We heard earlier this week that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are planning to move out of their home in Montecito, California, and into a place that is even fancier.
Yes, it looks like the rumors that Meghan and Harry are about to go broke were way off.
Not only are these two making it, but they also want to move up!
Of course, one thing the Sussexes want in their new home is more privacy, and to get that, they’ll have to move to a more remote neighborhood.
They’re looking at one of these places, but it’s not surprising that the people who live there aren’t happy about the idea that their quiet little town might soon become a target for paparazzi.
Hope Ranch, California, is the town in question. Only three of its roads are open to the public.
New information from the New York Post says that Harry and Meghan are interested in a house in Hope Ranch. However, the couple’s future neighbors would prefer that they look elsewhere.
A local realtor who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity said, “The people who called me don’t want change, and they don’t want all the fuss.”
“People are sad, that’s what everyone says. A different realtor says, “They want them to stay in Montecito and not bring that much attention to Hope Ranch.”
The second source says that “locals are worried” that Harry and Meghan might turn their town into “an extension of Montecito.”
In 2021, Harry and Meghan bought the mansion they live in now in Montecito. It cost them $14.5 million.
And soon after that, there were reports of trouble in the quiet beachside community.
Residents who were angry said that the Sussexes’ security team was closing roads and hiking trails to keep the couple’s privacy safe.
“It’s not right to close down streets and other things. “That’s been very upsetting for a small beach town that’s used to being quiet,” an employee of a local shop told the Post.
“You know, people pay a lot to live here.”
People who paid eight figures for huge estates in Hope Ranch are probably very worried about what is going on in Montecito right now.
“Bringing in some very famous people [like Harry and Meghan] would make a huge difference in the area. One former Hope Ranch resident tells the Post, “That’s definitely not what the locals want, and I think the homeowners’ association would fight hard against it.”
“The heads of the HOA are careful to keep it that way and protect privacy, which is Hope Ranch’s biggest draw. We have the only private beach in the area.”
But it sounds like the HOA people will soon have royal neighbors, whether they like it or not.
Even though HOAs have a lot of power in the most expensive neighborhoods in the U.S., they are no match for a couple of rich royals.
So the nice people of Hope Ranch might as well get used to the idea that a duke and duchess will soon be staying there.
How many towns in California can say that?