Recently listed Gene Hackman compound offers ‘elegant simplicity,’ builder says

Legendary actor Gene Hackman’s Santa Fe compound has hit the market nearly a year after he and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died at the home.

The property, which offers a total of six bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, listed for nearly $6.3 million one week ago, said Tara Earley, the associate broker responsible for the listing along with Ricky Allen. The pair are managing partners of the Ricky Allen & Tara Earley Real Estate Group, which operates under Sotheby’s International Realty.

The picturesque compound offers 13,000 square feet of living space across three separate structures, including a 8,813-square-foot two-level main residence, 2,367-square-foot guest house and 1,824-square-foot studio. The property sits on roughly 53 acres in a gated community within the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, just 15 minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza, the listing says.

“It’s spectacular,” Earley said of the property, touting its expansive views.

Hackman — a two-time Oscar winner well known for acting in titles including “Runaway Jury,” “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven — lived in the home with Arakawa, a classical pianist, for more than two decades.

The pair commissioned renowned architect Ed Boniface and builder Doug McDowell, both locally based, to construct the compound in the late 1990s, according to McDowell. He said construction was completed in the early 2000s.

“It was a really challenging lot and it was very difficult to build on, but Gene and Betsy were just really wonderful people to work with,” McDowell said. “They were very open to ideas, brought new ones to the table and were really respectful of all the people that worked on the job.”

McDowell said the couple brought on many local craftspeople to incorporate natural elements throughout the home — including stone, plaster and flooring — resulting in a blend of traditional and contemporary Santa Fe style.

“It has a real elegant simplicity to it,” McDowell said.

Hackman often used the property’s studio for painting, and Arakawa had two concert pianos in the same space, Earley added.

“They embraced Santa Fe, in that particular location, for its privacy and for the pursuit of their artistic talent,” Earley said.

The compound made headlines in February 2025 when Hackman, Arakawa and one of their dogs were found dead there after maintenance workers called neighborhood security following days of not hearing from the couple.

It was later determined that Arakawa, 65 at the time, died of hantavirus and 95-year-old Hackman died days later of complications of severe heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

While notable, Earley said the famous couple and their deaths have not influenced the marketing of the home or its price.

“We’ve marketed it on the virtues of the home itself. Certainly, it’s unfortunate … but there are people (who) do die in their homes,” Earley said. “When there is death in a home, it will bother some people, and it makes no difference to others. Given the number of showings that we have had, it doesn’t seem to be a barrier.”

Sotheby’s is vetting potential buyers to make sure they are serious, Earley said. So far, interested parties seem to be drawn in by the property’s acreage, forest environment, views, studio space and ability to offer multigenerational living, Earley said.

The compound isn’t short of grand features, including an entertainer’s kitchen, library, gym, game room, media room, outdoor pool, enclosed hot tub with city views, wine cellar, wet bar, several fireplaces and a putting green.

Much of the property blends indoor and outdoor living through the use of steel, natural stone and floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Earley said the ideal buyer is someone who will embrace Santa Fe as much as Hackman and Arakawa did.

“Somebody that appreciates privacy but proximity to the plaza. Somebody that appreciates nature, serenity and views,” Earley said. “We’re very optimistic. This is a unique, one-of-a-kind property, and we’re hoping for a really quick sale.”

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.