Gene Hackman’s New Mexico Home Sells for $6.3 Million

The late actor and his wife’s personal items were removed before the house was listed, according to the listing agents.

The house owned by actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa in Santa Fe, N.M., on Feb. 27, 2025. Roberto E. Rosales/AP Photo

The late actor Gene Hackman’s Santa Fe, New Mexico, compound sold just days after it was put on the market for $6.25 million—less than a year after he and his wife were found dead inside the secluded estate, according to Realtor.com.

The 53-acre compound located in the gated neighborhood is located on a hilltop northeast of the historic downtown plaza and north of the Ten Thousand Waves Japanese spa, with panoramic views from the Jemez Mountains to Colorado.

The property includes two adjacent parcels and was listed on Jan. 16. Records show a contingent offer was accepted Jan. 27, meaning several conditions must be met before the deal can close, according to Realtor.com.

The couple purchased the six-bedroom, 10-bath property on Old Sunset Trail in the Santa Fe Summit community in the 1990s. The home featured iconic Santa Fe architecture, with flat roofs, earth-toned stucco walls, log posts, and natural stone fireplaces.

The indoor-outdoor, high-desert estate also has a guest house, yoga studio, pool, hot tub, putting green, and six-car garage, according to its listing.

The 95-year-old award-winning Hollywood actor and his pianist wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65, were found dead by maintenance workers in the home on Feb. 26, 2025.

Authorities suspect Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome several days before Hackman, who had Alzheimer’s. Hackman is suspected of dying from heart disease and was possibly not aware of his wife’s death.

Their dog was also found dead in the home, possibly of dehydration.

Listing agents Tara Earley and Ricky Allen of Sotheby’s International Realty said the couple’s personal items were removed before it was listed.

They also noted they were aware the property’s tragic history might deter some buyers, so they didn’t add the usual celebrity premium to the home’s price, according to Realtor.com.

“There will be some buyers that are just averse to purchasing a property where a death has occurred,” Earley said. “There are other buyers for whom that doesn’t matter. We are selling the property on its virtues and all of the positives. We just priced it based on what we felt was the fair market value.”

Hackman had lived in “The City Different,” as it’s known to some locally, since the 1980s, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican, and was one of several A-list celebrities to call it home.

Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2003. Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo

Val Kilmer, who died at 65 on April 1, 2025, lived on 27 acres about 30 miles east of Santa Fe in Tesuque from the 1990s to 2011.

Other famous stars who live in northern New Mexico include Shirley MacLaine, Ali MacGraw, Julia Roberts, and George R.R. Martin.