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Why HGTV Hit the Jackpot With Flip or Flop Vegas' Bristol and Aubrey Marunde

With season two upon us, the cable network may have found its next big stars

By Mike Vulpo Mar 15, 2018 11:00 AMTags
Watch: "Flip or Flop Vegas" Couple Recounts Real-Life Love Story

Sound the alarm because HGTV has hit the jackpot in Las Vegas. 

While viewers first fell in love with Tarek El Moussa and Christina El Moussa—also known as the O.G.'s of the Flip or Flop franchise—another couple has quickly caught the attention of fans.

If you haven't already heard of Bristol Marunde and Aubrey Marunde, it's time to pay attention.

The stars of Flip or Flop Vegas are returning to the small screen tonight as season two officially kicks off.

And whether it's their love story, family life, quest for steals and deals or glamorous Vegas flips, there are plenty of reasons why the pair is making a name for themselves on HGTV.

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Long before signing up to join the HGTV family, the pair met for the first time at a UFC fight over Memorial Day weekend in 2009.

"We got to talking about real estate. It just so happened that I was buying a house and she was a realtor at the time and she magically pulled out the card and said give me a call," Bristol shared with E! News before season one launched. "I asked her out for coffee a day later and we talked all about real estate and each other and what we wanted."

The mixed martial artist champ added, "I don't want to sound cliché but it was love at first sight. We just fell in love and we both decided that we were ready to settle down and that was it."

Nine years later and the couple has a successful marriage, two boys, and a flipping business that shows off their individual skills. While Bristol brings the projects to life, Aubrey serves as the real estate agent and designer for each property. Together, they have a business that appears unstoppable.

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"Aubrey is good at everything that I'm not and that's what makes us such a great team. She is great with the business aspect of real estate," Bristol explained to us exclusively ahead of tonight's season two premiere. "I can do the physical work, the construction. Together, we're just a dynamic team."

Aubrey added, "He does the stuff that I don't want to do…I make all the real estate transactions happen. I do all the design, order all the products and then I hand it over to Bristol and he makes it happen."

One item of business the pair loves doing together is finding deals to make their costs lower but their profits higher.

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In season one, viewers loved when Aubrey searched for quality items on clearance or bargained with businesses to lower the cost of goods. As it turns out, Bristol is officially on board and absolutely understands the value of a coupon.

"I do it now. She converted me," Bristol shared with us. "Now I go to the hardware store with coupons. I go bargain shop now and it's kind of a contest for who can save the most."

The couple is the first to admit that having a successful business can be all-consuming at times. In fact, while speaking with E! News days before the season two premiere, the pair was still working on a few flips that will be shown in future episodes.

At the same time, the pair has found a way to decompress and enjoy family time away from a construction site.

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"We actually have a house outside of Seattle and that's kind of our escape. It's completely different from Vegas. It's on five acres, it's wooded and we love going there," Aubrey shared with us. Bristol added, "We love small towns. Aubrey and I are both from small towns…That's where we go to vacation and enjoy time with our family."

Back in Las Vegas, the couple's two children are already showing signs of the real estate bug. As documented on Instagram, Kale and Kane find themselves able to help out and get involved at job sites.

"[Seven-year-old Kale] loves to help me pick out product. He loves to help with the design," Aubrey revealed. "He's always got some input and he's really good with colors."

As for what keeps this couple going back for more and more houses, the reasons are simple.

"When you take something that is a complete disaster and turn it into something magnificent, it's a great accomplishment," Aubrey explained to us. "When the house sells and you have happy buyers, there is nothing better than that."

Watch their hard work pay off when Flip or Flip Vegas airs Thursday nights at 9 p.m. on HGTV.