HGTV power couple reveals they were $80,000 in debt before landing hit show on network: ‘We were actually in a dire situation’
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HGTV stars Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama say they are often mistaken for being financially well-off prior to their successful business ventures in real estate.
The couple, who star on the O’ahu, Hawai’i-based show Renovation Aloha, revealed they were nearly six figures in debt before carving out a niche in real estate and television in an Instagram clip Tuesday.
Kamohai explained that he and his wife were in a financially ‘dire situation when we found real estate,’ estimating they carried as much as ‘like $80,000 in bad debt.’
He added that the financial troubles are ‘like a lot of people here in Hawaii, just because it’s so expensive’ to reside there.
Kamohai said he and his spouse had been ‘asking for help for rent some months’ amid their past money issues.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama for further comment on the story.
HGTV stars Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama say they are often mistaken for being financially well-off prior to their successful business ventures in real estate
The couple, who star on the O’ahu, Hawai’i-based show Renovation Aloha, said in an Instagram clip Tuesday that they were nearly six figures in debt before carving out a niche in real estate and television
Kamohai added that he didn’t grow up with a ‘silver spoon’ and he’s not a ‘trust fund baby,’ a misconception as his father, banking exec Corbett Kalama, is ‘super-successful.’
‘I’ll still take a trust fund if anyone wants to make me a beneficiary,’ Tristyn said in jest.
Kamohai said that ‘his whole family started from nothing,’ and that he did not receive any start-up loans from his father prior to finding success in real estate.
‘The fact of the matter is, I’ve never taken a penny from my dad to start a real estate company, nor has he invested in it at all,’ Kamohai said. ‘I think a lot of people get that twisted.’
The couple echoed similar sentiments in the caption of the social media post, saying that ‘hard work doesn’t always look the way people think it does.’
They added, ‘We didn’t come from money. We didn’t have trust funds. We didn’t have family writing checks to make our dreams happen.’
‘We came from debt. From wondering how we were going to pay the bills some months. From taking risks that could’ve gone either way. From failing, learning, and getting back up again.’
The duo said that as they have ‘grown, the criticism hasn’t gotten quieter,’ but actually ‘louder’ as onlookers have misconceptions of how they achieved their success.
Kamohai explained that he and his wife were in a financially ‘dire situation when we found real estate,’ estimating they carried as much as ‘like $80,000 in bad debt’
Renovation Aloha began airing on HGTV in 2024 and has had a total of 30 episodes spread across three seasons
‘People create stories to explain your success,’ they said, ‘because it’s easier than believing it came from years of sacrifice, consistency, and relentless work.’
The criticism comes from all directions, the pair said, as ‘the ones above you try to keep you down, and the ones below you think you got it handed to you.’
The TV stars added that ‘the truth is far less glamorous,’ as they ‘just kept showing up.’
They advised their followers, ‘If you’re in a season where it feels impossible, keep going. Don’t let someone else’s assumptions make you question your own journey. Your story isn’t finished yet.’
Renovation Aloha began airing on HGTV in 2024 and has had a total of 30 episodes spread across three seasons.
Article source: https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-16018657/tristyn-kamohai-kalama-hgtv-renovation-aloha.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490