Gina Kirschenheiter wants you to live like reality TV royalty.
The “Real Housewives of Orange County” star-turned-real estate agent, 39, recently scored her “biggest listing” yet, she tells Pvnew during an exclusive tour of the massive $8,995,000 estate situated near the Kardashians’ mansion in La Quinta, Calif.
“It’s a premiere spot,” she raves over the 10,000 square-foot property at 80800 Vista Bonita Trail in the renowned La Quinta Polo Estates community, just a stone’s throw from the Madison Club neighborhood that Kris Jenner and her world-famous family often retreat to.
“It’s peaceful, you get away from the LA hustle and bustle and you come out here and you can really decompress,” she says of La Quinta’s tony enclaves, inhabited by the rich and powerful.
“You could be neighbors with the Kardashians — and it’s so close to all the fun things that happen out here.”
Kirschenheiter notes that the festival life in the city — only a 45-minute drive from Palm Springs — is a big draw. But not every La Quinta residence is equipped with a private entrance to the grounds where Coachella and Stagecoach take place.
“You get your own private entrance to the festivals and you also get VIP tickets at discounted rates. It’s nice to have perks, right?” she says.
“The festival life … really upped the ante for this whole area. And people want to be there, they want to be a part of it. And that is La Quinta.”
But adjacency to the Kardashians and ease for festival fanatics are just the tip of what this 6-bedroom, 8-bathroom resort-style oasis has to offer, Kirschenheiter says.
An outdoor enthusiast’s dream, the home features a tranquil pool, tennis court and private lake inhabited by more than 300 koi fish. It’s also nestled across the street from La Quinta’s famous polo fields, where future homeowners can take a quick stroll to catch a match.
“This home is high-end and bougie,” the Bravolebrity says, but adds that its luxe amenities make for a “super comfortable” living experience. “And that’s what I love about this place.”
When the desert heat becomes too much to bear, Kirschenheiter points out that prospective dwellers can cool off in any of its palatial rooms — including an expansive kitchen, full of natural light, high-end appliances, a walk-in pantry and cozy breakfast nook.
“I love the galley-style kitchen because it’s so epic,” she says. “I really love that feel of it.”
According to Kirschenheiter, the abode features a good mix of modern touches and original finishings — a concerted design courtesy of her former “RHOC” castmate Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, the current owner.
“Elizabeth did a really beautiful job of finding the balance of keeping some of the original fixtures but then renovating an upgrading everything that was a little outdated,” she says of Vargas’ interior efforts.
Vargas tells Pvnew that she originally purchased the property intending to remodel it on “Orange County,” but was ultimately let go from the reality series after just one season.
“And then I was left with this home that’s so beautiful, but also way too big for me,” she says. “I really do love this home. I just don’t need all the space.”
Recalling Kirschenheiter’s “ball-busting” personality from their time filming Season 15 together, Vargas knew that her old pal — who obtained her real estate license last year — was the “perfect person” to get it off her hands.
“I knew who she was from ‘Real Housewives of Orange County.’ I just know her personality and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to give her a chance,” the Vargas Vodka founder says, enthusing that Kirschenheiter also has “a celebrity about her” thanks to her five consecutive seasons on the show.
“I also kind of wanted to give her that chance to shove it in all the other girls’ faces that she sold my house!” she adds. “People seem to want to underestimate Gina, but she is a powerhouse.”
Kirschenheiter, for her part, is grateful for Vargas trusting that she’ll get the job done. “So far, throughout this process, Elizabeth has had nothing but faith in me and she knows that I know what I’m doing,” she says. “And that feels really good, especially as a relatively new agent.”
Good or bad, Kirschenheiter’s onscreen identity has revolved around homes for years.
The “casita” she temporarily moved into in the wake of her 2018 split from now-ex-husband Matt was mocked by a portion of viewers. Plus, the 2020 purchase of her townhome where she lives with boyfriend Travis Mullen and their six combined kids has been shaded by her co-stars and, most recently, Andy Cohen during an October 2023 episode of “Watch What Happens Live.”
The mother of three points out that Cohen, 55, apologized immediately for saying she would “get the least amount of money” among the “RHOC” cast if she chose to sell her house.
“I can tell you that I was disappointed in him making those comments,” reflects Kirschenheiter, who wasted no time calling the “Housewives” honcho’s remark “unkind” in a pointed Instagram video — and reminding him that she is the “only cast member” who owns her own home “without a husband.”
“Sometimes we say things that we don’t mean or that we don’t think through. I think he had that moment and I called him out for it and he responded really well,” she tells us. “That’s who I know Andy to be.”
Kirschenheiter is proud of her accomplishments: buying her own place, entering the luxury real estate market and, most importantly, setting a good example for her children, who she says are her most ardent supporters.
“So now I am getting back into the workforce and it feels so great but my kids support me and my kids understand that. I love them for getting it. They’re proud of me and I’m proud of them,” she says.
“Real estate is a new chapter for me, but my whole book is my kids. Above everything else, I take my job as a mom most seriously.”
As for her new career, she likes to have fun with it — even jokingly owning her “casita” legacy at the end of her listing tour. The estate, she tells us, has two.
Kirschenheiter says with a laugh, “It really wouldn’t be a Gina tour without taking you to the casitas.”
