Mosman's Arjen Lugtenburg celebrates Privacy Week buying $18 million house

John and Rana Blewitt’s Mosman home was built in 1997 and designed by architect Mike Alexander. Photo: Supplied

It’s Privacy Awareness Week and, to mark the annual initiative, Title Deeds thought it a good time to look into public records to find out who bought the Mosman waterfront home of John and Rana Blewitt for about $18 million.

Never mind the strict gag orders on Ray White Mosman’s Geoff Smith from discussing the sale because the buyer’s lawyer lodged a caveat in the name of Arjen Lugtenburg, of Allan Gray Capital investment management company, and his marketing consultant wife Adriane.

The price is not yet on show given the recent exchange, but Smith had set a guide of $17.5 million to $18.5 million before it sold inside a month, prompting speculation it would have had to sell inside the range given the quick turnaround.

Settlement will reveal the exact result, as required by the rules of public disclosure.

The Lugtenburgs are currently based at the Chinamans Beach end of the suburb, where they had planned a major rebuild of a 1960s cottage on 1400 square metres they bought in 2016 for $10.1 million.

But despite a DA approval on it, someone must have talked them out of the rebuild as instead they’ve exchanged on $11 million with their would-have-been neighbours, fund manager James Simpson and his wife, Jane Baumann.

The property had a $17.5 million to $18.5 million guide before it was snapped up by the Lugtenburgs. Photo: Supplied

Corporate couple’s $12m shift 

Still with this week’s full-disclosure theme, records show the buyer of signage industry boss Peter White and his wife Julianne’s Centennial Park home is Westpac executive Michael Sirmai and his lawyer wife Rebecca Finkelstein, a partner at King & Wood Mallesons.

After buying this Centennial Park home, Michael Sirmai and Rebecca Finkelstein have listed their respective properties. Photo: Supplied

• Related: Rupert Murdoch’s former home lists for $14m
• Related: Wealthy Sydneysiders dodge house price correction
• Related: Billionaire Kerr Neilson buys into Millers Point

Finkelstein is also gearing up for the trade-up, listing her Paddington terrace for $3.5 million with Ben Collier, of The Agency.

Michael Sirmai’s North Bondi semi is up for grabs. Photo: Supplied

Rebecca Finkelstein has put this Paddington terrace on the market through The Agency’s Ben Collier.
Photo: Supplied

Khalil’s $2m upgrade

Designer Steven Khalil, who recently dressed Princess Olympia of Greece for her 21st birthday celebration party, is rumoured to be upgrading to Balmain with a recent purchase.  

The talk comes as he pockets $1.34 million for his Drummoyne home.

Fashion designer Steven Khalil scored $1.34 million for his Drummoyne townhouse. Photo: Jessica Hromas

The two-bedroom townhouse with rooftop terrace showcased almost as much glitz and glamour as the red carpet gowns and wedding dresses for which he is acclaimed, with records showing it was sold by BresicWhitney’s Nicholas McEvoy.

The result was well up on the $830,000 paid for the Drummoyne digs in 2011.

Tzaneros selling surfside spot

This Bondi Pacific spread, owned by Arthur Tzaneros, has just hit the market. Photo: Supplied
 

Arthur Tzaneros, who heads up his family’s freight giant ACFS Port Logistics, isn’t wasting time on his upgrade to Bellevue Hill.

Having paid about $10.5 million for the home of Justin Topper, of the Al Topper leather goods family, he’s listed his pad in the Bondi Pacific with Ray White Double Bay’s Gavin Rubinstein.

Ray White’s Gavin Rubinstein has the listing. Photo: Supplied

Tzaneros was an early off-the-plan buyer into the surfside development, along with Rabbitoh Sam Burgess, Foxtel chief Peter Tonagh, and fundie Will Vicars, but long before more recent locals like Ginia Rinehart and John Schaeffer.

Buyers are being given a guide of between $5.5 million and $6 million for the three-bedder ahead of the May 24 auction.

