The Untold Truth Of Flip Or Flop Nashville
Flip or Flop Nashville was born after the success of Flip or Flop sent HGTV into overdrive trying to replicate the ratings of the hit series featuring the house-flipping exploits of married (and then divorced) couple Christina Anstead and Tarek El Moussa. Their solution, of course, was to find fresh hosts to headline new shows with a similar format, set in different regions of the country. One of the results of this strategy was Flip or Flop Nashville, starring NFL player-turned-contractor DeRon Jenkins and realtor Page Turner, following their exploits buying rundown properties in Music City to renovate and sell at a profit.
While the El Moussas split up during the run of Flip or Flop (but continued co-starring even after their divorce), Flip or Flop Nashville cut right to the chase by casting a couple that had already split up. "We love to buy, renovate and flip houses — but the craziest part is that we're exes," said Turner in HGTV's announcement for Flip or Flop Nashville. "Thankfully, in business, we work great together."
HGTV's strategy was a solid one, and the show's 2018 debut proved to be another hit for the iconic lifestyle network. Yet even for viewers who've seen every episode, there's much to learn about the untold truth of Flip or Flop Nashville.
Strong ratings led HGTV to renew Flip or Flop Nashville
HGTV viewers clearly enjoyed watching house-flipping exes DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner ply their trade on Flip or Flop Nashville. This was evidenced by the show's spectacular ratings and the network's decision to pick the series up for a 12-episode second season.
In a March 2018 press release announcing the pickup, HGTV declared that a total of 9.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the first season, which also managed to garner a "top 5 cable ranking among upscale women 25-54" in its Thursday night time slot. "Page and DeRon's chemistry, unique work relationship and expertise as house flippers is such compelling television that audiences couldn't get enough of their dynamic and neither could we," said HGTV senior VP of programming John Feld.
According to Multichannel News, Flip or Flop Nashville averaged a solid 0.62 rating in the desirable 25 to 54 demographic, representing a 35 percent increase over the previous occupant of its time slot.
Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins had a career in the NFL
Before he began flipping houses on Flip or Flop Nashville, DeRon Jenkins was on a very different career path. After a successful stint in college football with the University of Tennessee, Jenkins was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 as a cornerback, beginning his stint in the NFL. Ahead of the 2000 season, Jenkins signed with the San Diego Chargers, playing there for a year before joining the Tennessee Titans in 2001 for a single season.
He then exited the NFL, and, three years later, Jenkins was picked up by the Arena Football League's Austin Wranglers, playing for one season before joining the Nashville Kats for two seasons and then retiring from professional football.
It was then that Jenkins embraced the idea of getting into home renovation. "There's something exciting to me about creating ... about driving by a piece of dirt and three-to-six months later, depending on how big the house is, there's a building there," Jenkins told the University of Tennessee's athletic department in an interview. He noted, "Ever since I stopped playing professional football, this is basically what I've done."
How Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins went from football to flipping houses
The transition from professional football to renovating and flipping houses may not seem like a natural progression, but it came organically to Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins. In an interview with HGTV, Jenkins revealed it all started when he bought his first home, a fixer-upper in Baltimore, after being drafted by the Ravens. He figured he'd attempt the basement reno all by himself. "I really had no idea what I was doing," Jenkins recalled, adding, "Before I knew it, I renovated this home."
After he retired from pro football, he told the Knoxville News Sentinel, "It kind of all came back to me." That led him to buy a house in Nashville and renovate it, a project that went so well he decided to go pro. During his first two years, the fledgling contractor figured he worked on between 15 and 20 homes, and he launched his own contracting company, DY Construction. "I honestly didn't make a ton of money, but I always call it like my schooling 'cause I feel like I sort of paid for it, but I didn't lose money," he admitted. "But I learned a lot. I learned the business."
These are the Flip or Flop Nashville stars' secrets to working successfully with an ex
When realtor Page Turner and football player-turned-contractor DeRon Jenkins ended their relationship, Turner told Us Weekly, the split was amicable. "We dated for a long time, but we still remained friends," she explained. "We didn't have this huge blow up where we just stopped speaking and all that drama." However, they did go their separate ways — for a while, at least. Turner noted that she and Jenkins had to take time apart from one another for a few years before they were okay working together again.
As Jenkins added, it all boils down to the fact that they legitimately hold each other in high regard. "The secret is respect and trust. We respect each other," said Jenkins. "We feel like we both are at the top of our craft. We work well together as far as trusting." The Flip or Flop Nashville star explained, "I know what she's gonna do, she knows what I'm gonna do. Our expectations of each other are very realistic. We make it work."
