Gemma Ward offloads unrenovated Avalon Beach investment shack

Gemma Ward offloads unrenovated Avalon Beach investment shack
Title TattleDecember 7, 2020

Australian model Gemma Ward has quickly sold her clifftop Avalon Beach investment property.

The unrenovated shack featured in the news around the world when the tenant, hairdresser Lanell Latta, was murdered in the home last month.

Latta had been renting the home with her partner and two sons when Ward bought the house in June last year.

Latta's youngest son, Joel Woszatka, stands accused of the murder. 

When Ward bought the two bedroom home on the 1,1000 square metre oceanfront block it came with approved plans to build a "dream home", designed by award-winning northern beaches architect Atelier Haefeli.

There were plans for a four bedroom Hampton-style residence with separate study, multiple informal and formal living areas, pool and lift access.

But any designs for the project ended when it was listed for sale by Ward and her photographer husband David Letts.

She's not make a profit out of the unrenovated property - they're happy to take a pre-auction offer of $1.65 million, just four days into its marketing.

They paid $1.6 million last year through Pacific First National agent Steve Crooks, who also sold the home this time round.

The couple were splitting their time between Newport and Byron Bay.

Two years ago Letts paid $1.6 million for a Suffolk Park home.

The three bedroom beach home is bordered by dense trees, shielding it from Tallow Beach which can be accessed via a sandy track.

The couple have two children after Gemma gave birth to baby number two earlier this year.

Baby boy Jet Ocean joins three year old Hawaiian born daughter Naia in the Ward clan.

From Perth, Ward made her Australian Fashion Week debut at only 15 years old and went on to become the youngest model to appear on the American edition of Vogue

In 2007, Ward earned $3 million from her doll-face looks, to be ranked by Forbes magazine as the 10th most highly paid model in the world. 

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