What You Never Knew About Christina Haack
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Christina Haack, an Anaheim, California native, has made a name for herself as a design wiz on the TV series "Flip or Flop" — which will end this year after its 10th season — and her spin-off show, "Christina on the Coast." The HGTV star is also known for having a complicated love life, which has made its fair hair of headlines. She has two ex-husbands: Her "Flip or Flop" costar Tarek El Moussa and second ex-husband Ant Anstead. There is also a third marriage on the way as she is set to wed real estate agent Joshua Hall.
But there is more to this California star than work and family. In fact, Haack has several interests that few people know about. This outdoorsy type loves to take hikes in Big Sur, go yachting with her besties off the coast of Newport Beach, and surf the waves in Laguna Beach. And when she feels the need to go country, Haack hops on a plane to Tennessee, where she owns a spectacular $2.5 million farmhouse. The college graduate has a spiritual side, too, as she meditates daily to quell her anxiety and practices breathwork with yoga moves to find her center.
Then there is her business-savvy side. Yes, she makes a nice paycheck from hosting TV shows, but she also gets some decent side money from her furniture and floor lines. So join us as we get to the heart of who this HGTV favorite really is behind that megawatt smile.
She was born in Orange County, California, and has never left
Most Americans like to city hop after graduating from college, but Christina Haack is different because she has never moved away from her hometown. Haack chose to attend college near home and got her real estate license at a local community college, as per Us Weekly. Her first job was nearby, too. She joined Tarek El Moussa's real estate firm, The El Moussa Group, at the age of 21. El Moussa eventually became her first husband, and when they decided to settle down, the design duo stayed put. The two bought a house in the Orange County area in 2008. When the housing market collapsed, they found success flipping houses in their neighborhood, and when they pitched their house flipping show to HGTV, "Flip Or Flop," they insisted on basing the show in Orange County (via USA Today).
Even though the show became must-see TV, they never moved the series to more flashy neighborhoods like Beverly Hills or Bel-Air. Rather, they kept their zip code in Orange County, where both have families. Haack didn't even pull up roots when the pair divorced in 2018. For a moment, she considered moving to London when she fell for British TV host Ant Anstead of "Wheeler Dealers" fame, but Anstead moved to Orange County instead (via Yahoo Entertainment).
When the couple separated in 2021, she stayed in Orange County. According to Realtor, she bought a home in nearby Dana Point for an eye-watering $10.3 million, which she now shares with fiancé Joshua Hall. She's a Cali girl through and through.
Haack has a second home in Tennessee
Though Christina Haack loves Orange County, she has gone a little bit country in recent years. This quintessential California girl has developed a penchant for the warm charm of Tennessee. According to House Beautiful, in early 2021, she plunked down $2.5 million for a modern white farmhouse. It sits on 23 acres in Franklin, Tennessee, where Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have held property (via Taste of Country).
In October 2021, she shared on Instagram that the land brought her a sense of calm: "I love that we have a home where we get total peace in the woods where it's just us doing our thing." Haack and her fiancé Hall have taken to the neighborhood and have shared on social media that they like to hang out in Puckett's Leiper's Fork, where they visit restaurants and listen to live music.
Their Tennessee home seems to be a playground for them, which makes sense since it's their vacation home (via People). Haack houses an ATV there, and her three kids have electric toy cars to run up and down the long driveway. In 2021 she told People, "Tennessee is gorgeous, and the people out there are so nice."
She is big on camping
Getting out in nature nourishes Haack's soul. Her favorite place to unwind is along the picturesque coastline of Big Sur in Central California. Earlier this year, she and her fiancé Hall took a trip to Big Sur, and she wrote about it on Instagram, saying, "Josh and I both grew up camping in Big Sur; these were some of my absolute best memories. When he told me he was taking me on a surprise trip and I realized it was Post Ranch Inn I had a huge smile on my face because it was nostalgic/bucket list. Perfect reset. Hiking in fresh air, alone time, and tranquil bliss."