Flip or Flop Nashville star Page Turner's split from DeRon Jenkins was "traumatic"
While DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner have put their past romantic relationship behind them in their house-flipping partnership on Flip or Flop Nashville, their split was not as drama-free as some HGTV viewers might believe. In a candid interview with People, the former couple admitted their the breakup was not without its pain and suffering. As Jenkins explained, there "was some time between" when they split up and when they reconnected, with Turner interjecting, "After the traumatic break up, yes, there was time in between. Listen, I have stories."
Jenkins admitted that the breakup was equally rough for him. "I would say so. We were together for like five years," he said. "Are there ever really any good breakups?" Turner asked. Would either want to give their romance another shot? When posed that question by People, both exclaimed, "No!"
While their experience as a couple may have ended poorly, it did allow them to discover the real strength and purpose they could bring to a business partnership with each other. "One thing we did well," Turner told People, "was make money together."
Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins is one of People's "Sexiest Handymen Alive"
As a former NFL cornerback with the Baltimore Ravens and a popular HGTV television personality, DeRon Jenkins has a few accomplishments under his belt about which he can rightfully boast. In 2018, People gave him one more when, in its annual "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, Jenkins was named as one of the magazine's "Sexiest Handymen Alive."
Other 2018 honorees included Fixer Upper's Chip Gaines, Trading Spaces' Carter Oosterhouse and Brett Tutor, and Property Brothers' Drew and Jonathan Scott.
Speaking with People, Jenkins admitted that all that sexiness doesn't come without some serious effort, revealing that he hits the gym five times a week. "My goal is that when people look at me, they say, 'Well, I can see that he used to play professional football,'" the Flip or Flop Nashville star quipped. His advice for handymen who don't manage to achieve that particular degree of sexiness is to try to impress using one's skills with three basic tools: "a screwdriver, a flashlight and a hammer." He said, "You can do a lot with those things."
How the Flip or Flop Nashville stars responded to Nashville's real estate market cooling down
According to a 2020 study, Nashville was ranked one of America's hottest real estate markets. However, by then, the market had cooled considerably compared to a few years earlier, as inventory lessened while cautious buyers waited for things to pick back up. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times in January 2019, Flip or Flop Nashville stars Page Turner and DeRon Jenkins revealed how they were handling the market trend at the time.
"We got spoiled in Nashville having always had a pretty loose market," admitted Turner. "Now that it's so tight I had to go back to literally calling people to ask their aunts, cousins, mothers — anybody in their family — who might need to get rid of a house. We had to go old-school and find the pocket listings, use wholesalers, be unconventional."
Turner also shared the qualities she looks for in a home when it comes to flipping potential. "I always find properties that are a hot mess. Every single time," Turner revealed. "[Jenkins] shakes his head like, 'What in the world is this?' And I say, 'I don't know, you figure it out.' I frustrate him to no end."
Flip or Flop Nashville debuted a digital companion series
In addition to showcasing Page Turner and DeRon Jenkins flipping houses for profit on Flip or Flop Nashville, HGTV invited fans of the show to enjoy a whole other side of the ex-couple in a companion series, Flip or Flop Nashville: Ride With Me. In a series of brief episodes — all between five and ten minutes in length — Turner and Jenkins took viewers into some of Nashville's hippest neighborhoods and engaged in some unique activities.
For fans of the show, Ride With Me offered much to enjoy. For example, one episode found the "rhythmically challenged" Turner learning some hip-hop jitterbug dance moves at Nashville's Millennium Dance Complex. Additional episodes followed them as they took kickboxing lessons, learned how to throw axes, joined tourists on a Nashville bus tour, and attempted the art of standup comedy at the city's Zanies Comedy Club, with Jenkins' pal, comedian T.C. Cope, offering the former NFL player a few pointers for performing a standup set. Jenkins, probably wisely, elected to stay in the audience and leave the comedy to Cope — maybe next time!
The stars of Flip or Flop Nashville shared their top home improvement tips
When it comes to tips and tricks for attaining the biggest financial gain from a home renovation, Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner shared their secrets with readers of Yahoo! Finance.
One of the key strategies that Jenkins swears by when undertaking a reno with a view to flip is to lighten up — literally. "Some of the homes are a little bit smaller, so we use a lot of the white or brighter colors," he explained of how light-colored interior paint "gives the house pop." He noted, "It gives the house a cool feature. Kind of a contemporary feature that people really like right now."
Both Turner and Jenkins agree that, when spending money, you can never go wrong by spending it on the master bath. "Women like me really still want a beautiful bathroom to adorn themselves in, so I love making bathrooms beautiful," Turner explained, and Jenkins agreed wholeheartedly. "The women are coming into the house, they are looking for that master bathroom," he confirmed. "And that's who decides who's going to buy the house."
