A Celebrity Real Estate Expert Explains Why So Many Celebrities are Moving to the Sun Belt Region
Some celebrities are making moves to the Sun Belt region. Showbiz Cheat Sheet reached out to celebrity real estate expert Ari Rastegar to find out more about this and why the rich and famous are choosing to move to this area of the country.
Celebrities in the Sun Belt region
The Sun Belt is a region made up of 15 states. Some of the states in this region include Alabama, Arizona, southern California, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Texas.
Celebrities who reside within the Sun Belt region include Cardi B (Georgia), Julia Roberts (California and New Mexico), and Sandra Bullock (Georgia and Louisiana). Back in 2019, Cardi B made headlines when she and her husband, Offset, purchased five properties in the Atlanta, Georgia area. (Cardi B also made news when she landed her first Las Vegas residency that same year.)
Why so many celebrities are moving to the Sun Belt
Why are so many celebrities moving to the Sun Belt region? Rastegar, founder of Rastegar Property Company, says this area offers many perks for homebuyers, such as tax advantages. He also says the sunny weather doesn’t hurt, either. A mixture of great weather and financial benefits prompted some stars to pack up and move. Most are relocating from New York and the parts of California located outside the Sun Belt.
“One of the main reasons is getting more bang for your buck and more importantly, the tax advantages,” Rastegar tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet. “So, the two major states in the Sun Belt that people and celebrities are moving to are Texas and Florida. The main cities are Austin, Texas and Miami, Florida. By moving there and having those state income taxes, these celebrities that are typically in New York and California are saving enormous amounts of money just by moving.”
Rastegar adds, “And the house and location in general is much larger and they’re able to have their money go a lot further. That’s the main reason, and also fair-weather climate and a slew of other reasons.”
The top Sun Belt cities
If you’re thinking of following the celebrities and heading for the Sun Belt, you might wonder which areas are best. According to Rastegar, the top Sun Belt cities are Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Phoenix, Arizona. Some of Nashville’s famous residents include Nicole Kidman, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban, and Oprah Winfrey. (Parton revealed the sneaky way her husband makes sure no one lingers outside their house.)
What to consider when relocating to a new city
Rastegar offered a few relocation tips. He says one of the things to consider is whether the new city makes sense for your career.
“You need to make sure if you’re relocating that it still works for your profession,” Rastegar tells us. “A lot of celebrities, certainly actors and musicians, the musicians especially, can work from whatever studio they’re in. This can work if some of the other people they work with in the studios—their sound engineers, etcetera—are able to work with them. But most of that can be done remotely. And the actors, when they have to be on set, they move to go on set.”
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