The stunning compound of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa could sell for far beyond its official worth. Gene died at the age of 95 at his mansion in Santa Fe, New Mexico, while Betsy was just 65, in February.
What will happen to Gene’s £62 million estate is still being figured out after a catch meant everything could go to charity rather than his children, but his compound is considered likely to go on the market.
Gene and Betsy died in a gated community, in the very same home they designed together. The duo worked together to bring different cultural influences in the house and decided on details such as paint and furniture themselves.
Gene and Betsy’s work even landed them a feature in the Architectural Digest in 1990, showing off the idyllic home they’d built together on top of a hill, with acres of land. When police discovered their bodies on February 26, the home was far from its glossy past – with rodents and mess having overtaken – but this apparently won’t turn off prospective buyers.
According to a property expert, the Santa Fe compound is worth around $3.8 million to $4 million, but people drawn in by its celebrity past could boost the price to a healthy £5 million.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a property agent gushed over the “big, stylish” home, and remarked: “Even though two people passed away in the house, there will still be plenty of offers.”
They added that the lure of Gene Hackman having lived in the house would only boost the selling price, despite the tragedy of his and Betsy’s deaths within its walls.
The agent didn’t seem to mention the current state of the property, which looked very different in comparison to its Architectural Digest spread. One week after the discovery of Gene and Betsy’s bodies, the New Mexico Department of Public Health carried out a full inspection of the property and found it in a harrowing condition.
Rats were a major problem, with rodent nests, faeces, and carcasses were discovered across eight separate buildings on the estate. Inspectors also found evidence of rodents inside two vehicles, along with traps throughout the outbuildings, suggesting the issue was long-running.
The state of the house may have tragically led to Betsy’s early death. It was concluded that Betsy had died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome; a rare condition spread via rodent droppings and urine.
One source spoke of what was discovered within the house, describing it as a “mess.” They shared: “The inside of the house was shocking.
“They didn’t have a housekeeper or a maid, so it had beautiful things – furniture and paintings – but there was dog poop on the floor. The inside of the house was bad. Nothing had been dusted. There was nothing in the fridge.”
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