The surprising way Page Turner wound up on Flip or Flop Nashville
While Page Turner and DeRon Jenkins have been watched by millions on HGTV's Flip or Flop Nashville, neither of them prepared for a career as television hosts. In an interview with Grit Daily, Turner revealed the unorthodox way she and her ex-beau came to be stars of the HGTV hit. At the time, Turner was a single mother struggling to make ends meet when she received an email sharing that HGTV was looking to cast couples in a new real estate show, with the email envisioning the husband as contractor and the wife as realtor.
Being that she was single, Turner would seem to be out of the running. Instead, she thought outside the box, pitching the network on her idea for a show about an ex-couple who work together flipping houses. "My idea wasn't anything the production company/network was looking for, but I thought I would shoot my shot!" Turner explained. "So I wrote a short treatment about my ex-boyfriend ... and I realized that we 'worked well together' — we just didn't 'work well together.'" She received a response the next day, and the seed for Flip of Flop Nashville was planted.
Flip or Flop Nashville is one of many Flip or Flop spinoffs
The success of HGTV's original Flip or Flop speaks for itself, and its popularity can be measured in the sheer volume of spinoffs it's spawned. In addition to DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner starring in Flip or Flop Nashville, the series has also spun off with Christina on the Coast, featuring the solo renovation adventures of the former Mrs. Tarek El Moussa, Christina Anstead, as well as several regional variations.
One of these shows is Flip or Flop Vegas, which follows contractor/MMA fighter Bristol Marunde and his realtor/designer wife Aubrey, who undertake renovations in Sin City. There's also Flip or Flop Atlanta, in which spouses Ken and Anita Corsini bring Southern homes back to their former glory in the Georgia capital. Also on the menu is Flip or Flop Fort Worth, with husband-and-wife duo Andy and Ashley Williams tackling some challenging renos, Texas style! As if that weren't enough, HGTV also brought viewers Chicago Flippers, which was apparently intended to be a part of the franchise under the original title Flip or Flop Chicago.
How being on HGTV changed Flip or Flop Nashville star DeRon Jenkins' life
DeRon Jenkins had a certain degree of celebrity during his NFL career as a cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers, and Tennessee Titans. Yet according to an interview with the athletic department of the University of Tennessee, that was nothing compared to what he's experienced since Flip or Flop Nashville hit the air.
"The cool thing about HGTV is it crosses all ages, genders and races," Jenkins said. "I've had nine- or 10-year old kids shout at me that they watch my show. I've had 55-year-old women come up to me while I'm traveling in the airport. It's a show that really crosses every boundary."
Starring in an HGTV series, Jenkins explained, has "been a cool experience," but he admitted that it's "definitely hard work." According to Jenkins, his role in the house-flipping process is similar to that of being the coach of a football team. "I'm constantly managing, scheduling people and meeting with people to ultimately accomplish a common goal," he explained.
Here's what the Flip or Flop Nashville stars say to do to add extra value to a home
DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner of HGTV's Flip or Flop Nashville dropped by the Today show to share the "Flip Tips" they believe can add extra value to a home during a renovation. As the duo told Today's Hoda Kotb and guest host Dean Cain, one suggestion is to create a "pass-through," which Turner described as a great way to open a walled-off kitchen to an adjacent family room. "If you can't take down an entire wall, you can just add a pass-through," she explained. "It opens up the space, it gives natural light..."
Another suggestion they offered was to reverse trim color as a way of brightening up interior spaces, painting the walls a brighter color and using a darker hue on the trim. "What's great is that for about $25 for a can of paint, you can add a value of $3,000," Turner declared.
Kitchen cabinetry, the pair added, is also an area where a little investment can go a long way. Page suggested "two-tone cabinets," with lighter-colored cabinets on top and a darker color on the bottom. "A little bit of accent there," said Turner.
What the Flip or Flop Nashville stars said about Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead's split
As fans of the original Flip or Flop already know, Flip or Flop Nashville's DeRon Jenkins and Page Turner aren't the only ex-couple with a house-flipping show on HGTV. In fact, original Flip or Flop couple Tarek El Moussa and Christina Anstead made headlines when they announced they were separating, yet they continued to work together flipping houses on their HGTV hit.
While Jenkins and Turner admit the circumstances of their breakup are "a little different" from that of the Flip or Flop couple, they weighed in on El Moussa and Anstead during an interview with Us Weekly. "I think they're on the right path. They have faith and they respect each other," Turner told the magazine. "And I think one thing they do is they keep their kids first — from what I see and read. So I think that will keep their path straight."
As for their own relationship, Jenkins and Turner, who both declared themselves to be single at the time, were happy to maintain things as is. "I think we're in such a great place right now," added Turner. "We work really well together."