This is the sprawling California estate snapped up by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – making them neighbors with celebs Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
Santa Barbara property documents show the sprawling nine-bedroom and 16-bathroom mansion in upscale Montecito was bought on June 18 for an eye-watering $14,650,000. The 18,000-square-foot home sits on 5.4 acres of land and immaculately clipped hedges border the estate’s stone-pillared entry gates.
According to Zillow, the entrance opens onto a wide lane paved with hand-cut Santa Barbara Stone that leads through a grand archway of trees to the main residence. The main house includes a library, office, spa with a separate dry and wet sauna, gym, game room, arcade, theater, wine cellar and five-car garage.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $14.7million home in Santa Barbara, California
The Sussexes have been living in the Montecito home for six weeks
The home was built in 2003
The estate has sweeping lawns, tiered rose gardens, tall Italian cypress trees, blooming lavender, century old olive trees, a tennis court, tea house, children’s cottage and a pool. It also boasts a two-bed, two-bath guest house, perfect for Meghan’s mother Doria, who is acting as one-year-old Archie’s nanny. Doria has already been to the house, TMZ reports.
According to Zillow, the house has been updated with the latest Lutron lighting systems and Crestron, including iPad control.
The property is located on a private road in a luxury and secluded estate in Montecito. Almost every house in the multi-million dollar neighborhood is designed for privacy, with long driveways and large gates.
Leading luxury real estate broker Jason Streatfeild, who has an office in Montecito, told DailyMail.com Harry and Meghan will fit straight into the community.
The home boasts a tennis court, tea house, children’s cottage and a pool, among other amenities
The sprawling estate sits on 5.4 acres
‘It’s the type of neighborhood where you may not realize who your neighbor is but you really don’t care,’ he said.
‘It’s not unusual to run into Oprah Winfrey at the grocery store or to be sitting next to Ellen DeGeneres for lunch at the Miramar Hotel.
‘It’s a very private and exclusive area, a place where you can escape with an ocean in front of you and the mountains behind you.
‘We’re about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles and about four hours south of San Francisco – a unique south facing coastal community that has the channel islands directly in front of us.
‘We have a wonderful climate, calm waters and it’s just a very laid back health orientated community with plenty to do outdoors.’
Streatfeild, 39, who runs a team of five agents in Montecito for the Douglas Elliman real estate firm, said there’s also plenty of shopping and great places to eat.
‘There are also two small commercial districts filled with wonderful restaurants and high end shops,’ he said.
‘Harry and Meghan coming here will certainly create a buzz, but then we’re used to celebrities here.’
Harry and Meghan’s new home was built in 2003 and sold in 2009 for over $25million
Neighbors told DailyMail.com they had not seen the Sussexes, saying that residents on the private roads often kept to themselves. The former royal couple enjoyed walking in the parks near their previous temporary residence on Vancouver Island, Canada, and their new home is just a few minutes walk away from a canyon trail frequented by hikers lapping up the Southern California sunshine – albeit with COVID-19 face masks.
Property records show Harry and Meghan’s new mansion was built in 2003.
Despite its huge price tag, the house is a steal compared to its previous selling price. A previous owner bought the property in May 2009 for over $25million.
Hoping to turn a profit, it was listed by Sotheby’s six years later for $34.5 million, but had no takers.
Eventually it was relisted for $16,975,000 in January this year, and sold to the Sussexes for $2,325,000 under the asking price.
Page Six reported that the couple have lived in Santa Barbara for the past six weeks.
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