A South Gippsland property boasting “the world’s best shed” which doubles as an aircraft hanger for its pilot owner has landed on the market.

Owners Don Brown and wife Alisa are selling their leafy 4ha Lance Creek acreage with a $2.095m price tag.

Mr Brown has some hair-raising tales from his days flying planes and helicopters to and from the 15 Kongwak Rd site including a forced landing he made in a paddock nearby, 13 years ago.

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Luckily, his skills as a pilot meant that he walked away from the incident which occurred due to a loss of engine power and left the helicopter “not in a good state”.

Mr Brown later sold the “probably repairable” chopper to focus on other projects, such as his 15-year mission to build a turboprop plane from scratch in the shed-come-hangar.

The building, which measures 24m by 15m, has a door which lifts up hydraulically and a bitumen area out the front which serves as a helipad.

“It’s the world’s best shed,” Mr Brown said.

“It’s beautiful, insulated building with a lot of very special stuff.”

In addition to the plane he is building, he is putting together a helicopter in the shed.

Mr Brown fulfilled his lifelong dream of learning to fly at the age of 30 and has flown to locations such as Brisbane and Lake Eyre, South Australia, from Lance Creek.

It was about 25 years ago that Mr Brown and his wife built their three-bedroom house after buying a sprawling vacant block.

In addition to being near his childhood home and farm, the property’s greenery and views across the surrounding hills won them over.

“We have a lot of different varieties of trees, they’re just amazing and lots of birds visit,” Mr Brown said.

The outdoor area is planted with raised vegetable beds and a fruit orchard, and features a dam and fenced paddocks.

The house offers a kitchen fitted with Neff and Gaggenau appliances, four living spaces and two dedicated home offices.

One of the open-plan living areas is framed by a 3.35m-high coffered ceiling, while each bedroom has its own ensuite.

The large garage contains two storage rooms, cabinetry, a basin and clothes line.

Mr Brown said he and his wife were selling with plans to build a new home.

And the first thing to be constructed at their next property will be a new shed where Mr Brown can complete building his 400-mile-per-hour (approximately 644km per hour) turboprop plane that’s close to being finished.

Stockdale & Leggo Inverloch director Adam Leys said the Lance Creek property’s shed could be used for several different purposes.

“I appreciate that not every buyer will require an aircraft hangar for their property, as cool as it is to say you have one,” Mr Leys said.

“However, this amazing shed space will be equally well suited to a car enthusiast and collector, a business owner wanting to work from home or someone needing ample space for their artistic or engineering pursuits.”

Mr Leys added that the house was complimented by gorgeous vistas of the rolling South Gippsland hills and magnificently landscaped gardens.

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When Thomas Wright entered the real estate world in 1999, he did so without a grand strategy — but with a deep sense of connection to people and place.

“I was at a juncture in my life when I could have gone the commercial route or residential, and the residential was just felt like a real calling for me,” he said. “I like the human element of it, being in people’s homes and in their lives, seeing their lives unfoldd [ing] and hearing their stories.”

That early instinct for relationship-driven work would become the foundation of Summit Sotheby’s International Realty, which Wright founded in 2008.

After recognizing an opportunity in Utah’s evolving luxury market, he brought the Sotheby’s International Realty brand to the state and built an agency around a full-service spectrum and community connection.

From the outset, Summit Sotheby’s positioned itself against the trend of limited-service brokerages.

Wright and his team created a model centered on true partnership with agents — full-service marketing, in-house creative teams, transaction support and a commitment to commission integrity.

“I think (success) is about knowing who you are and knowing what your values and principles are,” he said. “It’s about not being negotiable on them, not because you’re tough, but because you know, ultimately, who you want to be. We wanted to have full service in house, videography and photography and everything. We didn’t want to outsource that to a third party that all our competitors were using.”

Numerous Summit Sotheby’s agents earned placement on the 2025 RealTrends Verified rankings — with the firm recording $3.98 billion in 2024 volume across 2,953 transaction sides.

Leaders expect to end 2025 with $4.6 billion in volume and 2,946 transactions.

A ‘boring’ market with extraordinary consistency

Summit Sotheby’s footprint spans the Park City region and Wasatch Back — areas that have seen steady growth fueled by lifestyle migration, economic stability and Utah’s national reputation for business friendliness.

“It’s been very steady,” said Wright. “We have a big presence in the Park City market, and I like to tell people, ‘Park City is boring,’ meaning you know what to expect. Post-COVID, we’ve seen a huge migration and influx of people from all over the country that want to live here full time.”

