EXCL: Josh Duhamel Looks Set to Quit California as He Lists Encino Home

Hollywood star Josh Duhamel appears to be parting ways with his life in Los Angeles and dedicating himself to living full-time at his off-grid Minnesota cabin after listing his longtime California home for $2.99 million.

Duhamel, 53, who recently welcomed his second child with wife Audra Mari, purchased the ranch-style dwelling in Encino for $2.65 million in 2017 and it has served as his family’s West Coast base ever since.

However, in recent years, the “Ransom Canyon” star has been spending far more time at his other dwelling: an off-grid “doomsday prepper” cabin in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, having revealed just a few weeks ago that he was hoping to one day live at the remote property full-time.

Now, it seems he is taking one step closer to that dream, putting his four-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom “contemporary single-story home” on the market, more than two years after offering it up as a $15,000-a-month rental.

Though not quite as immersed in the natural world as Duhamel’s cabin, the Los Angeles dwelling does offer its own impressive array of amenities and features, the most spectacular of which are arguably the jaw-dropping “panoramic jetliner and mountain views that create a spectacular backdrop from nearly every angle,” according to the listing.

The property, which sits on just over a third of an acre, also boasts several very impressive outdoor features, including a glittering pool, a spa, a fire pit, a built-in BBQ area, and a private sauna—as well as several entertaining spaces, with ample room for relaxing and dining under the sky.

Inside, an expansive open floor plan and enormous walls of windows help the 3,310-square-foot home to feel spacious and airy, with a huge great room serving as the heart of the house—opening up to an enormous kitchen, dining space, and living area.

That main living space opens up directly to the backyard courtesy of the glass walls that slide open to break the barrier between the indoor and outdoor areas.

Tucked away at one end of the property is a sizable primary suite, which features two walls of windows that can also be opened up directly to the backyard and pool area, while the en suite bathroom offers a serene sanctuary where residents can kick back and relax in total privacy.

A soaking tub sits under a large window that looks out onto the lush plants growing in the yard, while a separate marble shower adds more luxury to the space.

The primary suite is completed by two huge walk-in closets, one of which is complete with a built-in vanity, while both feature light-up shelving.

According to the listing description, the property underwent significant renovations in 2023, around six years after Duhamel purchased it, and just a few months before he offered the home up as a long-term rental.

“Additional updates throughout the home include refinished hardwood floors, fresh interior paint, new carpeting, and a remodeled guest bathroom,” the description notes.

Originally built in 1962, the home, which is listed with Thomas Atamian of Coldwell Banker Realty, is described as having been “thoughtfully designed with a visionary architectural aesthetic inspired by Philippe Starck.”

The listing comes just a few weeks after Duhamel—who also shares a child with his ex-wife, Fergie—opened up about the balance between his working life in Los Angeles and his family life at his off-grid cabin, which he has owned for nearly 20 years now.

He first opened the doors to his cabin in an October 2023 video shoot with YouTube host Graham Besinger, during which he described the property as a true “paradise,” one that is equipped to help the actor and his family ride out whatever disaster may occur in the near future, natural or otherwise.

Duhamel shared that he bought the property around 18 years ago, thanks to his dad, who brought him out to see it for the first time.

“He knew I wanted a place that was away from everything, something remote,” he said.

Duhamel began his off-grid spread with the purchase of a 12-acre parcel, which he has since expanded to around 50 acres after buying up additional plots.

Taking Bensinger on a tour of his Minnesota property, the self-described “doomsday prepper” revealed he has installed multiple survival resources on his property, including three wells and “food plots,” including several filled with clover and chicory to help lure in game to hunt.

While he noted that he had never hunted growing up, he explained it felt like an essential skill to learn in order to ensure that he was fully prepared to provide for his family in dire circumstances.

“Part of being out here, I have a fear of having to move out here and live off the land,” he explained. “I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. But I feel it’s a skill I need to learn.”

Duhamel added that he was inspired by the “Patriots” survival guide and confessed that he worried about the delicate nature of a society so tech dependent.

“We lose our cellphones, and we all lose our g**d*** minds,” he said, imagining what the future might look like if the stock market were to crash, triggering a shortage of fuel and food. “I just want a place where I could just get away to until things get back to normal.”

However, when Duhamel first purchased the property, he admitted that it was in a very rustic state, telling Country Living in April 2025 that the cabin didn’t have plumbing for many years.

“We were basically homesteading the first 12 years. For the longest time, we didn’t have plumbing. We were using outhouses and washing dishes in the lake,” he admitted.

Over the years, Duhamel has upgraded his cabin with a slew of amenities, including plumbing. However, it has maintained its rustic charm.

“I feel so connected to it. I didn’t just buy the place, I shaped this place,” he explained. “While we’ve made a lot of improvements, you still feel like you’re roughing it, and I love that.”

Despite those drawbacks, Duhamel has been open about his desire to spend more time at the property, revealing during a recent appearance on Dana Carvey and David Spade‘s “Fly on the Wall” podcast that he instantly feels all stress melting away when he’s there.

“What I think I love the most about it is I just get out there and my heart rate drops about 25%,” he said. “My priorities change too, I feel like I have a purpose.”

Duhamel explained that he also has a lot more to occupy his time when he’s at the Minnesota dwelling—admitting that when he’s in Los Angeles, he barely gets the opportunity to do basic yard work.

“I’m always working on something where I don’t even mow my own lawn [in L.A.],” he said. “It’s just absolute freedom out there.”

He revealed to the podcast hosts that he has relished in the opportunity to build a true sanctuary for his family, steadily transforming the rural, rustic property into something he can be proud of.

“It’s turned into like a whole passion of mine,” he said. “I started moving dirt and I started shaping it.”

He further revealed that he and his family have built a whole new dwelling on the land, which was originally home to two tiny cabins that weren’t big enough to accommodate his entire brood—including son Axl, 12, whom he shares with ex Fergie, and 2-year-old Shepherd and newborn daughter Rocca, whom he shares with Mari.

Speaking to E! News in March, the actor said that being able to spend time in both locales had been wonderful for his children, because it effectively gave them a real taste of two totally different lifestyles.

“We live in North Dakota, but our cabin is just across the border in Minnesota. So, we spend a lot of time out there. It’s great because we spend quite a bit of time [in L.A.] too,” he said.

Duhamel conceded that living at his rural property permanently would come with some drawbacks—namely the freezing cold temperatures—but insisted that he would make it work if he could.

“But, you know, the majority of our time is out there and I could live—and it’s very cold this time of the year, so it’s not ideal—but I truly could live out there all year round if it weren’t for work,” he went on.

“It’s great for the kids because they get a taste of L.A. and all the things that has to offer. You send them out there in the woods and they’re just exploring. They’re swimming. They’re jet skiing. It’s a pretty special place.”

In addition to the Minnesota lake property, Duhamel and his spouse also maintain a residence in her hometown of Fargo in North Dakota, which he has previously revealed they consider their full-time residence.