In a jaw-dropping twist, Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow and her husband, renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow, took a staggering $5.8 million loss on their Beverly Hills mansion this summer. The couple, known for their lavish lifestyle, opened up about the financial fiasco on their new iHeartRadio podcast, Between Us, calling the failed venture a “gigantic fail.”
The sprawling five-bedroom, nine-bathroom estate, once owned by legendary Italian film producer Dino De Laurentiis, was purchased by the Dubrows in 2023 for $16.1 million. With grand plans to transform the 8.3-acre property into their dream home, complete with a tennis court, spa, nine-foot ceilings, and parking for over a dozen cars, the couple poured significant funds into renovations and supplies. However, their vision came crashing down when they listed the property for $25 million in March 2025, only to sell it for a mere $16.5 million—$8.5 million below their asking price and barely above their original purchase cost.
“We bombed. We got killed on that house,” Terry admitted candidly on the August 27 episode, as reported by Us Weekly. The couple’s financial hit was exacerbated by Los Angeles’ hefty 5.5% mansion tax on properties sold over $10 million, alongside their significant investments in the guest house and other upgrades. “We bought the supplies for the guest house. We did a lot of stuff to the property,” Terry explained, reflecting on the costly missteps.
Heather, 56, and Terry, 66, enlisted Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles stars Josh Altman and Josh Flagg to market the estate, withHeather playfully asking on Instagram, “How many Josh’s does it take to sell the best 8.3-acre tennis court estate in Beverly Hills?” Despite their high hopes and the property’s luxurious features, the sale fell far short of expectations.
The Dubrows’ decision to sell was driven by more than just financial strain. On a July episode of RHOC, Heather revealed that the discovery of asbestos and the escalating renovation costs—estimated at a staggering $32 million, including $3 million for landscaping alone—made the project untenable. “It’s hard when you know you’re walking away from a project to put one more dime in it,” she shared. With only their youngest child, 14-year-old Ace, still living at home, the couple realized the massive estate was no longer practical, especially since they already own a $14 million penthouse nearby.
Heather offered sage advice for aspiring renovators on the podcast, emphasizing the importance of thorough planning. “If you have to do a remodel, if you want to build a home, you really have to vet your builders,” she urged. “You must get a budget up front… and you have to do your own research.”
Initially, Heather viewed the unfinished project as a personal failure. “I can’t imagine not seeing the project through the end,” she admitted on RHOC. But as reality set in, she began to see the sale as a necessary pivot. “The more I think about this house, the more I realize how not viable it truly is for our family,” she reflected. “The universe is telling us to go elsewhere.”
For Heather and Terry, the Beverly Hills mansion was a dream that turned into a costly lesson. While their wallets may be lighter, their story serves as a cautionary tale for anyone diving into the high-stakes world of luxury real estate.