HGTV stars Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama say they were nearly $80,000 in debt before landing their hit show, pushing back against assumptions that their success was handed to them.
The couple, who star in the O'ahu, Hawai'i-based series Renovation Aloha, shared the revelation in an Instagram clip, with Kamohai describing their finances as a "dire situation" when they first got into real estate. He said the debt load was common for people living in Hawaii given how expensive the state is, and that the couple had been asking for help with rent some months.
Kamohai also addressed the misconception that he benefited from family wealth. Although his father, banking executive Corbett Kalama, is described as successful, Kamohai said he never received startup money or investment from him. "I've never taken a penny from my dad to start a real estate company, nor has he invested in it at all," he said, adding that he did not grow up with a "silver spoon" or as a "trust fund baby." Tristyn quipped that she would still accept a trust fund if anyone wanted to make her a beneficiary.
In the caption of the post, the couple wrote that they came from debt, from uncertainty over bills, and from risks that could have gone either way. They said criticism of how they achieved their success has only grown louder over time, and encouraged followers in difficult seasons to keep going and not let others' assumptions define their story.
Renovation Aloha began airing on HGTV in 2024 and has run for three seasons, totaling 30 episodes.
