Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘are hunting for new estate in California’s Hope Ranch community’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly looking for a new home in a private California community because their existing $14 million mansion “isn’t a good fit for them.”

Rumors circulating around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim the royal couple has outgrown their Montecito mansion and is looking at properties in the nearby Hope Ranch community, where luxury homes fetch as much as $22 million. The Santa Barbara News Press reported.

Hope Ranch is about 10 miles away and has a whole host of luxury amenities including a country club, golf club, tennis court and bridleways.

The News-Press reported that the couple may have already bought a home there, but were unable to confirm a purchase. It is unclear whether the couple wants to buy a larger house than their current mansion, or a smaller house.

While Montecito is home to multiple celebrities, including Katy Perry, Adam Levine, Ellen DeGeneres, and Jennifer Aniston, Hope Ranch’s affluent private neighborhood is said to serve as a quieter community for the royals and their two children.

There is speculation about Harry and Meghan’s desire to move after police install license plate scanning cameras near their mansion amid a rise in crime in the area.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly planning to ditch their Montecito home (above), just as police reported the installation of new security cameras to fight the rampant crime

The small but affluent community of Hope Ranch (above) has a country club, golf club, tennis courts, picnic areas, and a network of member-only horse trails.

In an email to residents, including the Duke and Duchess, the Montecito Association said the cameras were being installed “in response to the high-level property crime we have recently witnessed,” the Montecito Association reported. The sun.

“The crimes are committed by sophisticated theft gangs outside the region,” the email continued.

Harry and Meghan reportedly had their own fears in May, when police were alerted to two intruders at their home over a 12-day period when the family was believed to be home.

According to police records, an intruder was reported to Meghan and Harry’s home on their wedding anniversary, May 19, at 5:44 p.m.

Less than two weeks later, on May 31 at 3:21 p.m. – just hours before the couple was due to take a private jet to Britain for the Queen’s platinum jubilee, another intruder was reported.

According to The Sun, Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff Craig Bonner told locals in an online meeting that authorities were having “problems with professional burglars.”

“We want these cameras to work as quickly as possible to capture these people as they come and go from the area,” Bonner told residents.

Montecito police install solar-powered cameras, costing $2,500, to see who is around when a crime is reported. The royal couple recently witnessed two break-ins at their townhouse in the community

Hope Ranch has mansions worth up to $22 million in affluent community

Hope Ranch residents also have access to their own private beach along the shoreline

Given the crime wave in the area, Harry and Meghan may instead choose to move to a safe neighborhood while staying in Santa Barbara.

The unincorporated village of Hope Ranch has approximately 2,200 residents, according to the US Census.

The small but affluent community has a country club, golf club, tennis courts, picnic areas, and a members-only network of horse trails, with approximately 10 percent of the population owning their own horses.

Hope Ranch residents also have access to their own private beach and hiking trails.

Harry and Meghan bought their existing home in June 2020, four months after the so-called ‘Megxit’ deal that saw them leave the royal family.

Since then, they’ve signed deals with Netflix and Spotify for a total reportedly $135 million, with Harry also queuing for an additional $20 million to publish his autobiography.

Reports suggest the prince is eager to edit the book after his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, died last month at the age of 96 and his father Charles ascended to the throne.