Gene Hackman’s old compound in New Mexico is expected to hit the market for $US6.25 million ($9.3 million), nearly a year after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in the home.
Authorities discovered the bodies of the 95-year-old Hollywood legend and his pianist wife, 65, in the sprawling Santa Fe estate on February 26. Broker reports.
Forensic experts later determined that the duo likely died about a week apart.
Arakawa was found to have died on or around February 11 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a very rare disease spread by infected rat feces or saliva.
Hackman is said to have died on February 18 from heart disease with complications from Alzheimer’s disease Associated press.
The couple had led a very private life on their 53-acre estate, which Hackman purchased in the 1990s, and made very few public appearances in the final years of their lives.
They lived in the house together during their marriage.
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Gene Hackman’s old New Mexico compound will hit the market nearly a year after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in the home. Photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage
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The Hollywood legend and his wife had lived on the 53-acre estate for decades. Image: Google Earth
Listing agents Tara S. Earley and Ricky Allen of Sotheby’s International Realty told the story Wall Street Journal that the couple’s personal effects have all since been removed from the estate, which has been professionally staged for their inclusion.
The agents told the outlet that they are aware that the property’s tragic past may deter some potential buyers, noting that for that reason they had not added the usual celebrity premium to the home’s asking price.
“There will be some buyers who are simply averse to purchasing a property where a death has occurred,” Ms. Earley noted.
“There are other buyers for whom that doesn’t matter. We are selling the property based on its virtues and all the positive aspects.
“We just priced it based on what we thought was the fair market value.”
Ms. Earley and Mr. Allen are also taking steps to ensure that listing the property is not seen as an outlet for morbid curiosity, noting that they will carefully vet all parties interested in viewing the home in person.
The agents told the Wall Street Journal that they are aware that the property’s tragic past may deter some potential buyers. Photo: Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department
According to the agents, Hackman and Arakawa had slowly built up the complex over the years, adding a three-bedroom main home and a studio space.
The estate includes a three-bedroom guesthouse, putting green, swimming pool and hot tub, as well as dozens of acres of wooded land.
Ms Earley noted that the property will require some maintenance, including the addition of a new roof, which will be covered by Hackman’s estate, which is managing the sale of his home.
However, the property has undergone some updates and upgrades over the many years the couple lived there, with the Journal noting that it has several modern design features, including floor-to-ceiling windows that highlight the home’s beautiful surroundings.
Attorney Julia L. Peters is overseeing the administration of Hackman and Arakawa’s estate.
It is currently unclear whether the actor left anything to his three children – Christopher, Elizabeth and Leslie – whom he shared with his first wife, Faye Maltese.
The couple’s personal belongings, some of which can be seen in a police photo, have been removed from the estate. Photo: Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department
Previously estranged from his children, Hackman confessed that his commitment to his Hollywood career had put a strain on their relationship.
“It’s hard being the son or daughter of a celebrity. I couldn’t always be at home with them growing up, and when they lived in California they always had my success hanging over their heads,” he said in a 2000 interview with the Irish Independent.
However, it was believed that he had privately reconciled with his children in the last years of his life.
Despite retreating from the public eye, Hackman and Arakawa were well-liked in their local community in the gated community of Summit, where their property is located.
For example, Hackman, who had a passion for art outside of his on-screen career, regularly visited the local Artisan art store to stock up on materials for his latest creative projects.
“The Hackmans hugged Santa Fe, and Santa Fe hugged them,” Ms. Earley said. “You saw them around town and they weren’t treated like celebrities.”
The couple was found on February 26 in the main home of the estate. Photo: Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department
Hackman said Architectural summary that he quickly fell in love with Santa Fe and described the area as having “a kind of magic about it.”
After purchasing the home, the actor opted to renovate it, telling the outlet that he preferred to “interpret what is already there” rather than demolish it to make way for a new home.
“It’s like being an actor. I interpret what’s already there. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I think I like the process, and when it’s over, it’s over,” he told the outlet.
Hackman worked with Harry Daple and Stephen Samuelson of Santa Fe firm Studio Arquitectura to completely renovate his home.
Samuelson told AD at the time: “The house was awful. It was a 1950s log building that had been vacant and fallen into disrepair. But it was a great location and the foundation was well placed on the land.”
Hackman and Arakawa wanted to make the property more welcoming, so they demolished the blocking walls and added French doors that allowed natural light to flood in.
Hackman was very involved in the renovation and when his filming schedule prevented him from being on site, Arakawa would call him to inform him of the changes.
Mr. Samuelson described Hackman as a “very committed customer, very artistic, very interested in details.”
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According to the real estate agent, some repairs are needed to the house. Photo: Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department
Hackman and Arakawa “were not interested in recreating native pueblo architecture,” he added.
“It’s not purist at all. It’s more primitive, like a barn that has been converted into a house, huge and cozy at the same time.”
Photos released by the local sheriff’s department in the wake of the couple’s deaths also revealed insight into their heartwarming romance, featuring sweet love notes left by Hackman in their home for his wife.
In one of the notes, the Royal Tenenbaums star expressed his gratitude to Arakawa for helping him prepare dinner.
“Good morning. Happy few days after your birthday,” the note said. “I’m still sorry about the dinner and the fact that I had to ask for your help. Although it was appreciated.”
Hackman then signed the message with “Love you and the guys, G” – referring to the couple’s three dogs, one of whom was found dead next to the couple.
A second note included in the series of photos released by local authorities as part of their investigation into Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths included another mention of their pets: “Morning sweet girl, thinking of you and the other little boys. Love, G.”
Parts of this story first appeared in Broker and was republished with permission.
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