League great snaps up weekender

NRL great Steve Mortimer has bought a historic property near Goulburn. Photo: Isabella Lettini

Rugby league legend Steve “Turvey” Mortimer and his wife Karen look like they’re making weekender plans near Goulburn given they’ve bought historic Pyree Park for $715,000.

The Chatsbury property features a charming bluestone farmhouse that was built as an old schoolhouse in the 1890s and is surrounded by six paddocks on 13 hectares.

Mortimer now owns the historic Pyree Park in Chatsbury. Photo: Supplied

Records show David Medina, of Elders Goulburn, had a guide of $650,000 in March before it was snapped up by the former Canterbury Bulldogs star player this month.

St Edmund’s buys house next door

Skaugum has been sold for $4.3 million to its next-door neighbour, St Edmund’s College. Photo: Supplied

What better buyer for Wahroonga’s Skaugum residence, built by the boat-building mogul Harold Halvorsen in 1950, than the next door neighbour St Edmund’s College.

That’s the word from the upper north shore after the property sold after 67 years of Halvorsen family ownership for $4.3 million.

The sale of Skaugum puts an end to 67 years of Halvorsen family ownership​. Photo: Supplied

Despite no comment on the deal by Ray White Turramurra’s David Walker, sources say the property will open up the school’s access to Burns Road as well as add the residence and an extra 1600 square metres to the school’s grounds.

Skaugum was named after the official residence of the Crown Prince of Norway by Halvorsen after it played host to Norway’s now King Harald in 1974. Halvorsen died in 2000, aged 90, and the property passed to his son Harvey Halvorsen and his wife Nancy.

“Now we are moving to the United States, where we spend a lot of the year already,” Nancy Halvorsen said when it was listed. “We feel it is time for another family to enjoy the estate and make new memories.”

Tseng adds to portfolio

Peter Tseng made headlines last year when he paid $2.45 million for this number 4 car registration plate. Photo: Supplied

There’s so much to love about sex toy magnate and wine collector Peter Tseng – his $2.45 million purchase of the “unlucky” No. 4 licence plate last year being just one. His penchant for snapping up the most random of Sydney real estate is another.

From the beachfront at Clontarf, waterfront at Seaforth, his own harbourside digs in McMahons Point and an array of commercial sites from the CBD to Chatswood, Tseng’s investment vehicle K Sun Investments has added a $930,000, two-bedroom apartment in McMahons Point bought through Stone Real Estate this month. Because he can.

Chadwicks head to Kurraba Point

Paul Chadwick has said goodbye to Glasslyn (above), having forked out for a home on Kurraba Point. Photo: Supplied

Hedge-fund doyen Paul Chadwick, of Nanuk Asset Management, and his wife Giselle have found new lodgings since they sold their Mosman Federation mansion Glasslyn for $15.8 million to mining magnate Travers Duncan’s daughter-in-law, Francesca.

Records show the Chadwicks have paid $5 million for a Federation house on Kurraba Point with harbourfront access.

Given the absence of a marketing campaign it looks to have been an off-market deal, although it is billed on property records as done by The Agency’s Scott Thornton.

Getaway sells after four years

Leonard Karpin and his wife Carole have finally sold their Scotland Island weekender. Photo: Supplied

Four years after the Scotland Island weekender of rag-trader Leonard Karpin and his wife Carole was listed for sale, it has sold, with local sources putting the result at close to $5 million.

The Pittwater getaway is set on a double block that last traded in 2006 for $1.9 million and the five-bedroom residence known as Pittpoint Waters was built a few years later.

The residence had been on the market for four years. Photo: Supplied

It was originally listed with $7 million hopes four years ago in a bid to match the island’s record high set by the waterfront estate Yamba when it sold in 2013 to Singapore’s largest developer Far East Organisation.

But it wasn’t to be and its guide was more recently dropped to $5.5 million when listed by Noel Nicholson, of Ray White Palm Beach, before it sold. Nicholson declined to confirm the rumoured sale price.