He cited accessibility, the state’s new airport, volunteer-minded communities and what he calls “the Utah way” as ongoing draws.

“It’s a great group of people around here, with diversity and who serve one another and look out for one another,” Wright said. “It’s what we call the Utah way. I think people around the country, as they have evaluated their options, they’ve said, ‘You know what? I like that Utah way. That appeals to me.’”

A blueprint for real estate giving

Perhaps the company’s most distinctive legacy is Summit Sotheby’s Cares —  a charitable foundation launched in 2010.

Built on voluntary contributions from every agent, the program donates a percentage of commissions from every transaction.

Since inception, it has given more than $2.3 million to 100-plus Utah nonprofits supporting education, food security, mental health, first responders, the arts and conservation.

Wright calls it the heart of the company.

“If you see me smiling, it’s probably because I’m thinking about (Summit Sotheby’s Cares),” he said. “I think we looked at it, all of us, collectively, and said, ‘You know what? We have a social responsibility.’ Government doesn’t need to compel us to give back. We have a social responsibility, and we’re willing to step up and do it.”

The program’s impact extends beyond donations. The company hosts an annual day of giving —  inviting nonprofit partners into the office to share their work and receive direct support from Summit Sotheby’s advisors.

Wright said the gathering stands as a reminder of the company’s purpose.

“Every year, we bring together all those nonprofits, and we we listen to them about their mission and goals and what they’ve accomplished, and we support them financially,” he said. “It’s honestly one of the most heartwarming, touching, meaningful meetings of my entire year.

“It gives me a feeling that we really are giving back, that we’re not just selling real estate and trying to provide for our families, we’re actually giving back to the community.”

With full agent participation and contributions embedded into every closing, Summit Sotheby’s Cares continues to demonstrate how a luxury brokerage can redefine its role in the community — one transaction, and one nonprofit partnership at a time.

The son of an ailing veteran embroiled in a $US5 million ($A7.5 million) lawsuit with Katy Perry has opened up about the brutal emotional toll the year-long case has had on his father.

Carl Westcott, 85, struck a deal to sell his California mansion to the Roar singer for $US15 million ($A22 million) back in 2020.

Days later, Mr Westcott — who suffers from the neurological disorder Huntington’s disease — tried to back out of the deal.

The businessman, who founded the company 1-800-Flowers, claimed he had been under the influence of painkillers when he agreed to the sale, Realtor reports.

Perry and Mr Westcott spent the next three years locked in a bitter dispute over the property, before a judge granted ownership to the pop star and her then-partner, Orlando Bloom, in December 2023. They officially took control of the dwelling in May 2024.

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However, the chart-topper then went after Mr Westcott for $US5 million ($A7.5 million) in damages, claiming not only that the home had required extensive repairs when she took ownership, but also that she had lost millions of dollars in potential rental income while the legal battle raged on.

That legal fight is finally set to conclude at the end of this month, when the court issues its final judgment, a moment that Mr Westcott’s son, Chart, has said his family cannot wait for.

“This has been a lengthy and exhausting legal process,” he told Realtor.

“We look forward to a final verdict so our family can put this behind us and spend these remaining days in peace with our father.

“We are grateful for the support and patience of our friends and community, and we trust the court to complete this process and deliver justice for our father, Carl.”

The Westcott family is now awaiting the final hurdle in the legal battle — the agreement by both sides to a proposed statement of decision by Judge Joseph Lipner, who ruled on November 25 that Perry should not be awarded the full $US4.8 million ($A7.2 million) she tried to sue Mr Westcott for, but rather the lower sum of $US1.8 million ($A2.7 million).

According to legal documents seen by Realtor, that total amount includes $US2,795,000 ($A4,211,000) for lost rental income between September 2020 — when Perry and Bloom closed on the deal — and March 31, 2024, when the home was last in Mr Westcott’s possession.

The judge then deducted $US1,062,736 ($A1.6 million) of retained capital and the $149,703 ($A225,000) that Mr Westcott lost in interest during that time — while limiting the cost of the repairs to $259,581.84, which is the exact amount that was previously proposed by Mr Westcott’s lawyers.

It is a much lower figure than the one initially proposed by Perry, who argued that she had lost “$3,525,000 ($A5.3 million) in rental value,” while also demanding that Mr Westcott pay “$1,343,401.95 ($A2.02 million) for necessary repairs” to the property.

