Retired AFL champion Lance “Buddy” Franklin and expectant wife Jesinta are downsizing to a $4.6m Guanaba estate, on the Gold Coast in South East Queensland.
Avonleigh Park, a 3.2ha property on the banks of the Coomera River, is their new home following its midweek settlement.
It was snapped up before its scheduled July auction after garnering 21,000 online views.
Kara Christensen and Bella Sorenson of the Kollosche agency undertook 15 private inspections before securing the sale after 20 days on the market.
The main residence is a modern farmhouse set on an elevated position overlooking the landscaped grounds with dams. There is a riverside gazebo.
Its features include a home office, multiple kitchens and dining spaces.
Retired AFL champion Lance “Buddy” Franklin and expectant wife Jesinta are downsizing to a $4.6m Guanaba estate, on the Gold Coast.
There is a deck leading to an alfresco pavilion with an infinity edge pool. The property comes with equestrian facilities with stables and a barn, which matched the celebrity couple’s stated requirement for a less suburban life.
There is a large chicken coop and garden beds.
This month, the former Sydney Swans star and his model influencer wife opened up to Stellar about their desire for a quiet life in the country as they prepare for the arrival of their third child.
The main residence is a modern farmhouse set on an elevated position overlooking the landscaped grounds with dams.
The Franklins are happy to leave Sydney behind.
No paparazzi here.
The couple recently sold their Mediterranean-style mansion on the Gold Coast. Their Reedy Creek home, Villa Casa, came with reported $12m expectations having been designed by Reece Keil Design with Spanish-style arches.
They had bought the contemporary house for $8.75m in 2022 on their move from their $4.8m Rose Bay apartment.
Located about 32km northwest of Reedy Creek towards Tamborine Mountain, Guanana, with a population of about 800, is a semirural district known for its polo fields.
“I absolutely loved my time living in Sydney,” said Franklin, 38, who retired from football in 2023.
“But when we had kids, things changed; it felt a bit too chaotic there.
“I love being on country and seeing the kids run around.
“For the last four or five years, I didn’t enjoy the other stuff that came with living in Sydney, in terms of always looking over your shoulder for paparazzi. I just hated that part of it. I was ready for something different.”
“We don’t want to worry about neighbours,” Jesinta, 34, said.
https://www.juliankent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/logo.png00JKentshttps://www.juliankent.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/logo.pngJKents2025-12-01 00:00:142025-12-01 00:00:14Buddy and Jesinta Franklin’s new ‘rural’ $4.6m estate
Home prices continued to rise at a strong pace across the country in November, but a jump in new property listings in some major cities and the prospect of an extended pause in interest rates is tempering price growth momentum.
The latest PropTrack Home Price Index found the national median home price increased 0.5% in November, to sit 8.7% higher compared to 12 months ago.
Home prices had been gaining pace since the start of the year, with the RBA’s three interest rate cuts boosting borrowing power and cutting mortgage repayment costs.
The expansion of the federal government’s Home Guarantee Scheme in October, relatively low stock levels, constrained housing construction, and population growth have also helped fuel home price growth.
REA Group senior economist Eleanor Creagh said even with a pullback in the pace of growth last month, home prices were still growing at a solid pace.
“We’ve seen home prices continue to rise at a brisk pace, with some easing in the monthly pace of growth in markets that are seeing a large uplift in stock for sale in November,” she said.
“This year’s series of interest rate cuts have boosted borrowing capacities and improved sentiment, driving renewed momentum in the housing market. Continued population growth, increased investor and upgrader activity, and of course, the expanded home guarantee scheme, are also bolstering demand.”
“I think that’s playing into the easing in monthly growth that we’ve seen in November in both of those markets.”
Melbourne and Sydney’s median home prices grew at a slightly slower pace in November compared to previous months, up 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively.
It follows a 29.5% month-on-month surge in new property listings in Melbourne in October, and a 20.1% jump in Sydney new property listings.
The national median home price increased 0.51% in November, and rose 8.7% over the past 12 months. Picture: Getty
That said, the total number of homes listed for sale was still lower in both major cities than at the same time last year, reflecting just how little stock has been on the market.
Adelaide leads the way
Adelaide had the strongest month-on-month home price growth in the country in November, up 0.9% for the month.
The capital city’s median home price was 12.2% higher than the same time last year.
Ray White South Australia and Northern Territory chief executive Matthew Lindblom said population growth and other factors were driving Adelaide’s home price growth.
“Adelaide’s property price growth is being driven by a strong South Australian economy, low unemployment, government investment in infrastructure, and overall market confidence,” he said.
“Adelaide has also historically been a strong market for first-home buyers, and the current federal government incentives designed to help young people enter the property market are also having an upward influence on house values.”
