Is the so-called “California exodus” real or just a myth? Much has been by proponents of the alleged phenomenon, who believe that droves of hardworking Californians are leaving in favor of more tax-friendly states, or less populous states, depending on whom you ask. But in any case, L.A. real estate prices remain at an all-time high, with supply near a correspondingly all-time low. So when Safiya Nygaard put her Studio City home of barely a year up for grabs, she didn’t have any trouble getting $3.1 million for the place, about $200,000 more than she paid in late 2019 — despite zero renovations.
And yes, the popular YouTuber is actually exiting California. To hear her tell it, she bought the big L.A. house prior just prior to 2020. But once the reality of the pandemic set in, she and her husband/frequent collaborator Tyler Williams realized the importance of living closer to their respective support systems — Nygaard hails from Chicago, Williams has family in Philadelphia and North Carolina. So the couple packed up their new house and began a cross-country roadtrip that eventually led them to Raleigh, North Carolina, where they’ve resettled.
If Nygaard’s name isn’t immediately familiar, it might be because she tends to evade the near-constant drama and controversy that surrounds many other popular YouTube creators. But make no mistake, the 28-year-old Stanford University is a big deal; after college, she was employed as a video producer for Buzzfeed before leaving to focus on her own creative endeavors. Today, she sports more than 9 million subscribers and nearly 1.5 billion lifetime video views.
Records reveal the buyer of Nygaard’s former home is also a well-known face — Emmy-winning Hollywood actress Uzo Aduba, best known for her breakout role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on “Orange Is the New Black.” Since that Netflix show wrapped in, Aduba has been busier than ever, signing a lucrative overall deal with CBS Studios and starring in HBO’s “In Treatment.”