“Renovation Aloha”’s Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama Were in $80K of Debt Before Finding HGTV Fame
“Renovation Aloha”’s Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama Were in $80K of Debt Before Finding HGTV Fame
Ingrid VasquezThu, July 30, 2026 at 10:55 PM UTC
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Kamohai and Tristyn KalamaCredit: HGTV -
Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama revealed they were $80,000 in debt before finding success in real estate
The couple addressed misconceptions about their wealth, emphasizing that their success came from hard work and sacrifice
The couple have recently faced legal issues, including fines for illegal short-term rentals and controversy over Native Hawaiian burial remains shown on their TV series
Before Kamohai and Tristyn Kalama made it big on HGTV, they were struggling to make ends meet.
In a video post on Instagram on Tuesday, July 28, the Renovation Alohaco-hosts shut down misconceptions that they “both came from a ton of money,” which ultimately made them successful in real estate.
“We were actually in [a] dire situation when we found real estate, like $80,000 in bad debt, which is like a lot of people here in Hawaii, just because it’s so expensive,” said Kamohai. “And we were asking for help for rent some months.”
After Tristyn joked that she would take a trust fund if offered one, Kamohai doubled down on the fact that he was not a “trust fund baby.”
He said that because his father, Corbett Kalama, is “super successful,” it is easy to assume that he had a “silver spoon” growing up.
“And 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,” said Kamohai, noting that “his whole family started from nothing.”
The couple reiterated their sentiments in the caption of the post, writing, “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.”
Kamohai (left) and Tristyn (right) on the new deck area of the “Carjacks House”Credit: HGTV
They further expressed that as they’ve grown, “the criticism hasn’t gotten quieter—it has gotten louder.”
“People create stories to explain your success because it’s easier than believing it came from years of sacrifice, consistency, and relentless work,” said the couple. “The ones above you try to keep you down, and the ones below you think you got it handed to you. The truth is far less glamorous. We just kept showing up.”
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They ended their post by advising others to keep going despite people’s assumptions.
The couple’s reflection on their rise to fame comes three months after they faced legal trouble for allegedly showing the remains of Native Hawaiian ancestors, a violation of state law.
Tristyn (left) and Kamohai (right) on the new deck of the “Bee House,” as seen on Renovation Aloha, Season 1.Credit: HGTV
The show discovered human skeletal remains at a residential renovation project site while filming, according to a civil complaint filed on April 14 in the Third Circuit Court of Hawaii, obtained by PEOPLE.
Based on the location of the property, there was reason to believe the remains may constitute iwi kūpuna, or skeletal remains of Native Hawaiian ancestors, which are afforded “the highest level of protection,” according to the complaint.
HGTV re-edited the episode to remove all footage of the remains, according to Deadline. It was noted during the episode that the Kalamas did not develop on the lot out of respect, and that local authorities were contacted as soon as the remains were discovered.
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Weeks later, the Kalamas confirmed that their show had not been canceled, despite ongoing rumors.
Also in May, the couple accumulated $40,000 in fines for operating illegal short-term rentals in Hawaii, according to a local report.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