Ray White South Australia and Northern Territory chief executive Matthew Lindblom said Adelaide had historically been a strong market for first-home buyers. Picture: Supplied
Mr Lindblom said the city’s population had reached a level where its circular economy was strong, giving people more certainty about living and investing in the city.
“Adelaide has always been in a good geographical location due to its relative proximity to Sydney and Melbourne,” he said.
“It has just taken a while for this to be recognised, but it is well and truly discovered now.
“Furthermore, with a section of the workforce now working from home permanently, Adelaide continues to be an attractive place for people to migrate to, thanks to its beaches, lower cost of living, strong education options, and overall lifestyle.”
Perth followed Adelaide with the second strongest home price growth in Australia in November, with the city’s median home price gaining 0.89% during the month.
Adelaide’s median home price grew 0.9% in November, and was 12.2% higher than the same time last year. Picture: Getty
Brisbane (0.64%), Canberra (0.56%), Darwin (0.25%), and Hobart (0.16%) also posted month-on-month gains during November.
All regional markets except regional Northern Territory (-0.1%) also grew throughout November.
Australia’s combined regional property markets outperformed the capital cities last month, up 0.6% and 0.48%, respectively.
Regional NSW (0.72%) led the way out of country’s regional markets in November, followed by regional Queensland (0.59%) and rural Tasmania (0.58%).
What’s next for home prices?
Home prices are expected to continue growing into next year, but the prospect of an extended pause on interest rates and other factors will influence the pace of growth.
“Home prices will continue to rise, but momentum is tempering with the extended pause on interest rates, while all of those other factors are still supporting home buying demand,” Ms Creagh said.
REA Group senior economist Eleanor Creagh said home prices continued to rise at a brisk pace, with some easing in markets like Melbourne and Sydney where there’s been a large uplift in stock. Picture: Supplied
Last week, the latest Consumer Price Index data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed inflation increased 3.8% in the year to October, up from 3.6% the previous month.
The higher-than-expected inflation figures – above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 2-3% inflation target – have largely dashed hopes for more interest rate cuts anytime soon.
Ms Creagh said Australia was likely to see an extended pause on interest rates.
“The Reserve Bank will want to see the core disinflation trend re-established before easing rates again, and underlying inflation looks to be a little stronger than it expected,” she said.
“But if we look at this easing cycle as a whole, expectations were for one or two more rate cuts and we’ve already seen three, so we’ve already seen the bulk of the easing that was going to be delivered and we’ve seen that reflected in the uplift in home values over the past year.
“Interest rate cuts are certainly supporting home price growth at the moment and the acceleration in price growth that we’ve seen in 2025, but there are other factors at play like stock on market, rental market conditions, investor activity, new housing and population growth.
“An extended pause on interest rates may temper momentum, but we’re still going to see prices continue to lift, just at a slightly slower pace.”
Other factors likely to influence home prices include housing affordability, the Help to Buy scheme, and the banking regulator’s recent decision to tighten lending rules next year.
Low- and middle- income earners will be able to get more help buying their first home from Friday, when the federal government finally rolls out its long-awaited Help to Buy shared equity scheme.
Meanwhile, first-home buyers may also face tighter borrowing conditions next year, with new lending limits on high-debt borrowers potentially spurring on a rush of activity ahead of February when the new measures will be enforced.
Housing affordability will continue to put a strain on buyers, with fresh PropTrack research published last week revealing housing affordability in Australia remained near its worst level on record despite a slight improvement, with experts predicting affordability to deteriorate further in 2026.
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Billionaire James Packer has revealed his ‘bittersweet’ relationship with Australia amid revelations of the $300m reason he won’t come home. Picture: Getty
Coverage of the recent James Packer interview for the Rampart website has overlooked the puzzling backdrop to his Christmas homecoming to catch up with family and friends in Sydney.
“Is it perhaps a bittersweet relationship that you have these days with your home town?,” the Australian billionaire, 58, was asked during the one-hour interview.
“Um, it’s probably a bittersweet relationship I have with the ATO.
“You know, I mean, I’m non-resident. I’ve probably spent six weeks in Australia in the last 10 years, and you know, I’m told that if I spend any more than a couple of weeks in Australia, you know, they’re going to be difficult.”
IJE’s next voyage seems set to be to the Panama Canal, so he will possibly sail on to his Mexican retreat.
Packer retains clear title to his Crown Resort, Barangaroo apartment, which cost $72,229,573 in 2021, and his Bellevue Hill family compound, which cost $105m in 2023.
Packer’s principal residence is in the Colorado ski resort town of Aspen that he bought in 2013 for $US15.6m.
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Unrivalled oceanfront luxury is offered in this three-level Ocean Grove home with 180-degree water views.
The vendor says the location, within one of the town’s most coveted beachside pockets, was a major drawcard when purchasing the 800sq m block of land.