Both parties had 10 days from November 25 to make the judge aware of any “controverted issues or … proposals not covered in the tentative decision” before it is finalised.

However, should the settlement be agreed upon, Mr Westcott will not be required to hand over money to Perry — who purchased the property through her business manager, Bernie Gudvi. Instead, the $US1.8 million ($A2.7 million) will be deducted from the $US6 million ($A9 million) that Perry still owes Mr Westcott for his home.

Mr Gudvi initially paid the former businessman just $US9 million ($A13 million) of the agreed-upon price and has waited to pay the rest until a judgment was reached. He will now owe Mr Westcott $US4,157,857.16 ($A6.26 million).

“Katy Perry agreed to purchase the property for $US15 million ($A22 million),” Mr Westcott’s lawyer, Andrew J. Thomas, told Realtor.

“The Westcotts transferred the home to her last year after she paid $US9 million ($A13 million) of the purchase price.

“She sought to avoid paying the remaining $US6 million ($A9 million) owed under the contract, but the court ruled she could only deduct $US1.8 million ($A2.7 million) of that balance.

“The document issued by the court on November 25 is not the court’s final judgment. It is a tentative decision, and the court expressly allowed the parties time to submit alternative proposals.

The case will not be concluded until a final judgment is issued; the court has indicated it aims to do so by December 30.”

Judge Lipner’s ruling, if finalised, will mark the end of a tumultuous, bitter legal battle between Perry and Mr Westcott that has been raging since the sale was agreed upon more than five years ago.

At the time, Mr Westcott attempted to back out of the sale of his home, stating that he was of “unsound mind” due to a recent medical procedure.

“The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr Westcott of unsound mind,” Mr Westcott’s lawyers stated in court documents.

However, Perry’s representatives argued that Mr Westcott had been of sound mind when he agreed to the deal and that he wanted to back out only because he hadn’t been able to find an alternative Montecito property to his liking or budget.

In December 2023, a judge ruled in Perry’s favour and ordered that the original sale contract, arranged by the pop star’s business manager, be upheld.

Perry officially took possession of the home in May 2024.

The 1930s-era, compound sits among the Santa Ynez foothills and has eight bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a tennis court, two guesthouses, and a pool.

Sensationally, during an August court hearing at which she appeared via Zoom, Perry admitted that she is not the owner of the Montecito property, which was actually purchased by her former fiance, Bloom.

In her 55-minute testimony, Perry confirmed a courtroom revelation from her business partner: It was Bloom who held the title to the Santa Barbara County property through the limited liability company DDoveB, named after the former couple’s daughter.

Perry and Bloom had ended their six-year engagement one month before the hearing.

However, the California Gurls singer said during her testimony that the actor and their shared daughter are her “family for life.”

“So when title to the house was transferred as a result of this lawsuit, it never went to you or any entity you control, isn’t that true?” Mr Westcott’s lawyer asked her.

“Yes, sir,” replied Perry, adding that DDoveB was one of Bloom’s limited liability companies.

When asked by Mr Thomas what she stood to gain from the outcome of the trial, Perry shot back: “Justice.”

“How about money?” Mr Thomas questioned. “Do you stand to make any money from the outcome of this litigation?”

“I stand to lose money if it doesn’t work in my favour,” said Perry.

Perry admitted that she contributed no funds when Bloom’s LLC purchased the house in 2024 and that her role in the home’s remodelling was limited to being a “partner and adviser.”

The celebrity witness elaborated further on her participation in the renovation, saying that she saw “pictures and videos” of the work being done but took no active part in it.

However, when she was asked who would be responsible for paying mr Westcott the remaining $US6 million ($A9 million) owed on the price of the house, Perry said that it was likely she and Bloom would pay together.

“Are you two somehow partners in the property?” Thomas asked, prompting Perry to respond: “We’re family for life.”

Though she stopped short of saying that she and Bloom were financial partners, she did say that the property at the centre of the case was of “good financial interest for me.”

She added, “I will gain financially from out.”

Perry has not revealed whether she or Bloom ever actually lived in the Montecito residence, which they originally purchased as a family home in which to raise their daughter, Daisy Dove, 5.

The former couple own another opulent mansion in the same neighbourhood, which they bought for $US14.2 million ($A21.7 million) soon after Mr Westcott attempted to back out of the sale of his home.

That property — which records indicate is registered in Perry’s name alone — has been undergoing significant renovations over the past five years.

It is unclear whether Bloom played any role in the lawsuit against Westcott. However, the actor has largely attempted to remain out of the fray as far as the legal battle is concerned.

