Ash Barty’s South Yarra townhouse stalls at auction, but deal expected soon as auction demand rises

68A Nicholson St, South Yarra - for herald sun real estate

The 68A Nicholson St, South Yarra, of Ash Barty and husband Gary Kissick has passed in at auction, but is expected to get a deal signed soon.

Tennis champion Ash Barty and her pro-golfer husband Gary Kissick were among the homesellers still courting buyers after auctions yesterday.

But the sporting power couple are expected to sign a deal in the coming days, with multiple buyers emerging to pursue the 68A Nicholson St, South Yarra, property they use as a homebase while they’re in Melbourne.

PropTrack figures show it was one of more than 170 homes to pass in yesterday as the city’s clearance rate reached 63.7 per cent from 998 reported results.

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Jellis Craig’s Nathan Waterson is handling the sale for the now retired Australian Open champion Barty and Kissick, as they prepare for their second child.

While two buyers were in attendance as it went under the hammer, Mr Waterson said he was still working on a tie-break with them to get closer to a $1.975m price being sought by the sporting duo.

“It’s a very good home and it’s sensibly priced for that area,” he said.

The South Yarra home has been a home base for the sporting power couple since they bought it shortly after Barty’s retirement.

But they might have to be quick, Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Jacob Caine said the major issue holding buyers back in Melbourne in the past two years had been affordability, but an interest-rate cut with the prospect of more to come was already changing this.

“It was always just a question of affordability, and the rate cut translates into better affordability; that should mean a better market,” Mr Caine said.

“I’m confident we will go up in the next month, it might not be week in, week out, but as an average, that rise will happen.”

However, Real Estate Buyer’s Agents Association of Australia Victorian representative Matthew Scaffidi has predicted the market won’t take off fully until May.

Barty and Kissick’s home away from home has multiple living areas.

Those just preparing to buy a home now were now at risk of “missing the boat” on the best home prices, unless they moved very quickly, he warned.

Belle Property Glen Iris director Steve Burke said there were signs even those who didn’t need a mortgage to buy a home were responding to the interest rate cut.

Mr Burke put 457 Camberwell Rd under the hammer with hopes of a $1.8m-$1.9m sale yesterday, but two sets of buyers looking for a single-level home to downscale into refused to back down and the home sold for $2.125m.