This was posted on Friday, July 7, 2017 by Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
HGTV, expanding on the success of its original "Flip or Flop" series, has added several spinoffs in different cities including Nashville, Las Vegas and Atlanta.
For the local version, producers found Woodstock couple and real estate experts Ken and Anita Corsini, who said they have flipped more than 600 homes over the past 12 years around metro Atlanta.
"Flip or Flop Atlanta" debuts on Thursday, July 20 at 9 p.m.
The first episode features the Corsini's finding a 2,700-square-foot home in Buckhead for just $400,000. The original owner had not renovated the place in 40 years. There were multiple little rooms and an oddly tiny kitchen. "Yellow cabinets, pink carpet, wallpapered walls that were some odd texture," Anita said. "We were able to take this '70s home and really transform it."
They re-did an entire floor, rebuilt the backyard porch, created a new front portico and demolished the split-level entrance. In the end, they flipped it for a hefty profit.
As locals know, Anita said, "it's odd to find a house to flip in Buckhead. That was fun to showcase that house on the show." Future homes featured on the show will be in Marietta, Kennesaw, Austell, East Atlanta, Midtown, Decatur, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
On the show and in person, the Corsinis have an easy-going rapport with no real tension. They'r'e both smart number crunchers. She has better design skills. He loves making deals and taking risks. Combined, they have created a successful business, which also includes a traditional real estate office and new construction.
"We don't butt heads that much," Ken said. "It may not make for great TV but we know each other's strengths. We complement each other. We enjoy taking something distressed and turning them into something beautiful. We increase value in the neighborhood. We feel we do something good for the city."
They've been married 17 years and been together 19, going back to their days as college sweethearts at the University of Georgia. (Ken graduated Wheeler High School in East Cobb in 1995; Anita graduated Shiloh High School in Snellville the same year.)
The 2008 real estate downturn "launched our business. We didn't have a lot of momentum before the crash," said Ken.
"There were a plethora of houses" to flip, Anita noted.
Today's market is the opposite. There are not enough houses in the market and prices are rising. "Everything," Anita said, "has to be off market."
So they literally have multiple employees fishing for homes that are not yet listed, using tips from realtors, probate courts, social media and friends. They even hire someone who goes to specific hot neighborhoods going door to door hunting for owners willing to part with their homes.
They now live in the house once owned by Ole Anderson, a former professional wrestler, by a man-made lake. They have three young kids and a menagerie of animals, including dogs, cats, goats and pigs.
And while the original "Flip or Flop" couple's marriage became tabloid fodder, the Corsinis are confident their marriage can withstand whatever pressures fame may hold.
"We're fairly grounded," Ken said. "It never crossed my mind to worry. We have a good marriage. We're very intentional about marriage."
Ken has a passing resemblance to another famous flipper on Bravo Jeff Lewis of Bravo's "Flipping Out." He has never seen that show.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
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