Haack was not exactly roughing it at the Post Ranch Inn. It's a luxury, high-priced resort with breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean, fireplaces in the bedrooms, room service, a swimming pool, and an upscale spa that has been visited by celebrities like Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow (via Travel + Leisure).
But Haack loves the area for its natural treasures, noting it was the ocean and trees that she gravitated toward. In an Instagram post, she wrote: "Big Sur is a gift from Heaven, and I am officially in love. We are definitely retiring here. Peaceful tranquility. Josh + Redwood trees + the ocean = perfection." The nature lover also shared that her grandparents and cousins have lived nearby on the Central Coast, and that is how she became familiar with the beloved coastal area.
She bought a yacht after her first divorce
A woman deserves to treat herself after heartbreak, and Christina Haack did just that in 2020, not long after she divorced her husband of nine years, Tarek El Moussa, in 2018. The TV personality splurged on her very own yacht, which was a 52-foot boat that could house up to seven people, according to People. The boat's name, Aftermath, is appropriate for a post-divorce gift to herself. It was also a reaction to El Moussa changing the name of his yacht from Flip or Flop to Bad Decisions.
Haack takes the vessel out often with her girlfriends, fiancé Hall, and even once hosted his "pretty mama" in 2021, as seen in an Instagram post. She even celebrated her 37th birthday on the yacht's deck in 2020, posing for Instagram in a standard California uniform — tank top and short shorts — with a glass of bubbly in her hand and a beaming smile for the new year to come.
Before becoming a real estate agent and home flipper, she wanted to be a sports agent
She is best known as the bright light of the TV shows "Flip or Flop" and "Christina on the Coast," but before she obtained her real estate license, she had her eye on a whole other career. In an Instagram post from September 2020, Haack revealed she was once interested in working with football, hockey, and basketball players in the capacity of a sports agent. "I never thought about being on TV. I wanted to be a sports agent like Jerry Maguire," she captioned. As a recap, Tom Cruise played the title character in the 1996 film "Jerry Maguire," a hustling sports agent who oversaw the careers of major league football stars like the fictional Rod Tidwell (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.).
Haack seems like she has all the talents to succeed as a sports agent: The wheeler-dealer sensibility, the affability, and the drive. But life had other plans. "But I always loved looking at houses with my parents, especially model homes, and I always wanted to be my own boss ... So in college when I was called (intuitively) to get my real estate license at a local community college, I followed my intuition," she shared.
She went broke in 2008 but bounced back
Haack is living the high life now in a posh mansion with luxury cars in her driveway and cash to burn on Rodeo Drive, but it was not always easy for this celebrity. Well, maybe in the beginning it was. Haack and her first husband, El Moussa, were making so much money in their early twenties as real estate agents they could afford a $6,000 a month mortgage on their Orange County home, according to The Orange County Register. They also bought luxury imported cars and splurged on four-star dinners in Newport Beach while she snapped up designer dresses and handbags from shops like Louis Vuitton. But that all came to an end in 2008 when the housing market crashed, sending the U.S. economy into a spiral. The couple sold their home and rented an apartment for $700 a month, including a roommate (via Realtor). They also traded in their slick wheels for less costly economy cars.
But then they had the idea to flip homes instead of selling them. It worked. They bought old, broken-down houses that had deflated in price due to the crash, jazzed them up with trendy floors and appliances, and sold them for a healthy profit. They bought their first investment for a little over $100,000 and sold it for a $34,000 profit. They were back on their feet financially,
Haack is a budding surfer in Orange County
Christina is one of the most in-shape celebrities in the TV world, and that's because she enjoys an active lifestyle. She enjoys jogging three miles a day in her neighborhood, doing Pilates with pals, and practicing yoga at home, as per Country Living. She also likes to go for hikes in Big Sur and walk on the beach in Dana Point. But that's not all — she also loves to surf on the coast of Orange County in hot surf spots like Huntington Beach, San Clemente, and Laguna Beach with her best friend, Cassie Zebisch.
