She's All That Star Sells Her LA Home — Here's What the Numbers Really Show
Actress Tamara Mello and her husband Paolo Cascardo have put their Los Angeles home up for sale at $1.5 million, according to an exclusive report from realtor.com. The couple bought the property for $1.31 million in November 2021 and made renovations before listing it.
The asking price suggests a gain of about $190,000, or roughly 14.5%, over what they paid. But that number doesn't tell the full story. It leaves out what they spent on renovations, the fees paid when buying the home, the commission they'll pay their real estate agent when selling (typically 5–6% of the sale price, or $75,000 to $90,000 in this case), and the everyday costs of owning the home for about four and a half years.
The broader context here is a Los Angeles housing market that has slowed down since its pandemic peak. Mortgage rates (the interest rate a bank charges to lend you money for a home) have been sitting in the mid-6% range through 2025. When rates go up, monthly payments rise, so buyers can afford less. That means fewer homes are selling compared to 2020–2021, and homes at higher price points like $1.5 million are taking longer to find buyers.
Mello, who became well known in the late 1990s, and Cascardo plan to move to Florida after the sale. The move fits a well-known trend of wealthy individuals and people in the entertainment industry leaving California for Florida. The key reason: Florida charges no state income tax, while California takes up to 13.3% of a high earner's income. For a household with steady income or investment earnings, that difference adds up fast.
Looking at the renovation strategy more closely, the couple bought at $1.31 million, put money into upgrades of an unknown amount, and are now asking for about $190,000 more than they paid. Since we don't know what the renovations cost, there's no way to calculate their actual profit. What's clear is that the asking price reflects a modest increase that, after subtracting agent fees and renovation spending, might result in roughly breaking even rather than a big gain.
Florida's housing market has its own trade-offs. People moving in have kept demand strong in major areas, but property insurance costs there have jumped sharply. That's an extra expense relocating households have to weigh against the money they save on income tax. For Mello and Cascardo, the real financial benefit of the move will depend on how much they earn, what Florida home they buy, and what the LA house actually sells for.
The home is still just listed for sale. No deal has closed yet, and the final price will depend on what buyers are willing to pay.
