What To Know
- Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama broke down misconceptions about how they began their real estate careers.
- The Renovation Aloha stars revealed they were thousands of dollars in debt when they first got into real estate.
- Kamohai, in particular, denied receiving financial help from his father while building their business.
Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama are clarifying misconceptions about how they built their real estate business.
The Renovation Aloha stars opened up about the start of their careers in a Tuesday, July 28, Instagram video. “I think we hear all the time, or a lot of the critics are always like, that we both came from a ton of money and were given our real estate business,” Kamohai stated. Tristyn added, “[People say,] well, that’s why we’re successful in real estate. I heard that a lot. But the opposite was true.”
According to Kamohai, the couple was in a “dire situation when we found real estate, like, $80,000 in bad debt.” Kamohai noted that many Hawaii residents find themselves in similar situations because things are “so expensive” in the state. “We were asking for help for rent some months,” he shared.
Tristyn poked fun at the pair’s past money struggles by joking, “I’ll still take a trust fund if anyone wants to make me a beneficiary on one. But I don’t have one. … I’m accepting sugar daddies!’”
Kamohai, meanwhile, stated that he was “not a trust fund baby” growing up, despite his father, Corbett Kalama, being “super successful” and a “well-known public figure.” He explained, “I think the easiest thing is because my dad is super successful, and he is a well-known public figure, and so, everybody automatically assumes that I just had a silver spoon, and it was easy for me to get into real estate because my dad backed everything.”
Kamohai went on to state that he has “never taken a penny from my dad to start a real estate business,” nor has his dad financially invested in the couple’s business in any way. “Growing up, they only see the second half of my dad’s life, but we grew up in Kailua Arms, which was the most ghetto apartment building in Kailua. Like, if you’re from Kailua, you know what Kailua Arms was,” he said. “And so, our whole family started from nothing. You know what I mean? And I think a lot of people get that twisted.”
Fans shared their appreciation for the couple’s candid comments in the post’s comments. “I applaud people who have had to learn about being frugal from their upbringing,” one user wrote. Another added, “This really touched my heart because it’s so true. People often see where someone is today, but they don’t see the tears, the disappointments, the sacrifices, or the moments when giving up seemed like the easier choice. They don’t see the faith it took to keep going when nothing seemed certain.”
Someone else shared, “Very inspiring!!! I just finished real estate school and I come from zero background of real estate and zero family members in the real estate scene!!! Also- I’m coming from very very humble beginnings and so to be at this stage feels very exciting and scary all at once. It’s new territory! I hope to be successful at it.” A different person posted, “It’s easy for people to see success and automatically think handouts got you there. Even if you did get handouts…and??? Making something of yourselves makes many people uncomfortable because it’s a mirror. Keep going!”
A separate commenter stated, “Many times I’ve told my daughter… sorry I gave you a good work ethic instead of a trust fund. It will last longer.”
Tristyn and Kamohai rose to TV fame with Renovation Aloha, which premiered on HGTV in 2024. The series follows the duo as they transform homes across the island of Oahu and the greater Hawaii area. The pair also competed in Season 6 of Rock the Block last year and appeared as judges in Season 5 of Battle on the Beach earlier this year.
