EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Finally Sells Beloved New Orleans Home—for $1.5 Million Under Asking Price

by Charlie Lankston

Actor John Goodman has officially sold his longtime home in New Orleans—but was forced to cut close to $1.5 million from his original asking price to secure a buyer.

Goodman, 73, initially put his historic property on the market in February of this year, listing the four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom abode for $5.45 million.

Two months later, he reduced the price to $4.75 million; then he waited three more months before accepting an offer.

Now, Realtor.com® can reveal that Goodman has closed on the sale, offloading the home for the much lower price of $4 million. The dwelling officially changed hands on Sept. 26.

The "Roseanne" star still walks away with a significant profit from the sale of the home, which he and his wife, Anna Beth Goodman, purchased for $1.8 million in 2005.

EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home On the Market for $5.5 Million
John Goodman has officially sold his New Orleans home for $4 million—around $1.5 million below his original asking price. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
The actor originally put the home on the market in February. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
Goodman and his wife moved to Louisiana in 1989 and bought the dwelling 16 years later, paying $1.8 million for the property, which had previously been owned by musician Trent Reznor. (Realtor.com)

The duo bought the home in an off-market deal from Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and then spent years carefully restoring the home.

The listing description for the home, which was originally built in 1850, highlighted the elegant historic details that had been maintained, as well as the modern upgrades throughout the property.

"Built in the 1850s, this meticulously maintained property features deep double galleries overlooking lush gardens and a gated entry framed by ancient Crepe Myrtles," the description stated.

Jaw-dropping architectural touches inside the home include a sweeping grand staircase, a formal dining room, and an enormous fireplace.

"A chef's kitchen, complete with quartzite countertops, custom cabinetry, and high-end appliances, adds contemporary flair," the listing adds.

The property offers three bedrooms, including a beautiful primary suite. A fourth room, which currently serves as a dressing room, could be converted back into a bedroom.

Outside, residents can enjoy the warm New Orleans weather while lounging on the covered veranda or soaking in the saltwater pool.

It's unclear whether Goodman has already purchased a new home in Louisiana, the state that he moved to in 1989 to "get away from Los Angeles."

EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
The "Roseanne" star and his wife spent years overhauling the home and restoring many of its historic touches. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
"Built in the 1850s, this meticulously maintained property features deep double galleries overlooking lush gardens and a gated entry framed by ancient Crepe Myrtles," the description stated. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
The home boasts four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
It's unclear what prompted Goodman to put the dwelling on the market. (Realtor.com)

Speaking to Garden & Gun magazine in 2014, the actor explained that he had "kind of had it with show business" and wanted to move to a place where the community didn't revolve so heavily around the entertainment industry.

He said that he and his wife were originally considering a move to St. Louis—just a short distance from the Missouri suburb where Goodman was born and raised—but ultimately fell in love with the lifestyle in New Orleans.

"The options were St. Louis or New Orleans. We got as far as buying land in St. Louis," he revealed—before joking that his wife then set about "designing a house that got to be the size of Buckingham Palace.

"I said, 'This ain’t gonna work out.' So we chucked it and bought a haunted house [in Old Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans] instead."

However, the "haunted" property was a touch too spooky for the family, so they opted to move to a new home without a creepy atmosphere.

As for what he loved so much about New Orleans, Goodman credited the lifestyle.

He fell in love with the city when he attended Mardi Gras in 1972 with some friends from college, he said.

"I can watch the tourists go by my front yard, be a zoo animal, read Willie Morris, sip a faux bourbon—in my case a Diet Coke—with some mint leaves," he said.

"No, seriously, it all started in 1972. I came down for Mardi Gras with a group of Sig Eps from Missouri—I went to what’s now called Missouri State. I just flipped for the city, and I’m too lazy to define what it is, exactly. After that, every time I’d get a couple of bucks, I’d go down."

EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
In 2014, he opened up about his decision to move to Louisiana, explaining that he was desperate to get away from Los Angeles. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home On the Market for $5.5 Million
Originally, he and his wife had been looking at building a home in St. Louis, before settling down in the Big Easy. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Puts Historic New Orleans Home on the Market for $5.5 Million
He said he first fell in love with the city in 1972 when he traveled there for his first Mardi Gras. (Realtor.com)
EXCLUSIVE: John Goodman Finds Buyer for Beloved New Orleans Home Afer Major Price Slash
Most recently, Goodman has been living in Charleston, SC, where he was filming "The Righteous Gemstones." (Disney via Getty Images)

Although Goodman has not revealed what prompted him to part ways with the property, its appearance on the market came just a few weeks after his longtime California home was razed by the January wildfires.

The actor had purchased that home, which was located in Pacific Palisades, in 2007 for $4.6 million. It is understood that he used it when he was in Los Angeles for work commitments.

He is reported to have carried out extensive renovations to his L.A. abode, expanding it and adding amenities.

In a June interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Goodman hinted that he had decided to relocate, telling the publication that he was living in Charleston, SC, where "The Righteous Gemstones" was filmed.

He also opened up in further detail about his struggle to get to grips with his fame, noting that he has always "hated" the term "celebrity"—and the attention that comes with it.

"I hated it from Day One because it just made me uncomfortable," he said. "I don’t consider myself a celebrity. It’s an overused word that means nothing now. In the beginning, I was insecure enough that I couldn’t handle things, and it made me defensive.

"In the ’90s, tabloids were very active in setting people up to sell stories, and it made me paranoid. I found a guy with a video camera sleeping outside my house in Encino one day. It was awful because Roseanne [Barr] was a magnet for that stuff, and I got a lot of the residual stuff."

As for whether he plans to return to California, Goodman noted that things are very up in the air—while urging other TV and movie productions to consider filming in South Carolina, rather than in and around Los Angeles.

"Unfortunately, I lost my house in January. My wife has taken care of a lot of that because she’s a lot better at it than I am," he explained. "But eventually, I need to get back there. I don’t know what’s going to happen with filming in Southern California, but people are crazy not to. It’s got everything."

GET MORE INFORMATION

Fred Dinca

Fred Dinca

Realtor® | License ID: 0995708101

+1(318) 408-1008

Name
Phone*
Message