Melbourne comedian Santo Cilauro buys in Byron
The trend of Melburnians buying in Byron Bay continues. The latest is the South Melbourne-based comedian turned producer Santo Cilauro.
Best known for his portrayal of Geoffrey Slater, the weatherman in the ABC comedy series Frontline, Cilauro has paid $2.2 million for a retreat, set within the private compound The Villas of Byron.
The project is the brainchild of local tourism entrepreneur Sein Lowry and his interior stylist wife and creative director Taliah Lowry, where cottages have been used as holiday lets with net incomes exceeding $80,000 annually.
Cilauro’s two-bedroom home with a separate home office is set in lush tropical rainforest.
The open-plan living area opens to the courtyard with pool.
First National Byron Bay agents Su Reynolds and Luke Elwin secured the sale, with CoreLogic indicating the contracts were formally exchanged in August.
There are normally around 80 house sales every year at Byron Bay, which has 45 properties currently for sale.
The tourist town has recorded a $1.5 million median house price over recent months, up on the $1.3 million during 2019, according to realestate.com.au.
Based on five years of sales, Byron Bay has seen a compound growth rate of 8 per cent for houses and 5 per cent for units.
The latest prestige Byron Bay offering fronts Wategos Beach, the retreat of the Mosman headhunter, Geoff Morgan, co-founder of recruitment firm Morgan & Banks, and his wife Ros.
The dress circle 664sqm Marine Parade property, tipped to fetch more than $20 million, last traded in 1994 at $1.24 million. It was built with recycled one-hundred-year-old timber.
This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph
