HGTV favorite Christina Haack has made a fortune over the years with her hit series like “Flip or Flop” and “Christina on the Coast.” However, it wasn’t real estate that helped the mom of three pay off her student loan debt.
The “Flip Off” star shared the unbelievable way she was able to because debt free after college.
Paying Off Debt
Christina attended San Diego State University after graduating from Canyon High School in Anaheim, California.
“After graduating from San Diego State University, she began a career in real estate, where she met her future husband and business partner, Tarek El Moussa, in 2005,” according to her HGTV bio. “In 2012, the couple took their talents to HGTV to showcase their growing house-flipping business.”
While her career in real estate took off alongside ex-husband Tarek El Moussa, Christina was left with debt from college.
That is, until one lucky night in Las Vegas helped the California native pay off her loans.
“Really come full circle since age 21… Paid off my college debt by hitting it big on ‘top dollar’ (true story -IYKYK),” she shared via Instagram in October. “Now 22 years later getting to drink my champagne while playing my fav 🎰. Priceless. 🖤 My mom always told me no one actually wins in Las Vegas. Turns out mama’s not always right 🤪🤷🏼♀️🚀.”
Her boyfriend, Chris LaRocca, commented, “Maybe you have a good luck charm now…..❤️.”
Business Woman
Christina first appeared on HGTV in her series “Flip or Flop”, which ran for 10 seasons, with ex-husband Tarek. After their divorce in 2018, Christina launched her own series, “Christina on the Coast,” while still starring alongside her now-ex-husband on “Flip or Flop.” “Christina in the Country” came next.
After wrapping “Flip or Flop,” and following Tarek’s marriage to “Selling Sunset” star Heather Rae El Moussa, the former couple kicked off their latest HGTV venture, “The Flip Off.” Originally set to feature Heather and Tarek versus Christina and now-ex-husband Josh Hall, the series took a turn following Christina’s divorce from Hall.
In addition to HGTV, Christina has proven herself as a businesswoman.
In October 2024, Christina and her design partner, Kylie Wing, launched a full-service interior design and full home furnishing business. The design duo’s business is dedicated to luxury homes in Orange County.
Christina has also released a nutrition, “The Wellness Remodel: A Guide to Rebooting How You Eat, Move, and Feed Your Soul,” with certified nutritionist Cara Clark.
In September 2025, she debuted her own luxury Champagne brand called Clé Cachée.
“I’ve been a champagne girl for as long as I can remember,” she told People at the time. “I didn’t just slap my name on a bottle. I picked everything, from the finest Grand Cru grapes to the sugar content.”
She added, “I’m definitely nervous [for the release] because I did pick every single bit of this. But I’ve had experts and friends that are really into champagne do blind tastings and everyone has picked it over the other big labels. So that makes me feel confident.”
Christina Haack Shares Unbelievable Way She Paid Off Her Student Debt — And It Was Not Real Estate