Last season?s addition to the Real Housewives of Orange County, Heather Dubrow, didn?t just come with a handsome husband and adorable children, she also inspired worldwide envy with her beautiful home in Newport Beach, California. Heather?s home was featured so much on the show it was practically another character. Its lavish elegance was part of the reason that Heather was dubbed Miss Fancypants by the others on the show. But Heather and her husband, plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow, didn?t just buy this house, they built it from the ground up over a period of four years. The team here at Realtor.com is clearly house-obsessed but we are also a little Bravo-obsessed so we jumped at the chance to interview Heather and Terry about their fabulous house and life in the O.C.
This glamorous couple has some serious real estate chops. They have bought and sold nine houses in the past eight years including most recently a property on Linda Isle in Orange County. In the past they bought a duplex in Corona del Mar which they renovated into condos. They both enjoy the process of rehabbing and selling homes but ?we are smart enough to realize it?s not our business. We enjoying fixing up homes but it?s not our career.? For now at least, their Newport Beach house is their one and only although Heather confesses to ?begging for a house in Cabo.? But for now, additional home buying is on hold. As Heather puts it ?it?s too easy to rent right now.?
For Terry, their current house was in many ways a dream come true. He would often go running with a doctor friend in the Pelican Hill/Pelican Crest area of the Newport Coast and he often said he would love to build a home up there. When the opportunity to grab some property came up he leaped at the chance. They got lucky with the location which offers 180 feet of unobstructed ocean view from the backyard. The fact that The Irvine Company then spent a small fortune creating The Resort At Pelican Hill, nearby meant that the couple got the added benefit of the resort?s extensive beautification campaign.
This was the first time the couple built a home from the ground up and they interviewed architects and builders. Heather recalled filling out a 25-page prospectus on rooms and all the things they wanted for the home. Although it is clearly the home of the couple?s dreams, Heather did say that it is at times ?a bit too much house? with a lot of maintenance. One thing that she did mention that she might have done differently when creating the home is to have focused a bit more on making things more user friendly and easier to clean. A designer might not always consider the daily life of a mother busy with four young children especially in rooms like the kitchen. Heather mentioned marble countertops, which even when sealed, are particularly vulnerable to acids. The house remains a work in progress. Much of the furniture was custom built, a process that can be extremely time consuming and one of the reasons the home remains a work in progress. ?It takes less time to have a child,? jokes Heather. She is still at work on the home and is currently redesigning the barbecue area, home is constantly a work a progress
It?s clear that the couple is very happy in Orange County, although at times they miss the shopping, restaurants, and cultural opportunities of the big city. ?It?s incredible place to raise children,? said Heather. Terry added that while Orange County is prettier and safer they ?roll up the sidewalks at 9 p.m. so if you want a late meal or get a late start you are out of luck. Also, some of the best restaurants in Orange County are located in shopping malls which isn?t always the most ideal experience.?
Would the couple who spent years building the perfect house ever be tempted to move? Heather and Terry have a ?never say never? attitude about it, saying that the right price could always tempt them. ?We always move,? jokes Heather, ?but I don?t see it happening.? The pair works with Realtor Rex McKown of Surterre Properties on all their real estate deals and related that he sometimes calls them with an interested client who wants to see the house. McKown deals with multimillion luxury properties in the area (?he?s the best,? says Terry). Because of the home?s size and exquisite details, it appeals to the ultra-rich buyers who can sometimes have trouble finding a home with the perfect amenities. If that deep-pocketed Chinese billionaire came along, the couple might consider a move but both insisted that they would likely downsize if that happened because they know that, as Terry put it, ?we will never live in a house like this again.? For both Terry and Heather what is most important of all is their family, no matter where they are. ?We could live anywhere and be happy,? says Heather.
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About Deidre Woollard
Deidre Woollard is the Community Manager at Realtor.com.
View all articles by Deidre Woollard
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