Bookie Tom Waterhouse's $13 million punt on Balmoral Beach property
The bookmaker Tom Waterhouse has emerged as the confirmed $13 million buyer of a beachfront Balmoral residence.
It was snapped up in October within two weeks of its listing which sought $11 million plus, Property Observer previously reported.
Purchase rumours began after nearby beachfront diners advised sighting the young Waterhouse heading into the property sold by the Woods family in mid-November.
Settlement papers were lodge last week with financing from the ANZ, along with second mortgage finance from TW Securities.
The new Australian head of William Hill's operation has long loved the Balmoral promenade, along with other members of the racing industry family.
The close knit Waterhouse clan started taking bets in 1898.
Waterhouse, who is the fourth generation of Australia's most famous bookmaking family, and wife Hoda, who had their first child daughter Rose in May 2013, were in need of suitable accommodation. They own a prestige duplex apartment on the beach too. It cost $3.5 million in 2008.
It is 918 square metres of terraced tropical gardens with a 1930s home redesigned in the early 1990s by architect builder Ian Reeler.
It was offered through Richardson & Wrench Mosman. Its sale preceded publication as the SMH Domain House of the Week.
Inspectees were told more than $11 million would secure the Wyargine Street, Mosman property that last sold in 1983 for $550,000.
A harbourfront Curraghbeena Road, Mosman, trophy home took Mosman's mantle for 2014's top sale when sold for $16.3 million by Nick Bain, former head of infrastructure at Allco Finance and now chief executive of Graphite Energy, and his wife Katherine.
There were needless concerns anorther prestige nearby Mosman sale was reputedly unlikely to get to settlement after the buyer's share holding value in a publicly listed company tanked since exchanging contracts in early spring, though its late 2014 settlement is now officially recorded.
The media website Mumbrella reported yesterday the Tom Waterhouse brand was set to be wiped out with UK bookmaker William Hill confirming it is launching locally with a $10 million brand push.
Customers for all three of its Australian businesses, Sportingbet, Centrebet and TomWaterhouse.com will be migrated to the William Hill platform. Waterhouse is the Australian boss.