gold Coast continues to be hit by plummeting house prices, the exclusive enclave of Sanctuary Cove has bucked the trend with a record sale of $7.22 million this week.

The three level waterfront home was reportedly bought by an undisclosed businessman who is moving from interstate with his family.

The vendor, Brendan Heslin, bought the property in 2002 for $1.15 million and demolished an existing house to create what is there today.

Spread over 1228 square metres, the architecturally designed home features a parent's retreat with every imaginable luxury for today's modern living standards, including heated bathrooms floors, a fully fitted dressing room, drop-down plasma TV, and breathtaking river views. The home also includes three further ensuite bedrooms, a fully self-contained two-bedroom wing, main kitchen with scullery, 10-car basement garage with lift accessing all levels, home theatre, and a gym/band room with dance floor.

Outside boasts wide, fully tiled decks, swimming pool, a ‘Florida’ semi-enclosed room with a fully functional teppanyaki kitchen, and a jetty, which accommodates a boat up to 70 feet.

The sale marks a new precedent of house prices in the area, far surpassing the previous record of $5.4 million, which was paid by Melbourne businessman, Timothy Rice. Rice recently sold the property for a painful $6 million loss after only holding the property for three short years.

Designer Penthouse

Australia’s iconic Bondi Beach is seeing a new breed of uber-cool and super luxurious apartments arise from what was fast becoming a decaying mass of post war buildings.

Leading the pack of exclusive boutique developments in the area is the ‘Paloma’ building.

Designed by award-winning architect Giles Tribe and multi-award-winning interior designers RLD, ‘Paloma’ is located in the heart of Bondi’s vibrant café scene and just 200 metres from the beach.

On the market this month is its elegant penthouse, offering all the benefits of contemporary city living within an idyllic coastal setting.

The apartment features approximately 216 square metres of spacious living space, private terraces, gourmet kitchen, media room, zoned air conditioning and under floor heating, separate laundry, two separate security car spaces, master bedroom with  walk-in wardrobes and marble ensuite, a second bedroom and bathroom, and stunning ocean views.

For further information, find it on Millionplus.