NRL star Nathan Cleary buys Penrith home
Having signed a five year contract extension at the Penrith Panthers, young NRL star Nathan Cleary has bought a home in the area.
The half-back, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Wednesday, paid $1.05 million for an updated 1970s home just five kilometres from Penrith Stadium.
Cleary has benefited from the decline in the Sydney housing market, paying $150,000 less than its initial asking price.
It came with $1.2 million hopes, before price reductions on the four bedroom home saw it sold after 100 days on the market through PRD Nationwide Penrith agent Daniel Latty.
The home has been updated since last traded for $628,000 in 2012, just as the five year city-wide house boom began.
The home comes with new kitchen and bathroom.
There's a formal lounge with a feature fireplace and a family room which opens onto the raised alfresco that overlooks the pool.
Cleary, who's been briefly up to Bali for an off-season holiday, has been living at home with his parents, Ivan and Rebecca.
He was entering the final season of his contract before he signed on the dotted line in September.
He dispelled rumours that staying at the Panthers had anything to do with the hiring of his dad as head coach, who left the Wests Tigers to take over the role from Anthony Griffin.
"It's got nothing to do with my old man, I was happy to make the decision by myself," he said in a recent Fox Sports interview.
"I don't think I ever thought I was going to leave even with what was going on."
Ivan Cleary won't necessarily need to crash in one of his son's four bedrooms after late night games.
The coach retains a four bedroom home at Leonay which was bought in October 2013 for $1,175,000 during his first stint at the helm of the Panthers who he took over following five years at the New Zealand Warriors.
He also bought at Newport last year after upsizing from nearby.
Cleary and Rebecca paid $2.3 million for the home of professional surfer Ozzie Wright, before demolishing the three bed property and build a brand new $880,000 home with pool on the 525 square metre elevated parcel with ocean views.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
