Gene Hackman estate in new hands after swift sale

It didn’t take long for the Santa Fe estate belonging to the late film legend Gene Hackman to find a buyer.

The property — a 53-acre estate with 13,000 square feet of living space across a two-level main residence, guest house and studio — hit the market for nearly $6.3 million in January. It was on the market for only eight days before going under contract — a transaction that was finalized last week.

Tara Earley and Ricky Allen of Sotheby’s International Realty were responsible for the listing.

“We’re very proud,” Allen said.

The swift sale wasn’t a surprise to the Realtors, who cited the property’s quality. However, Earley said eight days is “very unusual” for the luxury Santa Fe market. During its brief availability, the property had 12 showings and received two offers. The one that was accepted presented “various better terms,” Allen said.

The Realtors declined to share what the property sold for, nor the buyer’s identity. Information from the Santa Fe County assessor’s website indicates that the new owner has another address in Texarkana, Texas.

The buyer has some familiarity with the Santa Fe area, Earley said. She’s not sure what exactly convinced the buyer to purchase the property, but said she imagines its acreage, views and quality living space all played a role.

The Realtors are not aware of the buyer’s plans for the property, which also offers 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.

The sellers were GeBe Trust and The Estate of Betsy Arakawa Hackman, representing the late actor and his wife, a classical pianist. The pair — who had the six-bedroom, 10-bathroom home built in the late 1990s and had lived there ever since — were found dead at the property a year ago.

It was determined that Arakawa, 65 at the time, died of a rodent-borne disease known as hantavirus and 95-year-old Hackman died of complications of severe heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The home’s eerie ties didn’t appear to deter people, Earley said, adding it received “really good activity” for its price point.

“I can tell you that the seller was very pleased with how the transaction closed,” Earley said.

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