FROM a famous family of YouTube stars to former Miss Universe Jen Hawkins, we take a look back at where big names from Newcastle bought and sold in 2023:
The Norris Nuts' $40 million property spending spree
YouTube fame is certainly paying off for The Norris Nuts.
The family from Newcastle, comprising former Olympic bronze medallist swimmer Justin Norris, his wife Brooke and their six children Sabre, Sockie, Biggy, Naz, Disco and Charm, have splashed huge sums on property in Newcastle and Sydney.
After snapping up a six-bedroom home in North Bondi in October last year for a whopping $15.2 million, documents now reveal a company name held by the Norris family dropped $10.5 million in November 2022 on a block of six flats on the same street.
If that still wasn't enough, it is understood that the family recently splurged another huge amount on a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home next to the six-bedroom home they bought in North Bondi last year.
The house was marketed for sale with a $14.2 million price tag by Ric Serrao of Raine & Horne.
In addition to their Sydney property portfolio, the family also own a string of homes around Newcastle.
Jen Hawkins and Jake Wall's impressive property empire
The Norris family are not the only Novocastrians climbing high on the property ladder.
Former Miss Universe winner-turned-savvy property developer Jennifer Hawkins and her husband Jake Wall are in the process of completing one of their latest projects - a $30 million mega-mansion.
The luxury three-level build on 3300 square metres of prime oceanfront property at Whale Beach near Sydney is being overseen by Jake Wall's building company J Group Projects who constructed the couple's previous two homes.
The build is the largest oceanfront estate on Sydney's Northern Beaches and comes after the couple paid $6.95 million in 2020 for the property which was once owned by legendary opera singer, Dame Joan Sutherland.
The original 1950s home has been demolished to make way for a multi-level mansion that will include a half-sized basketball court, an infinity pool and a four-car garage.
The cashed-up pair have reportedly sold the high-end property to an undisclosed buyer for the eye-watering sum of around $30 million.
In 2020, Hawkins and Wall fetched the highest-ever sale price on the northern beaches at the time after they sold their Newport mansion, dubbed Casa Paloma, for $24.5 million.
It was purchased by Atlassian co-founder and tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes.
The seven-bedroom, English manor-style Terrigal property, which overlooks Avoca Lake, sold off-market as one of the suburb's biggest-ever transactions.
Michelle Bridges pockets $1.5m after selling Southern Highlands estate
NEWCASTLE-raised fitness guru Michelle Bridges finally sold her Southern Highlands estate in August four months after the property was passed in at auction.
The sale price of the sprawling parcel of 4.1 hectares was undisclosed, however, CoreLogic records showed that it sold for $4.2 million on July 31 with Ray White Bowral.
The fitness entrepreneur was reportedly expecting to fetch around $7 million at auction for the five-bedroom, three-bathroom property which would have earned her a profit of $4.3 million.
The price was lowered to $6.5 million, however, it fell even further again with a guide of $5 million.
That figure proved to still be too high to attract a buyer and was dropped again to $4.25 million to $4.45 million.
It was not all bad news for Bridges though as the sale still earned her a profit of $1.5 million.
After purchasing the property for $2.7 million in 2017, Bridges listed the house for sale in February in order to move back to Sydney for work commitments.
Newcastle Knights player Lachlan Fitzgibbon secures Merewether home
Lachlan Fitzgibbon was among the Newcastle Knights stars who snapped up a slice of real estate in Merewether this year.
The back-rower and his partner, Sophie Hanlon, purchased a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home in the beachside suburb for $2.2 million in June.
The couple posted a photo on social media to celebrate the purchase with the caption: 'Here's to making new mems [memories] in our home'.
The purchase followed the $2.25 million sale of the couple's home at 14 Rembrandt Drive, Merewether Heights in March.
The pair undertook an extensive renovation of the original 1980s-era home to transform it into a modern four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a pool and outdoor kitchen.
However, the couple's time in the home was short-lived following reports in July that Fitzgibbon had signed with Warrington Wolves in the UK on a three-year contract.
Tyson Frizell buys Merewether Heights home for growing family
Lachlan Fitzgibbon wasn't the only Newcastle Knights star to buy a home in Merewether this year.
Tyson Frizell and his wife Samantha snapped up a slice of Merewether Heights real estate in May after buying a home to accommodate their growing family.
The couple announced the purchase via their Instagram accounts after posting a picture in front of the sold sign with their two children Axton and Easton with the caption: 'New beginnings (for the 4th time in 2.5 years) at least it's finally our own!'.
The Frizells have since welcomed another son into their family and the 2022 Knights Player of The Year winner has signed a contract to continue playing with the Newcastle Knights in 2024.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house included multiple living areas and an in-ground swimming pool.
The sale price was undisclosed, however, CoreLogic records showed the property last sold in September 2021 for $1.375 million.
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