It was the hit TV series that brought drama, dark secrets and designer clothes to Wisteria Lane for eight seasons.
But behind the scenes, the leading ladies of Desperate Housewives have been quietly building high-end real estate portfolios, translating their on-screen success into real estate gold.
The series, which aired from 2004 to 2012, was a global phenomenon and its stars earned staggering salaries, which provided the starting point for their shrewd investments.
At the show’s peak, the four main actresses were among the highest paid on television.
According to media reports, Eva Longoria, Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross each earned an estimated US$375,000 ($A572,000) to over US$400,000 ($A610,000) per episode in the later seasons.
Nicollette Sheridan reportedly earned $175,000 per episode before her contract was not renewed.
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Desperate Housewives aired from 2004 to 2012.
Here’s a closer look at the financial success of the show’s cast and their real estate portfolios.
Felicity Huffman (Lynette Scavo)
Felicity Huffman has a net worth of $45 million ($A68 million), with an impressive real estate portfolio.
The award-winning actress and her husband, actor William H. Macy, sold a mountain retreat near Basalt, Colorado for $3.9 million in 2015.
The couple also owns a replica of Huffman’s childhood home in Little Woody Creek, Colorado.
![Desperate Housewives (Monday, June 25, 2007: 8:30 PM): Gaby's engagement party is disrupted by an unexpected announcement.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Felicity Huffman (right) has a net worth of $45 million.
The award-winning actress and her husband, actor William H. Macy, sold a mountain retreat near Basalt, Colorado for $3.9 million in 2015. Photo: real estate agent
When Desperate Housewives ended, the couple bought a five-bedroom house in the Outpost Estate neighborhood of Los Angeles.
They bought the house next door to their Hollywood Hills home, giving them a three-acre property with two main houses. The combined plot is worth $8-10 million ($A12 -$A15 million).
The couple also owns a replica of Huffman’s childhood home in Little Woody Creek, Colorado. Image: supplied
The combined complex in Hollywood Hills is worth $8 to $10 million. Image: Google
Huffman became the center of scandal in 2019 when she was arrested in connection with the US college admissions scandal.
The scandal involved celebrities and other wealthy Americans who used their wealth to bypass the college admissions process and buy their children into the country’s top schools.
Huffman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and spent two weeks in jail.
Ricardo Chavira, the on-screen husband of Eva Longoria on Desperate Housewives, made headlines after publicly claiming that Huffman’s short prison sentence was an example of “white privilege.”
Eva Longoria (Gabrielle Solis)
With a net worth of $80 million ($A122 million), Eva Longoria has made a name for herself as a savvy real estate investor.
In 2015, the actress bought a Hollywood Hills complex for US$11.4 million (US$17.3 million), previously owned by Tom Cruise, and sold it in 2020 for US$8.2 million (US$12.5 million).
She also owns a gated residence in Zuma Beach, Malibu, purchased in 2008 for $US2.5 million ($A3.8 million), and a property in San Antonio where her charity, Eva’s Heroes, is based.
The Young and the Restless alum bought a mansion in Beverly Hills in 2017 for $13.5 million ($A20.5 million). It hit the market in 2023 for almost US$23 million ($35 million).
She later lowered the price to $18.98 million ($A30 million) in May 2024.
Despite her success, Longoria claims she endured a tough team on set during her Desperate Housewives era.
Eva Longoria (left) has made a name for herself as a smart real estate investor.
The Young and the Restless alum’s Beverly Hills mansion hit the market in 2023 for almost $23 million ($35 million).
In a letter supporting Felicity Huffman during a 2019 lawsuit, Longoria revealed that she was bullied for years by another cast member.
She further claimed that Huffman intervened to stop the bullying, although the bully’s identity was never revealed.
More recently, Longoria traded her American life for a life in Spain and Mexico. The actress made the move at the end of 2024, after the election of Donald Trump
When Trump won the 2024 presidential election, the Desperate Housewives actress declared she was “done” with living in “dystopian” America and would officially live full-time in Spain and Mexico.
At the time, the Hollywood star told Marie Claire that she had “escaped” the country where she had lived for almost five decades and will now live full-time with her husband José Bastón and their six-year-old son at their properties in Central America and Europe.
Teri Hatcher (Susan Mayer)
Teri Hatcher has a significant net worth of US$50 million ($75 million), largely derived from her acting career.
In 2000, the Lois & Clark star snapped up a house in Studio City, California for $1.5 million ($A2.2 million).
The three-bedroom home features a private courtyard, outdoor kitchen, pool and spa.
In 2018, the Golden Globe winner turned real estate into an income stream. She put the fully furnished apartment up for rent for $25,000 to $30,000 ($A38,000 to $A45,000) per month.
Teri Hatcher (right) has maintained a significant net worth of $50 million.
In 2000, the Lois & Clark star snapped up a house in Studio City, California for $1.5 million. Image: real estate agent
But Hatcher’s success on Desperate Housewives came at the expense of her public image after reports of significant disagreements with numerous other cast members.
Multiple sources state that Hatcher did not get along with many of her co-stars, a claim ultimately supported by the fact that the other actresses excluded Hatcher from a parting gift to the crew.
Marcia Cross (Bree Van de Kamp)
Marcia Cross has a net worth of $20 million ($A30.5 million) but has kept her assets private.
While details of her real estate sales are scarce, the Melrose Place alum was last reported to have moved into a home in west Los Angeles in 2007.
Marcia Cross (right) has a net worth of $20 million.
Nicollette Sheridan (Edie Britt)
Nicollette Sheridan amassed a net worth of $25 million ($A38 million).
In 2008, the Knots Landing alum and then-fiancée Michael Bolton bought a mansion in Hidden Hills, California for $US1.3 million ($A1.9 million).
Nicollette Sheridan (right) amassed a net worth of $25 million ($A38 million).
In 2008, the Knots Landing alum and then-fiancé Michael Bolton purchased a mansion in Hidden Hills, California for $1.3 million. Image: real estate agent
Sheridan kept the home after their split, which reportedly happened just two days after they finally moved into the house together.
The estate remained the actress’s primary home. She put the house up for sale in 2023 for $US16 million ($A24 million).
The TV star sold the home again earlier this year for US$12.9 million ($19.6 million).
Sheridan was the only main cast member not to appear in the entire series, with her character being killed off in the fifth season after her contract was not renewed.
She later filed a $20 million (AUD$31 million) lawsuit against series creator Marc Cherry, claiming she was fired for reporting him for alleged on-set abuse.
Cherry denied the allegations and the case was dismissed.
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