Curse of $30m ‘Netflix mansion’ where Meghan and Harry declared war on the Royal Family… as owner takes drastic action to sell it

This is the property Harry and Meghan have chosen as they prepare to drop explosive ‘truth bombs’ on the Royal Family. But now, as the Montecito mansion remains on the market for years but remains unsold – despite a price cut of more than $3 million – property watchers are beginning to wonder: Did the Sussexes curse the ‘Netflix House’ where they took a chainsaw to the Windsors?

When the Sussexes were filming the tell-all docuseries called Harry & Meghan in 2022, the couple did not use their own home as a set. Instead, they took refuge in another 13,000-square-foot residence on two acres with a large swimming pool in front, owned by another Montecitan.

The duke made a series of claims from a sofa there, insisting that his decision to marry Meghan separated him from his family because it ‘came from his heart’ and not because it ‘fit the mould’.

Meghan spoke about the formality of the royal family and said: ‘I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realize this was truly traumatic for many Brits.

‘I think I began to understand very quickly that the formalities on the outside were reflected on the inside.’

Describing the ‘surreal’ moment he first met the Queen, he went on to recall his own efforts to follow royal protocol; she performed a highly exaggerated bow in front of an awkward-looking Prince Harry, which many viewers felt was a profound disrespect for the monarch.

The ‘Netflix house’ they rented to film their docuseries is still on the market for just under $30 million

The docuseries was a huge ratings hit for Netflix, but the property where it was filmed is still up for sale.

The home was first listed for sale in August 2021 for $33.5 million but was removed a month later. It was relisted in March 2022 at the same price.

‘Harry & Meghan’ was released in December 2022 and was taken off the market again after six months when it did not sell.

It returned in April 2024 with a $3.5 million cut, more than ten percent, and is still listed at $29,995,000.

“We came close to selling it multiple times,” broker Ryan Malmsten recently told the San Francisco Chronicle. ‘For whatever reason, the buyer in question chose something else.

‘Nowadays, buyers want much less square metres. They will pay the same money, but they want a smaller house. This is a big challenge.”

Montecito home values ​​explode between 2020 and 2022

The eight-square-mile town is home to 9,000 residents

A beach near the Rosewood Hotel in Montecito, California

While some have suggested that its connection to the Sussexes may have given the house a certain notoriety, there is no doubt that asking prices for some other mansions in Montecito have also slowed.

Not far away, another property recently sold for half its original price.

Described as the ‘authentic Montecito’, the century-old residence has a square swimming pool, seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms and even a four-storey tower.

First listed in October 2023 for $33 million, it went through four price cuts in the last two years and finally sold last month for $17.25 million.

Interiors were ‘ready for a new chapter’, according to a local report.

But the sale was one of several signals that the region’s red-hot real estate market, precipitated by what was once dubbed the Meghan Effect, may be running out of steam.

Prince Harry and Meghan live in a $29 million mansion in Montecito, California, that has doubled in value since they bought it five years ago.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the Netflix docuseries, released in 2022 and filmed in Montecito

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared on One805 Live! Event held at Kevin Costner’s Santa Barbara polo field in September to honor first responders

Other famous residents of the Montecito area include Oprah Winfrey

Harry and Meghan took out a mortgage to buy their nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mega-mansion for $14.65 million in 2020.

Since then, they have benefited from one of the busiest local real estate booms in America. Their home has doubled in value and is estimated at $29 million by real estate sites.

But according to local real estate agents, ‘buyers are adjusting their budgets’ and sellers are being told to ‘price based on today’s reality, not last spring’s wish’.

In October, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine unloaded his massive nearby estate, built for actor Rob Lowe in 2009, for $5 million less than the asking price.

Still, Levine made an $8 million profit after three years of ownership.

Not far from Sussex, another English mansion-inspired property was listed for sale in February for $36.5 million. It was removed in August and then relisted with a $1.6 million deduction.

Overall, the real estate market in Montecito is a mixed bag.

It has soared following the pandemic and is now 80 per cent higher than when Sussex bought it in mid-2020.

However, average home values ​​have remained relatively stable for the past three years.

That figure rose to $5.2 million from $2.8 million in 2020, according to Zillow.

Average values ​​increased by only 2.3 percent last year, but this is still above the national average.

According to Redfin, the average sales price in October was $7.8 million, a 42.7 percent increase from last year. But the average listing was spending 183 days on the market, compared to 66 days in 2024.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sit in the eighth inning during Game 4 of the baseball World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Los Angeles.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen leaving Kris Jenner’s 70th birthday party at Jeff Bezos’ home in Beverly Hills

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in an episode of their Netflix show With Love, Meghan, filmed in Montecito

In January, estate agents were rejoicing over a surge in sales, with an ‘unheard of’ 25 properties changing hands that month.

Real estate agent Mark Ashton Hunt wrote in the Montecito Journal: ‘Top prices were generally paid for those offered… and a whopping six homes sold for over $10 million, four of which were at or above $20 million’.

He said those sales were unrelated to the devastating wildfires that broke out in January about 100 miles down the coast from Montecito.

At that time, the Duke and Duchess opened the doors of their estate to friends and loved ones who had to be evacuated.

The market has calmed down since January and there are long-term challenges.

According to a local real estate agent, the period between 2020 and 2022 was probably the best possible period, with multiple offers for each sale and bidding wars over the asking price.

It remains unclear whether this is due to the pandemic, the Meghan Effect, or both.

Still, celebrities will always be impressed by the privacy offered by the eight-square-mile community of 9,000 people north of Los Angeles.

Residents can even look forward to the upcoming arrival of a new Nobu restaurant.

Harry and Meghan at a pumpkin patch with their children during the Halloween season

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on her show With Love

The Duchess at her show filmed in Montecito

However, according to a real estate agent in the area, ‘price growth is moderate compared to previous years’ and ‘while demand continues, buyers are being more cautious, influenced by economic conditions and interest rates.

‘Buyers are adjusting their budgets and many are looking for homes under $5 million, which affects the high-end market differently than mid-range homes.’

Another is to advise sellers to ‘be prepared to make reasonable concessions that will keep a qualified buyer at the table.’

Of the 27 local properties listed in September, 16 adjusted their prices to meet available comparable options.

There is no indication that Harry and Meghan intend to sell their home and leave Montecito. But if they decide they want to, now might not be the best time if they hope to maximize profits. However, given that Harry’s feud with his brother shows no signs of abating and even his father King Charles is keeping his distance from him, it seems unlikely that the couple will be planning a permanent return to the UK any time soon.