Mr Westcott’s legal team previously failed in its efforts to persuade the judge to call Bloom as a witness — having claimed that he should be asked to testify about the repairs that the singer said had to be carried out on the home.

However, the judge in the case shut down that request, insisting that the lawyers needed to rely only on testimony from the contractors who were involved in the process, while accusing the legal team of trying to turn the trial into a “celebrity circus.”

“Why do you need Mr. Bloom to do that, other than to make it a celebrity circus?” Lipner asked Westcott’s lawyers in an August 1 hearing, according to Rolling Stone.

“Why don’t you just talk to the construction person who actually did it?”

Hollywood actor Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, were then dragged into the legal saga, when it was reported that they had moved into the Montecito property after leasing it from Perry and Bloom.

The couple, who are in the process of building a custom compound in Brentwood, are said to have been loaned the Montecito property to use while they wait for their new home to be completed.

Mr Westcott’s lawyers had asked the judge in the August hearing to question Pratt about the condition of the home when he moved in, according to Fox News — noting that he could provide key evidence to slap down Perry’s claims that significant damage had been done before she officially took ownership of the dwelling.

The lawyers also pointed out that Pratt and his wife have been closely linked to the property since Perry first expressed interest in it — calling attention to the fact that she became involved in a bidding war with Schwarzenegger’s mother, Maria Shriver, who was also keen to buy the abode.

Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and was republished with permission.

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Insider figures show more Aussie home loan borrowers are turning to a simple strategy to save thousands as the Reserve Bank moves to lock in rates for summer.

National Australia Bank executive for home lending, Denton Pugh, reveals below how home loan borrowers are shifting their finances around to take advantage of tools available to them to cut costs.

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By Denton Pugh

Offset accounts have long been valued for their ability to reduce the interest charged on a home loan. Every dollar in an offset account works to lower your interest bill and helps you pay off your loan faster.

That means you can pay off your mortgage faster and save big.

But it’s not just about saving on interest. Offset accounts offer flexibility – whether you’re planning for a family holiday, setting aside funds for school fees, or building an emergency buffer, being able to “bucket” your money for different goals can make managing finances simpler.

Some lenders even let you have multiple offset accounts linked to one loan, so you can “bucket” your money for different goals while still cutting interest.

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We’ve seen a real shift in how customers use their offsets. By separating savings for different goals, people are finding it easier to stick to budgets and avoid dipping into funds set aside for important milestones. It’s a small change that can make a big difference over time.

And Australians are taking advantage. Borrowers tipped a record $14.1 billion in extra repayments into loans in the September quarter.

The Reserve Bank says households are also building buffers through offset and redraw accounts. More than 80% of NAB customers kept repayments steady after rate hikes, putting themselves in a strong position to pay down debt faster.

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Of course, not everyone can make extra repayments. Cost-of-living pressures are real, and uncertainty about where rates go next is still hanging over households. But for those who can, using tools like offset accounts can make a big difference over time.

Why now? With rates on hold, homeowners have a window to take control and save more – while staying ready for whatever comes next. Optimising your offset strategy could mean thousands saved over the life of your loan.

As 2026 approaches, it’s a great time to review your home loan and offset setup. You might be surprised at the difference it can make.

– Denton Pugh is the National Australia Bank executive for home lending.

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Cairns home prices are surging so fast that a two-bedroom townhouse has sold for more than a neighbouring unit twice its size did last year – and double what its owner paid.

The 94 sq m Parramatta Park townhouse, just a short walk from the CBD and the Esplanade, sold on Thursday for $410,000 – the cheapest Cairns property sold this past week.

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The owner bought the property seven years ago for $192,000 in a complex with an in-ground pool and open-plan homes.

The sale set a new record for the complex, surpassing a 214 sq m neighbouring unit that sold for $371,000 last year.

Ray White Cairns, Cairns Beaches and Palm Cove agent Ray Murphy co-listed the home with colleague Ben Keene. The listing suggested a rental appraisal of $500 –$530 a week for the property.

Calculations show that with a 20 per cent deposit of $82,000 and a 5.6 per cent principal and interest rate – the average listed by the Reserve Bank for investors – weekly rent of around $500 would cover $3,200 in annual rates and $1,883 in monthly mortgage repayments.

The townhouse was described by agents as a “fantastic opportunity to secure a two-bedroom property in the vibrant, inner-city location of Parramatta Park,” ideal for first-home buyers or investors.

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