Haack owns several surfboards, even though she only started surfing in 2021. She told People that she bought one herself, and the other one was a Valentine's Day present from her fiancé, which she showed off on Instagram. The board has an image of Haack on the beach painted down its entire length. She is also holding a glass of champagne in one hand and a pink purse in the other for a glamorous image. The board was commissioned by Robin Hiers Art from Orange County. "Thank you Josh for surprising me with the cutest custom surfboard by @robinhiersart — literally obsessed," she captioned.
TV isn't her only job – she is also an entrepreneur
Haack has become an international TV star thanks to her home improvement shows. But being the savvy business woman that she is, the star also has a few side hustles under her belt. In July 2020, she announced on Instagram that she had launched Christina Home Designs, an affordable yet stylish furniture collection with Spectra Home Furniture. In the post, she looked every inch a CEO reclining on one of her sofas — a beige model with throw pillows — with her dog at her feet. Spectra's website shows her collection has 35 pieces, which have a "fresh, modern, California casual vibe." The items include sofas, sectionals, chairs, wood tables, and throw pillows. Most of the pieces are made with light beige and soft gray tones, but there is also a washed blue collection.
Haack also has her own waterproof floor line called Christina Collection. The line features 21 different colors and styles, and the flooring is made for high-traffic areas since it is scratch-resistant and waterproof. In November 2021, she showed off the floors on Instagram where she said the collection was 'beautiful, durable and affordable."
Then there is her work as an influencer on Instagram, which can be very lucrative. Top reality TV stars such as Khloe Kardashian take in almost $600,000 a post, reported Yahoo! In August 2021, Haack shared her paid partnership with MattressFirm, marking the video as an "ad," and in October 2021, Haack posted a video for Princess Cruises.
She has had health issues
Health issues have been a roadblock for the star. According to House Beautiful, Haack told her fans via Instagram that she suffers from Hashimoto's thyroid disease and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which has caused her fertility issues in the past, so she is very careful with her diet and exercise. In an October 2021 Instagram post, she said she felt stomach pains starting in 2016 but her doctors chalked it up to stress from her busy career. The doctor gave her pills to handle the "extreme" pain, but she felt something was very off and medication "wasn't the answer." Hoping to fix the problem and not just mask the symptoms, she took a closer look at nutrition. "Basically if I don't eat SUPER clean I get a horrible burning sensation," she shared But then she realized anxiety was disrupting her digestion and gut health. After finding the "right doctor," she took a full endoscopy and GI testing for SIBO. She added that she hoped antibiotics would "kill off whatever bacteria it is that's damaging my GI tract."
She is so serious about her health she co-wrote the book "The Wellness Remodel" with certified nutritionist Cara Clark in 2020. The book is split into three parts: food and nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. In the book, Haack shared 60 of her favorite recipes which include coconut shrimp tacos with mango and avocado cilantro sauce, and chicken zucchini burgers, according to Epicurious.
Dogs make her happy
This star has three kids to keep her busy, but she also likes the company of some furry friends. She has a French Bulldog named Cash, one of the highlights of her social media pages. Her fiancé, Joshua Hall, also brought a white dog named Stella into the blended family. But in March 2020, Haack shared in a heartbreaking Instagram post that Stella is suffering medical issues. "Seven weeks ago, we found out our sweet Stella has cancer. Early prognosis said she could leave us as early as 60-90 days. But we won't accept that."
She said that they have been "spoiling her extra." They put her on a "special diet" that includes making her home-cooked dog food while adding "multiple supplements." They hope that the new diet will extend her life, with Haack sharing, "I'm happy to share since the new meal plan / PSP mushroom + omega supplements she looks healthier than ever. Praying we get many many more years."