“The attraction was the location being very close to the beach, and schools and down a quiet street,” he says.
Listing agent Felix Hakins, from RT Edgar Bellarine, says the proximity to amenities and position in a “blue chip location” make the home very desirable for a range of buyers.
“The beach just in front of the property is a very safe swimming and surfing beach and fully patrolled by Surf Life Saving Victoria,” Hakins says.
“Located on a no-through road, walking distance to all amenities and only a short drive to Geelong and Portarlington, where a quick 70-minute ferry commute to Melbourne is another option for lifestyle opportunities.”
A three-level Ocean Grove home has hit the market.
The property has 180-degree water views.
Geelong’s James Dean Architects in Geelong designed the home, which was constructed by a private showcase builder in 2000.
The natural environment was a key factor in the planning and building of the home.
“The showcase of the design was the stunning views, from the (Barwon Heads) Bluff right around to the (Point Lonsdale) lighthouse,” says the vendor.
“It’s truly one of the best views in Ocean Grove.”
The home features soaring ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, which, along with providing 180-degree views of the ocean, also flood the home with natural light.
“The home was also built with a modern/beach look in mind for a family of four,” the vendor adds.
“The property either suits a family or beach holiday house; it has large areas for entertaining.”
The home features a centrally located open plan living, dining and kitchen zone.
The home is located within one of the town’s most coveted beachside pockets.
Some of these features include a centrally located open plan living, dining and kitchen zone, which is large in scale and flows onto the outdoor balcony areas.
The kitchen is designed to entertain with premium European appliances, expansive preparation areas and abundant storage.
A second living retreat occupies its own level, with uninterrupted water views and connected to a rear, sheltered patio offering a private area to entertain.
Outdoors, there is a paved barbecue area in the northern entertaining space and a rear yard.
There are four bedrooms, two located on level one, with the master and one of the minor bedrooms on level three.
The main bedroom is a highlight with a generously sized dressing room, ensuite with spa bath, dual showers, and breathtaking ocean views.
Listed by RT Edgar Bellarine, 107 Orton St, Ocean Grove has a price guide of $4.8m to $5m via private sale.
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Ian Thorpe at the Sport Australia Hall Of Fame Induction & Awards Gala Dinner at Crown Palladium on November 17 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)
The sold sticker has gone up on Olympic swimming legend Ian Thorpe’s Edgecliff apartment, and it’s gone well above the $2.8m price guide.
The stylish three-bedroom apartment in the Harry Seidler-designed Arlington block in Edgecliff Rd had been due to go under the hammer this coming Thursday, via Ray White Double Bay’s Jordan L’Estrange and Warren Ginsberg.
No word from them on the price achieved prior to auction, but other sources put the result at “close to $3m”.
Thorpey, who’d listed the apartment on November 7, had bought it for $2.79m in July, 2023.
So if the result was just under the $3m figure, he’s had a modest gain of about 7 per cent.
That’s marginally better than many apartment owners in the suburb, with PropTrack putting the current median apartment price for Edgecliff at $1,385,000 — that’s 5.8 per cent more than when “Thorpedo”, who celebrated his 43rd birthday in October with friends on Lord Howe Island, made his purchase.
In his most recent Instagram post, he recently reflected on his career.
“It’s hard for me to think back and realise the the Sydney Olympic Games were 25 years ago,” he said in a video for GQ magazine
“It feels like it was not quite yesterday, but it feels like it was in more recent memory than 25 years on.”
He described lighting the cauldron with another legend, former runner Cathy Freeman, as “incredible” and the next night he achieved his “childhood dream which was to become an Olympic champion”.
On the home front, it’s unclear where Thorpey is headed next.
It has three bedrooms.
And two bathrooms and double parking.
He still owns a four-bedroom apartment around the corner in Ocean St, purchased in December 2017 for $2.75m.
It‘s been rented out for $1,850 per week, having previously been listed for sale with a $3.5m guide last October and passing in on a vendor bid of $3.95m the year before.
He hasn’t advised if he’s intending to move back there or buy elsewhere.
The Edgecliff Rd property, which had two bathrooms and double parking, was always going to be popular, spanning two levels and full of natural light.
It’s close by Double Bay village and has sweeping views from the city skyline to Manly. This north-east facing residence features generous-sized bedrooms, an entertainer’s kitchen and a sun-soaked balcony.
The 164sq m apartment had previously sold in 2016 for $2.37m.
Thorpe, who retired in 2016, won five Olympic gold medals, the second most won by any Australian after fellow swimmer Emma McKeon.
He was the most successful athlete at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Thorpe, who came out as gay during an appearance on UK talk show host Michael Parkinson’s program in 2014, was a prominent voice in the 2017 Yes campaign.
He is currently single, with his most publicly acknowledged gay relationship with model and law student Ryan Channing, who died in 2022.
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