Spiritual healing is her thing
One way Haack handles all the commotion in her life is by getting in touch with her spiritual side. In a November 2020 Instagram post, she shared, "Spiritual healing has been my passion for years so I'm looking forward to diving in deep." She goes within to find calm by meditating, practicing sound therapy and breathwork through yoga, and journaling to find her focus (via House Beautiful). Sometimes, she even cuts out magazines' aspirational images to make her own vision board.
The O.C. girl has also said on Instagram Stories that she hired a spiritual coach for her mental health after her 2021 split from Anstead and smoked a "psychedelic toad" to find deeper meaning in life which she claims rid her of anxiety and shed her ego. She wrote that she "felt like my ego was being ripped away from me, a much-needed ego death." Spirituality runs so deep for Haack — she even went so far as to get the Maya Angelou quote "Still I Rise" on the back of her neck to remind herself of what she is capable of.
She never gives up on love
Haack's road to lifelong love has taken a few very public twists and turns. Her first love was Tarek El Moussa, and when they turned their house-flipping skills into HGTV's "Flip or Flop," America fell in love with the attractive couple, shooting them to stardom. But problems permeated their marriage, and in 2018, they split. "I felt like I was drowning," Haack told People. "I was doing whatever I could to stay above water and just get through the day."
"A lot of people were thinking, 'What's going to happen?' Tarek and I were so tied together on everything: real estate, the show, our children, our house. It was so stressful, and everyone was worried that it was going to explode," she said. But once the dust settled, they fell into a comfortable rhythm of co-parenting and co-hosting.
Then came TV star Ant Anstead. They had a splashy wedding in 2018, moved into a stunning home in Orange County, and welcomed son Hudson all in two years. Fans were shocked when the duo split in 2021. He has since moved on with Oscar-winning actor Renee Zellweger (via People).
Now she is set to wed Joshua Hall, a Texas-based real estate agent that she fell for in the summer of 2021 in Tennessee (via Us Weekly). In September 2021, she announced they had become engaged while in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, adding an engagement ring emoji to her Instagram reveal.
She had trouble perfecting her makeup look
Haack has carved out an image for herself that encapsulates "California beach glam." That slick SoCal look may appear easy and breezy, but it is takes a lot of effort to achieve. According to House Beautiful, Haack's makeup is professionally applied by her makeup artist friend Shannon Houston, the founder of Pink Dust Cosmetics. And she gets made up not just for her TV show and public events, but also for her social media posts.
Haack's signature look is a heavily lined dark eye. She told Entertainment Tonight in 2017: "I have hazel eyes, so I feel like a bronze smokey eye just really brings out the different colors. I just think it's really pretty. For me, when I look at photos of myself, that's my favorite look."
But while Haack loves makeup, she was never great at applying it. According to Houston, Haack texted her after a day of filming "Flip or Flop." "I remember she texted me, and she said, 'Everyone's making fun of my lashes, and I'm so bad at my makeup. Can you please help me? I don't know what lashes to buy!'" Haack agreed, saying, "All I would do is, like, stick on these lash extensions and not even put mascara on and put on a little powder. That was my go-to—it took about five minutes." But now, thanks to Houston, she is the poster woman for glam.
One day she hopes to open a wellness center
Helping people is a calling for Haack. "I love to fix up a house, but I also love to help people," she told People. In 2018, the HGTV star revealed she wants to open an alcohol rehab center to guide others toward happiness because she knows what it is like to experience pain and come out of it a better person. "Two years ago, I was focused on trying not to sink," she said of life after her split from El Moussa. "But after I started exercising, eating right, surrounding myself with the correct people, I felt this switch."
The support her friend, publicist Cassie Zebisch, and pastor Tim Storey gave her inspired her to create a center. "Everyone's been there. Everyone's had a setback, but it's how you move forward and what you do with your future, that's what matters." Though she has yet to open the rehab centers, the hope to do so has not left her heart. In 2021 she shared on "Christina: Stronger by Design" that she wants to buy a piece of land and open a "wellness center" in Utah. She picked Utah specifically because it's a world away from California's "crazy" vibe where everyone rushes around.